Missing Fundamental
Hearing a pitch that is not physically present in the sound
Overview
The missing fundamental is the phenomenon in which listeners hear the pitch of a complex tone even when the lowest frequency, the fundamental, has been removed, as long as its harmonics remain. A tone with components at 400, 600, and 800 Hz is heard with a pitch corresponding to 200 Hz. It shows that pitch is computed by the auditory system from the pattern of harmonics rather than simply read off the lowest frequency. The effect explains why voices sound natural over telephones that cut low frequencies, and why small speakers can still convey bass lines.
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