> Hi,
>
> A question about passive mults. I want to put the signals from two oscillators (prob Rubicons) at very high frequencies
> together to have the beat frequency in the audio range. Difference tones or I've sometimes heard it called Heterodyning.
> I have read about doing it with a mixer - but if I used a mult (in reverse - ie two inputs and taking one output) it
> would be non linear and give more rich harmonics - or so I understand. ( Page 175 Electronic Music: Systems, Techniques
> and Controls, Allen Strange). But my question is do passive mults work in this way Is it safe - ie not going to damage
> the oscillators in some way
>
> This comes from reading about Pauline Oliveros's early electronic music and listening to a lot of her music. There are
> sound textures that I really liked but didn't know how they were made until recently reading about her using supra sonic
> tones to create beat frequencies in the audio range.
>
> Hope someone can answer about the mults as non linear mixers,
>
> David
If you connect two or more outputs via a passive multiple you generate a short circuit between the outputs. It depends upon the
output circuits what will happen. In the worst case one or more of the circuits may be damaged (that's not the case for A-100
modules as the outputs are protected against such patches). If you are lucky you will obtain something similar to mixing of the
circuits. But the output circuits may also interact and you obtain a result that depends upon the output circuits (e.g. kind of
clipping or waveshaping or other non-linear effects).
Best wishes
Dieter Doepfer