We probably all know what we mean when we say an instrument sounds "boxy".
(1) Do we all mean more-or-less the same thing by that?
(2) What do we actually mean by it? When we say "trebly" we mean something that shows up clearly on a frequency analyser. When we say "zingy" we probably mean "has a lot of upper mids or highs and a sharp attack with (perhaps) a touch of natural reverb". But what, in technical terms, does "boxy" mean?
I'm thinking that a starting point might be that we are hitting the limits of the instrument's dynamic range. Start doing big strums on a small, responsive guitar and it sounds boxy straight away. You are putting more energy into the strings but the instrument can't reproduce that properly. (Hell, J-45s can and do sound boxy sometimes, it's one of the things I don't like about them.)
But there is more to "boxy" than clipping at the upper limit of the instrument's dynamic range. There is something going on with the frequency response (I think) but I can't put my finger on it.
Comments
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Sorry
A twig.
thats it
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
And so many different ones!
I now know less than I did before I asked the question - which is probably progress, of a sort.
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
Boxy to me is that dead sound you get on certain notes at certain points over the neck, those notes that don't sustain and just sound a bit, well, 'thuddy'.
2004 Yamaha LL-500
1995 Yamaha LA-8
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.