two tones produce more · the difference (|B−A|) rings in the ear · the cubic tone (2A−B, just below the lower tone) is the one the ear makes most readily when the two are close · the sum (A+B) arises there too, though scarcely audibly
Tartini discovered the difference tone on the violin in 1714
click a row to hear that tone · synthesized here so you can hear where it sits · in your ear they arise from cochlear nonlinearity · play A and B alone first and listen for them · esc clears all