Pulsar synthesis independently controls fundamental frequency and formant frequency

A pulsar consists of two components: an arbitrary pulsaret waveform of period d, followed by a silent time interval s. The fundamental frequency of the pulsar train is determined by 1/(d+s) - the repetition rate. The spectral character (formant) is independently determined by the pulsaret waveform and its duration d. This separation of fundamental and formant control allows the composer to sweep the fundamental from infrasonic rates (rhythm) through audio rates (pitch) while independently shaping the spectral envelope. Pulsar synthesis thus spans the entire rhythm-pitch continuum while allowing independent formant control, producing sounds ranging from pulsating rhythms to voiced formant tones.

Examples

Pulsar: pulsaret = 3ms sine, silence = 17ms: period = 20ms, fundamental = 50 Hz (bass tone). Change silence to 3ms: period = 6ms, fundamental = 167 Hz, formant unchanged. Change pulsaret to 1ms: formant rises, fundamental unchanged.

Assessment

In pulsar synthesis, how are fundamental frequency and formant frequency controlled independently? Describe what happens to the sound when the silent interval is gradually reduced to zero.