Talk:Audio feedback

I feel fine

I feel fine's intro is not feedback... it is an open string hitting a nail... 25 June 2007(UTC)

There are a lot of citations for it being feedback; see The Beatles' Influence on Recording Music - Lennon, McCartney and Harrison all describe it as feedback, also in a film of the Beatles performing I Feel Fine, Lennon can be seen turning to face the amplifier to get the feedback effect. Apepper 19:44, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

The sound on I feel fine is not true feedback, it is a sympathetic note on John’s guitar triggered by a note on Paul’s bass.

The distinct slowly intensifying buzzing sound on the opening cannot be replicated by simply holding a plugged in acoustic guitar in front of an amp- you get a howling low frequency sound instead.

The sound can be replicated on an unplugged acoustic guitar by hitting the right note (“D” on the “A” string, fifth fret, harmonic even better) on a bass guitar. The open string on the acoustic begins to vibrate, slowly building in volume and intensity, eventually buzzing against the frets before fading. 2001:569:BCD0:2300:5C22:C3E4:8761:4759 (talk) 16:02, 23 November 2023 (UTC)

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Characteristic frequency

It is my impression that acoustic feedback squeals usually fall in the same frequency range (1000-3000 Hz?) - whether it's a PA system, a phone interview in live radio, or whatever. This may seem odd since the time T for a random tiny sound to make full circle must be quite differentin those cases, and the frequency should be 1/T in a simple understanding of the phenomenon. I think the explanation must be along these lines: In addition to 1/T, frequencies p/(q*T), where p and q are small integers, may also be created, p>=2 representing overtones, and q>=2 representing a sound making two ore more circles. Which frequency that is actually heard is also determined by the variation of gain with frequency (in amplifier, loudspeaker, microphone, room acoustics, and electronic transmission, all combined), and I suppose that will often favour frequencies roughly in the range actually heard. I think ait would be nice to have a brief and correct explanation in the article, but my explanation is sketchy at best, the p/q-thing is not really thought through, and I have no sources. Anyone?--Nø (talk) 18:51, 21 March 2018 (UTC)

Feedback can occur and multiples (overtones) of the fundamental frequency established the delay through the system. The higher overtones may be more likely to feedback if the room acoustics and amplification system favors those frequencies e.g. in the presence of a low-pass filter present in many PA systems to tame microphone handling noise and plosives. ~Kvng (talk) 21:20, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

First to record guitar feedback claim

I've reverted a claim. The source actually says (p. 609-610) ...blasting off into 12-bar distortion the like of which would not be heard until British kids "discovered" feedback. That's removed from the claim they were the first to record guitar feedback. ~Kvng (talk) 17:26, 12 October 2026 (UTC)

I was hoping someone would have access to the book. I saw the claim in the article The "5" Royales

Rock critic Dave Marsh chose the 1958 "5" Royales hit "The Slummer the Slum" as one of the top 1001 singles of all time in his book The Heart of Rock and Soul, crediting Pauling with capturing the first intentional use of guitar feedback on record, years before better-known squawks from The Beatles, The Yardbirds, and The Velvet Underground.

I played "The Slummer the Slum" on YouTube. Not hearing any obvious F/B concluded either I was missing something or it was fallacious, so repeated it in this article where it could be reviewed by someone more knowledgeable. Thanks Kvng. Doug butler (talk) 21:03, 12 October 2026 (UTC)

The book's available at archive.org ~Kvng (talk) 02:27, 13 October 2026 (UTC)