Use of a signal generator

[reverieman]

I have read a few posts where the use of a signal generator was mentioned in finding a fundamental frequency in an instrument? How can I use my signal generator to do this or to improve my monitoring?

[steve at Your Heaven]

A signal ANALYZER (e.g., a Spectral Analyzer) can be used to determine the fundamental frequency of a note on an instrument. I have a Sound Forge plugin for it, and here is a shareware version I just found on the web (never used by me). This and similar tools are sometimes good for finding problem spots at any given moment in a recording, although using a steep frequency filter and listening is often faster and more useful:
http://www.visualizationsoftware.com/gram.html

A pink noise signal generator is used with (typically) a third octave analyzer and third octave equalizers to 'tune a room', which means equalizing the signal to specific speakers at a specific place in a specific room so the sound AT THE SPOT where you listen has an accurate frequency response.

Unless you have a certain problem type in mind, the phrase "finding a fundamental frequency in an instrument" is not a practical thought for monitoring, as the fundamental frequency of any instrument is different for every note; the fundamental frequency of any sound is how a note is defined.

A good understanding of acoustics is the first step to knowing what this is about. Here are some wikipedia entries, which could be a decent start:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_acoustics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustics