Download Parametric Synthesis of Glissando Note Transitions - A user Study in a Real-Time Application This paper investigates the applicability of different mathematical models for the parametric synthesis of fundamental frequency trajectories in glissando note transitions. Hyperbolic tangent, cubic splines and Bézier curves were implemented in a realtime synthesis system. Within a user study, test subjects were presented two-note sequences with glissando transitions, which had to be re-synthesized using the three different trajectory models, employing a pure sine wave synthesizer. Resulting modeling errors and user feedback on the models were evaluated, indicating a significant disadvantage of the hyperbolic tangent in the modeling accuracy. Its reduced complexity and low number of parameters were however not rated to increase the usability.
Download TU-Note Violin Sample Library – A Database of Violin Sounds with Segmentation Ground Truth The presented sample library of violin sounds is designed as a tool for the research, development and testing of sound analysis/synthesis algorithms. The library features single sounds which cover the entire frequency range of the instrument in four dynamic levels, two-note sequences for the study of note transitions and vibrato, as well as solo pieces for performance analysis. All parts come with a hand-labeled segmentation ground truth which mark attack, release and transition/transient segments. Additional relevant information on the samples’ properties is provided for single sounds and two-note sequences. Recordings took place in an anechoic chamber with a professional violinist and a recording engineer, using two microphone positions. This document describes the content and the recording setup in detail, alongside basic statistical properties of the data.
Download Statistical Sinusoidal Modeling for Expressive Sound Synthesis Statistical sinusoidal modeling represents a method for transferring a sample library of instrument sounds into a data base of sinusoidal parameters for the use in real time additive synthesis. Single sounds, capturing an instrument in combinations of pitch and intensity, are therefor segmented into attack, sustain and release. Partial amplitudes, frequencies and Bark band energies are calculated for all sounds and segments. For the sustain part, all partial and noise parameters are transformed to probabilistic distributions. Interpolated inverse transform sampling is introduced for generating parameter trajectories during synthesis in real time, allowing the creation of sounds located at pitches and intensities between the actual support points of the sample library. Evaluation is performed by qualitative analysis of the system response to sweeps of the control parameters pitch and intensity. Results for a set of violin samples demonstrate the ability of the approach to model dynamic timbre changes, which is crucial for the perceived quality of expressive sound synthesis.
Download Continuous State Modeling for Statistical Spectral Synthesis Continuous State Markovian Spectral Modeling is a novel approach for parametric synthesis of spectral modeling parameters, based on the sines plus noise paradigm. The method aims specifically at capturing shimmer and jitter - micro-fluctuations in the partials’ frequency and amplitude trajectories, which are essential for the timbre of musical instruments. It allows for parametric control over the timbral qualities, while removing the need for the more computationally expensive and restrictive process of the discrete state space modeling method. A qualitative comparison between an original violin sound and a re-synthesis shows the ability of the algorithm to reproduce the micro-fluctuations, considering their stochastic and spectral properties.
Download A Virtual Instrument for Ifft-Based Additive Synthesis in the Ambisonics Domain Spatial additive synthesis can be efficiently implemented by applying the inverse Fourier transform to create the individual channels of Ambisonics signals. In the presented work, this approach has been implemented as an audio plugin, allowing the generation and control of basic waveforms and their spatial attributes in a typical DAW-based music production context. Triggered envelopes and low frequency oscillators can be mapped to the spectral shape, source position and source width of the resulting sounds. A technical evaluation shows the computational advantages of the proposed method for additive sounds with high numbers of partials and different Ambisonics orders. The results of a user study indicate the potential of the developed plugin for manipulating the perceived position, source width and timbre coloration.