Download More Modal Fun - “Forced Vibration” at One Point The question, if a vibrating object can be forced to follow a given movement profile at one point forms a case of an inverse problem. It is shown that for the specific setting of an object described by modal data, this question may be solved by a newly developed method. The new technique has several strengths, such as allowing to compute modal data for the constrained scenario and forming a basis for precise and stable simulations. The latter potential is shown at a short example, a stiff string being hammered against a fixed board by a hammer of infinite mass.
Download Modeling Methods for the Highly Dispersive Slinky Spring: A Novel Musical Toy The ’Slinky’ spring is a popular and beloved toy for many children. Like its smaller relatives, used in spring reverberation units, it can produce interesting sonic behaviors. We explore the behavior of the ’Slinky’ spring via measurement, and discover that its sonic characteristics are notably different to those of smaller springs. We discuss methods of modeling the behavior of a Slinky via the use of finite-difference techniques and digital waveguides. We then apply these models in different structures to build a number of interesting tools for computer-based music production.