Download Physical Modeling of the Harpsichord Plectrum-String Interaction In this paper, we present a thorough treatment of a harpsichord plectrum-string interaction which allows for large end deflections and both transverse motions of the string. We start from the general equations of motion of a bent beam, and an accurate shape of the plectrum is calculated, agreeing with existing known cantilever beam models when end deflections are assumed small. All the governing forces on the string are considered, and the complete motion of the string up to its release is simulated, allowing for future implementation on physical model sound synthesis of strings. Simulation results agree with what is experienced playing a real harpsichord string.
Download Harpsichord Sound Synthesis using a Physical Plectrum Model Interfaced with the Digital Waveguide In this paper, we present a revised model of the plectrum-string interaction and its interface with the digital waveguide for simulation of the harpsichord sound. We will first revisit the plectrum body model that we have proposed previously in [1] and then extend the model to incorporate the geometry of the plectrum tip. This permits us to model the dynamics of the string slipping off the plectrum more comprehensively, which provides more physically accurate excitation signals. Simulation results are presented and discussed.
Download Alias-free Virtual Analog Oscillators Using a Feedback Delay Loop The rich spectra of classic waveforms (sawtooth, square and triangular) are obtained by discontinuities in the waveforms or their derivatives. At the same time, the discontinuities lead to aliasing when the waveforms are digitally generated. To remove or reduce the aliasing, researchers have proposed various methods, mostly based on limiting bandwidth or smoothing the waveforms. This paper introduces a new approach to generate the virtual analog oscillators with no aliasing. The approach relies on generating an impulse train using a feedback delay loop, often used for the physical modeling of musical instruments. Classic waveforms are then derived from the impulse train with a leaky integrator. Although the output generated by this method is not exactly periodic, it perceptually sounds harmonic. While additional processing is required for time-varying pitch shifting, resulting in some high-frequency attenuation when the pitch changes, the proposed method is computationally more efficient than other algorithms and the high-frequency attenuation can be also adjusted.
Download Resolving Wave Digital Filters with Multiple/Multiport Nonlinearities We present a novel framework for developing Wave Digital Filter (WDF) models from reference circuits with multiple/multiport nonlinearities. Collecting all nonlinearities into a vector at the root of a WDF tree bypasses the traditional WDF limitation to a single nonlinearity. The resulting system has a complicated scattering relationship between the nonlinearity ports and the ports of the rest of the (linear) circuit, which can be solved by a Modified-NodalAnalysis-derived method. For computability reasons, the scattering and vector nonlinearity must be solved jointly; we suggest a derivative of the K-method. This novel framework significantly expands the class of appropriate WDF reference circuits. A case study on a clipping stage from the Big Muff Pi distortion pedal involves both a transistor and a diode pair. Since it is intractable with standard WDF methods, its successful simulation demonstrates the usefulness of the novel framework.
Download Nonlinear Allpass Ladder Filters in FAUST Passive nonlinear filters provide a rich source of evolving spectra for sound synthesis. This paper describes a nonlinear allpass filter of arbitrary order based on the normalized ladder filter. It is expressed in FAUST recursively in only two statements. Toward the synthesis of cymbals and gongs, it was used to make nonlinear waveguide meshes and feedback-delay-network reverberators.
Download Mechanical Sound Synthesis: And the New Application of Force-Feedback Teleoperation of Acoustic Musical Instruments In Mechanical Sound Synthesis, real mechanical devices are employed to create sound. Users can interact directly with the variables of the sound synthesis, making interactions more intuitive to both users and audience. We focus on real-time feedback control for Mechanical Sound Synthesis and provide a classification scheme using the reality-virtuality continuum. We discover an apparently novel paradigm, which is described as augmented virtuality for real-time feedback control. Exploring this paradigm, we present preliminary results from a system enabling a user to teleoperate acoustic percussion instruments with the aid of force feedback. Mechanical looping of the teleoperation trajectories and their transformations enables the synthesis of lifelike sounds with superhuman characteristics that are nevertheless produced by mechanical devices.
Download Wave Digital Filter Adaptors for Arbitrary Topologies and Multiport Linear Elements We present a Modified-Nodal-Analysis-derived method for developing Wave Digital Filter (WDF) adaptors corresponding to complicated (non-series/parallel) topologies that may include multiport linear elements (e.g. controlled sources and transformers). A second method resolves noncomputable (non-tree-like) arrangements of series/parallel adaptors. As with the familiar 3-port series and parallel adaptors, one port of each derived adaptor may be rendered reflection-free, making it acceptable for inclusion in a standard WDF tree. With these techniques, the class of acceptable reference circuits for WDF modeling is greatly expanded. This is demonstrated by case studies on circuits which were previously intractable with WDF methods: the Bassman tone stack and Tube Screamer tone/volume stage.
Download Contact Sensor Processing for Acoustic Instrument Sensor Matching Using a Modal Architecture This paper proposes a method to filter the output of instrument contact sensors to approximate the response of a well placed microphone. A modal approach is proposed in which mode frequencies and damping ratios are fit to the frequency response of the contact sensor, and the mode gains are then determined for both the contact sensor and the microphone. The mode frequencies and damping ratios are presumed to be associated with the resonances of the instrument. Accordingly, the corresponding contact sensor and microphone mode gains will account for the instrument radiation. The ratios between the contact sensor and microphone gains are then used to create a parallel bank of second-order biquad filters to filter the contact sensor signal to estimate the microphone signal.
Download Joint modeling of impedance and radiation as a recursive parallel filter structure for efficient synthesis of wind instrument sound In the context of efficient synthesis of wind instrument sound, we introduce a technique for joint modeling of input impedance and sound pressure radiation as digital filters in parallel form, with the filter coefficients derived from experimental data. In a series of laboratory measurements taken on an alto saxophone, the input impedance and sound pressure radiation responses were obtained for each fingering. In a first analysis step, we iteratively minimize the error between the frequency response of an input impedance measurement and that of a digital impedance model constructed from a parallel filter structure akin to the discretization of a modal expansion. With the modal coefficients in hand, we propose a digital model for sound pressure radiation which relies on the same parallel structure, thus suitable for coefficient estimation via frequency-domain least-squares. For modeling the transition between fingering positions, we propose a simple model based on linear interpolation of input impedance and sound pressure radiation models. For efficient sound synthesis, the common impedance-radiation model is used to construct a joint reflectanceradiation digital filter realized as a digital waveguide termination that is interfaced to a reed model based on nonlinear scattering.
Download Real-Time Wave Digital Simulation of Cascaded Vacuum Tube Amplifiers using Modified Blockwise Method Vacuum tube amplifiers, known for their acclaimed distortion characteristics, are still widely used in hi-fi audio devices. However, bulky, fragile and power-consuming vacuum tube devices have also motivated much research on digital emulation of vacuum tube amplifier behaviors. Recent studies on Wave Digital Filters (WDF) have made possible the modeling of multi-stage vacuum tube amplifiers within single WDF SPQR trees. Our research combines the latest progress on WDF with the modified blockwise method to reduce the overall computational complexity of modeling cascaded vacuum tube amplifiers by decomposing the whole circuit into several small stages containing only two adjacent triodes. Certain performance optimization methods are discussed and applied in the eventual real-time implementation.