Acoustic Analysis of Musical Instruments

[czechman45]

I'd like to learn more about acoustic analysis of musical instruments, but I have no idea where to even start. I've taken some acoustics courses and some fluid dynamics courses as well as structural vibrations. What I'd like to do is model an instrument and then have a numerically predicted tone and timbre. I know that this has been done at least several times with a guitar model. Is this primarily an FEA problem? Does CFD come into play here? How would I go about doing this and what types of things would I have to learn about?

Thanks for your input!

 

[Bobbywhy]

You may visit these sites to find how others have been doing these analyses:
http://spa.aalto.fi/en/research/acoustics_and_audio_signal_processing_group/
http://www.cirmmt.mcgill.ca/research/axes/Sound_Modeling
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?arnumber=5337963
http://asadl.org/jasa/resource/1/jasman/v95/i5/p2946_s2?bypassSSO=1

 

[Vanadium 50]

You might want to start with Rossing's book on the subject.

 

[AlephZero]

If you want to understand the physics of an acoustic instrument, then structural and fluid mechanics (both computational an experimental) is a good starting point.

On the other hand if you want to simulate an instrument (real or imagined), especailly if you want to be able to "play" it in real time, you want a strong background in digital signal processing, and there has been a lot of work on producing fast approxmate algorithms that "sound good" even if they are not an accurate detailed model of the physics.

Two more websites:
https://ccrma.stanford.edu/
http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/music/

 

[sardar]

As a scientist with expertise in acoustic analysis, I can provide some guidance on your interest in modeling musical instruments and predicting their tone and timbre. This is indeed a fascinating area of study, and there are many different approaches and techniques that can be used to achieve your goal.

Firstly, I would recommend delving deeper into the field of acoustics and specifically the subfield of musical acoustics. This will give you a better understanding of the physical principles and parameters that contribute to the sound of a musical instrument. Additionally, studying signal processing and digital sound synthesis techniques can also be helpful in creating realistic simulations of instrument sounds.

In terms of modeling, there are several methods that can be used, including Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). FEA can be used to simulate the vibrations and resonances of different parts of an instrument, while CFD can help in understanding the flow of air within wind instruments. Both techniques can provide valuable insights into the sound production of instruments.

In terms of specific software or tools, there are many options available, some of which are specifically designed for musical instrument modeling and simulation. Some examples include COMSOL Multiphysics and ANSYS. However, these can be quite complex to use, so it would be beneficial to familiarize yourself with the basics of FEA and CFD before diving into these tools.

In addition to technical knowledge, it would also be beneficial to have a solid understanding of music theory and the different components that contribute to the tone and timbre of an instrument. This can help in accurately translating the physical properties of an instrument into a numerical model.

Overall, modeling and predicting the tone and timbre of a musical instrument is a complex and multidisciplinary task, but with a strong foundation in acoustics, signal processing, and appropriate software, it is certainly achievable. I wish you the best of luck in your pursuit of this fascinating topic.