Experimental analysis of non-periodic sound regimes in flute-like musical instruments.

Self-sustained musical instruments are complex nonlinear dynamical systems that are known to produce a wealth of dynamical regimes. This includes different kinds of non-periodic sounds, which are either played on purpose or avoided depending on the cultural and musical context. We investigate non-periodic sounds produced by two types of flute-like instruments, namely, an alto recorder and traditional pan-like flutes from Central Chile.

Music in a bag? Controlling the bag of Majorcan and Galician bagpipes.

After defining the mechanical framework of the bag control of bagpipe, this paper presents a study of the bag pressure control in a musical context through the comparison of six players and two bagpipes: one Galician (gaita) and one Majorcan (xeremies), the latter mainly differentiated organologically by a much larger bag size. General observations first lead to the identification and interpretation of the range of control parameters observed. A more detailed analysis of the control parameters during the production of steady notes highlights the coordination between insufflations and the arm displacement necessary to produce a stable and continuous sound.

Acoustic dissipation in wooden pipes of different species used in wind instrument making: An experimental study.

In this study, the acoustic dissipation is investigated experimentally in wooden pipes of different species commonly used in woodwind instrument making: maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), pear wood (Pyrus communis L.), boxwood (Buxus sempervirens), and African Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon). The pipes are parallel to the grain, except one which forms an angle of 60° with the fiber direction.

Specific features of a stopped pipe blown by a turbulent jet: Aeroacoustics of the panpipes.

Flute-like instruments with a stopped pipe were widely used in ancient cultures and continue to be used in many musical expressions throughout the globe. They offer great flexibility in the input control parameters, allowing for large excursions in the flux and in the geometrical configuration for the lips of the instrumentalist. For instance, the transverse offset of the jet axis relative to the labium can be shifted beyond the operational limits found in open-open pipes, and the total jet flux can be increased up to values that produce highly turbulent jets while remaining on the first oscillating regime.

Time-domain simulation of flute-like instruments: comparison of jet-drive and discrete-vortex models.

This paper presents two models of sound production in flute-like instruments that allow time-domain simulations. The models are based on different descriptions of the jet flow within the window of the instrument. The jet-drive model depicts the jet by its transverse perturbation that interacts with the labium to produce sound.

Predicting the decay time of solid body electric guitar tones.

Although it can be transformed by various electronic devices, the sound of the solid body electric guitar originates from, and is strongly linked with, the string vibration. The coupling of the string with the guitar alters its vibration and can lead to decay time inhomogeneities. This paper implements and justifies a framework for the study of decay times of electric guitar tones.

A model of harp plucking.

In this paper, a model of the harp plucking is developed. It is split into two successive time phases, the sticking and the slipping phases, and uses a mechanical description of the human finger's behavior. The parameters of the model are identified through measurements of the finger/string displacements during the interaction.

Regime change and oscillation thresholds in recorder-like instruments.

Based on results from the literature, a description of sound generation in a recorder is developed. Linear and non-linear analysis are performed to study the dependence of the frequency on the jet velocity. The linear analysis predicts that the frequency is a function of the jet velocity.

Experimentally based description of harp plucking.

This paper describes an experimental study of string plucking for the classical harp. Its goal is to characterize the playing parameters that play the most important roles in expressivity, and in the way harp players recognize each other, even on isolated notes--what we call the "acoustical signature" of each player. We have designed a specific experimental setup using a high-speed camera that tracks some markers on the fingers and on the string.