A simulation tool for brassiness studies.

A frequency-domain numerical model of brass instrument sound production is proposed as a tool to predict their brassiness, defined as the rate of spectral enrichment with increasing dynamic level. It is based on generalized Burger's equations dedicated to weakly nonlinear wave propagation in nonuniform ducts, and is an extension of previous work by Menguy and Gilbert [Acta Acustica 86, 798-810 (2000)], initially limited to short cylindrical tubes. The relevance of the present tool is evaluated by carrying out simulations over distances longer than typical shock formation distances, and by doing preliminary simulations of periodic regimes in a typical brass trombone bore geometry.