Modeling and real-time synthesis of the kantele using distributed tension modulation

ABSTRACT Nonlinear behavior of a vibrating string is responsible for acoustical features in some plucked-string instruments, resulting in a characteristic and easily recognizable tone. That is also the case for the Finnish kantele, a traditional plucked-string instrument used in folk music. Earlier works have analyzed the general acoustic properties of the kantele and discussed related sound synthesis techniques. In this study, a novel modeling and sound synthesis method for simulating nonlinear string vibrations with spatially distributed tension modulation is presented. The modeling is conducted through a Digital Waveguide (DWG) approach, using controllable fractional delay elements in implementing the distributed tension modulation nonlinearity. The elongation of the vibrating string is estimated and the result is used in tuning the fractional delay values accordingly. Because of the spatially distributed nature of the approach, control of the string model parameters and observation of its behavior can be implemented at any point along it, in contrast to prior digital waveguide string models. This new approach is applied in constructing a physical model of a five-string kantele. Real-time sound synthesis is implemented using an efficient, block-based modeling tool, the BlockCompiler

A digital waveguide-based approach for Clavinet modeling and synthesis

The Clavinet is an electromechanical musical instrument produced in the mid-twentieth century. As is the case for other vintage instruments, it is subject to aging and requires great effort to be maintained or restored. This paper reports analyses conducted on a Hohner Clavinet D6 and proposes a computational model to faithfully reproduce the Clavinet sound in real time, from tone generation to the emulation of the electronic components. The string excitation signal model is physically inspired and represents a cheap solution in terms of both computational resources and especially memory requirements (compared, e.g., to sample playback systems). Pickups and amplifier models have been implemented which enhance the natural character of the sound with respect to previous work. A model has been implemented on a real-time software platform, Pure Data, capable of a 10-voice polyphony with low latency on an embedded device. Finally, subjective listening tests conducted using the current model are compared to previous tests showing slightly improved results