The synchronization of self-sustained oscillators such as the van der Pol oscillator is a model for the adjustment of rhythms of oscillating objects due to their weak interaction and has wide applications in natural and technical processes. That these oscillators adjust their frequency or phase to an external forcing or mutually between several oscillators is a phenomenon which can be used in sound synthesis for various purposes. In this paper we focus on the influence of delays on the synchronization properties of these oscillators. As there is no general theory yet on this topic, we mainly present simulation results, together with some background on the non-delayed case. Finally, the theory is also applied in Neukom’s studies 21.1-21.9
