Numerical Modeling and Sound Synthesis for Articulated String/Fretboard Interactions

Bilbao S, Torin A. Numerical Modeling and Sound Synthesis for Articulated String/Fretboard Interactions. J Audio Eng Soc. 2015;63(5):336-347. doi:10.17743/jaes.2015.0023

@article{Bilbao2015_17639,
  author = {Bilbao, Stefan and Torin, Alberto},
  title = {{Numerical Modeling and Sound Synthesis for Articulated String/Fretboard Interactions}},
  journal = {Journal of the Audio Engineering Society},
  volume = {63},
  number = {5},
  pages = {336--347},
  year = {2015},
  month = may,
  publisher = {Audio Engineering Society},
  doi = {10.17743/jaes.2015.0023},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2015.0023}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Numerical Modeling and Sound Synthesis for Articulated String/Fretboard Interactions
AU  - Bilbao, Stefan
AU  - Torin, Alberto
T2  - Journal of the Audio Engineering Society
J2  - J. Audio Eng. Soc.
VL  - 63
IS  - 5
SP  - 336
EP  - 347
PY  - 2015
DA  - 2015/05/06
DO  - 10.17743/jaes.2015.0023
UR  - https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2015.0023
PB  - Audio Engineering Society
LA  - en
AB  - Sound synthesis for fretted instruments, such as the guitar, has a long history because of numerous challenges; the interaction between the finger, string and fretboard under variable playing conditions is a delicate one, leading to many subtle features difficult to emulate using standard synthesis methods. A physical modeling approach thus becomes an attractive option. A vibrating string is subject to intermittent contact/recontact phenomena along the length of the fretboard, and the string is driven by a plucking interaction and stopped by a finger, the position of which and force applied by are gestural parameters. In this research, a finite-difference time-domain method is developed with a penalty potential allowing for a convenient model of distributed collision. Implementation details are discussed and simulation results and visualizations are presented illustrating a variety of typical playing gestures. Finally, given that such methods for highly nonlinear systems are prone to numerical instability, a brief description of an energy-balanced or Hamiltonian framework is provided, allowing for convenient numerical stability conditions.
ER  -