Developing a hybrid wind instrument: using a loudspeaker to couple a theoretical exciter to a real resonator

Buys, K.; Sharp, D. and Laney, R. (2014). Developing a hybrid wind instrument: using a loudspeaker to couple a theoretical exciter to a real resonator. In: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Musical Acoustics pp. 331–336.

URL: http://www.conforg.fr/isma2014/cdrom/data/articles...

Abstract

A hybrid wind instrument generates self-sustained sounds via a real-time interaction between a computed physical model of an exciter (such as human lips interacting with a mouthpiece) and a real acoustic resonator. Successful implementation of a hybrid wind instrument will not only open up new musical possibilities but will also provide a valuable research tool. However, attempts to produce a hybrid instrument have so far fallen short, in terms of both the accuracy and the variation in the sound produced. The principal reason for the failings of previous hybrid instruments is the actuator which, controlled by the physical model of the exciter, introduces a fluctuating component into the air flow injected into the resonator. In the present paper, the possibility of using a loudspeaker to supply the calculated excitation signal is explored. A theoretical study using established physical models is carried out, yielding useful rules for choosing the best loudspeaker for a given resonator. Acoustical coupling and feedback stability are considered. Experimental studies are reported which provide the loudspeaker's "electrical input to dynamic volume flow rate" transfer function. Simulations of the entire system, along with initial experimental investigations, confirm a coherent self-sustained operation.

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