A three-dimensional timbre model via Peano curves

Abstract

Creating a formal model for timbre is one of the most compelling open questions in music research. In contrast to more traditional perceptually-oriented approaches, often aimed at sound analysis, we introduce a three-dimensional geometric model of timbre, specifically designed for sound synthesis. The proposed model relies on the properties of space-filling curves for multidimensional scaling, and represents via three parameters, any static combination of sinusoidal partials with an additional noisiness component. We detail the construction of the model and its properties and discuss future implications for music research.