Physical modeling of musical instruments on handheld mobile devices

Abstract

Handheld mobile computing devices are now ubiquitous. These devices are powerful, connected and equipped with a variety of sensors. Their pervasiveness has created an opportunity to realize parametrically controlled, physically modeled, virtual musical instruments. We will present a brief history of physically modeled musical instruments and the platforms that those models have been run on. We will also give an overview of what is currently possible on handheld mobile devices including modeling done in the “moForte Guitar” mobile application. “moForte Guitar” is an application for mobile devices that models the physics of the guitar family of instruments. Modeling makes expressive interactive articulation possible, which cannot be directly achieved with sample playback techniques. Features that are modeled include: electric and acoustic instruments, strumming at various string positions, string scraping and damping, harmonics, glissando, automated modeling of strumming, statistical variation of physical parameters, feedback/distortion and classic processed electric guitar effects. We will show a number of real-time demonstrations on a handheld mobile device for what is possible with this model.