Sound synthesis of the harpsichord pluck using a physical plectrum-string interaction model.

Abstract

The harpsichord, in a broad sense, refers to the family of plucked keyboard instruments. The sound of the harpsichord tone is unique and is not mistaken for other plucked string instruments, such as the guitar. The synthesis of harpsichord sound has been done previously [Valimaki et al., \ EURASIP J. Appl. Signal Process. 7, 934–948 (2004)], where excitation signals are extracted through recorded tones. In this work, we present a revision to the harpsichord plectrum model that we proposed earlier [Chao-Yu J. Perng et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 127, 1733(A)–(2010)], one which incorporates basic friction models. The harpsichord plectrum-string interaction model is used for the sound excitation, which is then implemented with a digital waveguide to produce the synthesized plucked string tone. Our harpsichord plectrum-string interaction model allows for controllability of physical parameters that allow for a range of expressiveness. The effects in which changing the physical parameters have on the synthesized pluck sound are compared and discussed.