Spectral and perceptual features of a violin ensemble versus solo violin

Abstract

A violin section playing in unison sounds very different from a solo violin. This is true even when the comparison is carried out with a low-fidelity monaural sound reproduction system. Electronic instruments attempt to simulate this ensemble effect by summing several slightly detuned solo waveforms or by adding together several replicas of the solo waveform with a continuously varying random time delay. In this study, recordings were made of solo violins and violin ensembles playing both isolated and connected notes. The resulting waveforms were analyzed with a phase vocoder to extract the amplitude and frequency versus time for each harmonic. A variety of simulated ensemble sounds were also subjected to the same analysis. Those sounds which were perceived to be associated with an ensemble were then examined to identify the common features in terms of the phase vocoder analysis. This work is seen as a first step toward improved understanding and simulation of ensemble sounds in general.