Timbre Research Articles

Expound the concept of timber and tone quality

This study aims to clarify the concepts of timbre and tone quality. To achieve this, we employed methods such as studying theory, practice, and methodology, recognizing and defining the subject of study, and summarizing findings. The concepts of timbre and tone quality are broad theoretical and practical issues that intersect multiple scientific disciplines. In music, timbre is the source of sound and represents the subjective aspect that expresses the unique characteristics of sound, while tone quality is related to the physical properties of sound, representing the objective aspect that expresses the structure of sound. Through this research, we aim to clarify the understanding of timbre and tone quality and incorporate it into the research cycle, which we believe has theoretical and practical significance for conducting more detailed and in-depth studies in this direction in the future. This study will explore the possibilities and effects of methods for evaluating musical timbre and tone quality, and will provide new perspectives for research and practice in related fields. Therefore, we have attempted to clarify the concepts of timbre and tone quality in this article. Эгшиглээ ба эгшиглээний чанар гэх ойлголтыг тодруулах нь Хураангуй: Энэхүү судалгаа нь эгшиглээ болон эгшиглээний чанар хэмээх ухагдахууныг тодруулах зорилготой. Ингэхдээ онол, практик, арга зүйг судлах, танин мэдэх, судлагдахууныг тодруулах, нэгтгэн дүгнэх зэрэг аргыг ашиглалаа. Эгшиглээ болон эгшиглээний чанар гэх ойлголт олон салбар шинжлэх ухааны зааг дээр авч үзэх өргөн утга агуулга бүхий онол, практикийн асуудал ойлголт юм. Хөгжмийн эгшиглээ нь дууны эх үүсвэр бөгөөд дуу авианы өвөрмөц шинж чанарыг илэрхийлдэг субьектив тал, эгшиглээний чанар нь дууны физик шинж чанартай холбоотой дууны бүтцийг илэрхийлдэг обьектив талтай юм. Бид энэхүү судалгаагаараа эгшиглээ болон эгшиглээний талаарх ойлголтыг тодруулах ба түүнийг судалгааны эргэлтэд оруулах нь цаашид энэ чиглэлийн судалгааг нарийвчлан, гүнзгийрүүлэн хийхэд онол, практикийн ач холбогдолтой хэмээн үзэв. Энэхүү судалгаа нь хөгжмийн эгшиглээ, эгшиглээний чанарыг үнэлэх аргуудын боломж, үр нөлөөг судлах, холбогдох чиглэлээр судалгаа, практикт ач холбогдол өгөх шинэлэг тал буй болгох болно. Иймд бид энэхүү өгүүлэлдээ эгшиглээ болон эгшиглээний чанарын ойлголтыг тодруулах оролдлогыг хийлээ. Түлхүүр үгс: эгшиглээ, эгшиглээний чанар, ойлголт

Synthesis and Optimization of Instrumental Tone Quality Using Deep Learning

Synthesis and Optimization of Instrumental Tone Quality Using Deep Learning

From research to production: radiometric block adjustment to automate and improve tonal adjustment of orthomosaics created from airborne images

Abstract. Production of orthophotos and orthomosaics from airborne imaging has been standard procedure of National mapping agencies for decades. Various aspects affect to the colour, or tones of the images: time of the day and year, atmosphere, illumination conditions, view and illumination angle, BRDF-effects (Bi-directional reflectance distribution function), object, sensor, and whole imaging system. Quantitative and automated solution for creating evenly coloured image mosaics is to use method based on radiometric block adjustment, that has similarities to more well-known geometric block adjustment. We have applied radiometric block adjustment method called RadBA, originally developed for drone image blocks collected with hyperspectral sensor, to image block collected with large-format photogrammetric camera. Goals of our work are: 1) to speed up orthophoto deliveries to Finish Food Authority used for EU farming subsidies monitoring, 2) improve the quality of images delivered to Finnish Forest Centre used for forest inventory, and 3) to automate, fasten and improve the current colour balancing process of orthophotos at National Land Survey of Finland. RadBA-based tonal processing with 4-parameter BRDF-correction was able to clearly improve the tonal quality of the image mosaic collected during three different dates. We still need to automate various steps of the RadBA-workflow and improve final steps in converting 16-bits per band mosaics to visually good looking 8-bits per band mosaics. Our long-term goal is to create tonally high quality, seamless orthomosaic of whole Finland.

Hexachord Solmization in the Classroom: A Revival of Old Practices

This article proposes the practice of hexachord solmization as a component of a "histor ically informed" theory curriculum for early-music students. Many theory treatises and singing manuals from the sixteenth century and before start with a discussion of the gam ut, hexachords, the Guidonian hand, and solmization syllables. This strongly suggests that hexachord solmization was one of the principles of contemporary music education. Analyses of musical excerpts demonstrate that a hexachord is a meaningful melodic unit rather than a random set of six tones. Its solmization syllables illuminate the inherent tonal relations around the semitone mi–fa ; furthermore, they represent expressive tone qualities in themselves—for instance, the bright mi versus the soft fa. The hexachord sys tem was still in use in eighteenth-century Italy, apart from some adjustments with regard to the emerging major-minor tonality. Most likely, young apprentices at Italian conserv atories learned the syllables before they could read the pitches. Sets of solfeggi produced by the conservatory masters for their pupils show how plain solmization patterns form the basis of the melodic art of the period. In the classroom today, hexachord solmization offers both a useful tool for a non-verbal mode of musical understanding and a starting point for melodic improvisation.

From Grasslands to Global Beats: A Study of Mongolian Ethnic Music Integration in Chinese Pop

This study goes into the integration of Mongolian Ethnic Music into Chinese pop culture, exploring its historical roots, musical characteristics, and contemporary manifestations. Mongolian Ethnic Music, rooted in millennia of tradition and nomadic heritage, reflects the spiritual essence and cultural richness of the Mongolian people. Through an examination of ancient origins, influences of shamanism and Buddhism, and modern developments, the evolution of Mongolian music is traced, showcasing its diverse melodic, rhythmic, and tonal qualities. The classification of Mongolian music genres and styles, including the Hulunbuir, Xilingol, Ordos, and Alxa styles, highlights regional distinctions and stylistic variations. Furthermore, the study examines the integration of Mongolian Ethnic Music into Chinese pop through the works of renowned musicians such as Tengger, Han Lei, and Dege Ma, exemplifying a fusion of traditional melodies with modern sensibilities. Ulan Tuya, Qi Feng, and Yang Weiling represent contemporary artists contributing to the diversification of Chinese pop music with their unique styles. This exploration underscores the cultural significance of Mongolian Ethnic Music as a bridge between traditions, enriching the global music landscape while preserving the heritage of the Mongolian people.

Fuzzy logical system for personalized vocal music instruction and psychological awareness in colleges using big data

Traditional psychological awareness relating to vocal musical instruction often disregards the impact of earlier experiences on music learning could result in a gap in meeting the needs of individual students. Conventional learning techniques of music related to psychological awareness for each individual has been focused on and addressed in this research. Technological upgrades in Fuzzy Logic (FL) and Big Data (BD) related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) are provided as a solution for the existing challenges and provide enhancement in personalized music education. The combined approach of BD-assisted Radial Basis Function is added with the Takagi Sugeno (RBF-TS) inference system, able to give personalized vocal music instruction recommendations and indulge psychological awareness among students. Applying Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) is beneficial in capturing variant vocal characteristics as a feature extraction technique. The BD-assisted RBF can identify the accuracy of pitch differences and quality of tone, understand choices from students, and stimulate psychological awareness. The uncertainties are addressed by using the TS fuzzy inference system and delivering personalized vocal training depending on different student preference factors. With the use of multimodal data, the proposed RBF-TS approach can establish a fuzzy rule base in accordance with the personalized emotional elements, enhancing self-awareness and psychological well-being. Validation of the proposed approach using an Instruction Resource Utilization Rate (IRUR) gives significant improvements in engaging students, analyzing the pitching accuracy, frequency distribution of vocal music instruction, and loss function called Mean Square Error(MSE). The proposed research algorithm pioneers a novel solution using advanced AI algorithms addressing the research challenges in existing personalized vocal music education. It promises better student outcomes in the field of music education.

Hierarchically Gated Recurrent Neural Network optimized with Tasmanian Devil Optimization for Piano Playing Based on Virtual Reality Technology

Playing the piano is a beautiful and extremely technical art form in addition to an elegant performance art. The player's ability to execute with elegance and technicality which requires years of practice will be crucial. The success of a piano concert ultimately rests not only on the performing abilities of the pianist but also on the pianist's mental and psychological makeup. This manuscript presents a Hierarchically Gated Recurrent Neural Network (HGRNN) optimized with the Tasmanian Devil Optimization (TDO) for predicting the real time instruction for playing piano based on virtual reality (PPVR-HGRNN-TDO). Initially, the data is collected from MIDI dataset. Afterward, the data is fed to a Multi-domain collaborative Filter (MDCF) based preprocessing process. Then the preprocessed data’s are fed to Scaling-Basis Chirplet Transform (SBCT) for extracting features such as tone quality and loudness variations. The extracted features are fed to HGRNN to classify the piano playing performance such as good, normal and poor. The weight parameters of HGRNN are optimized using TDO. The proposed PPVR-HGRNN-TDO is implemented in python, effectiveness assessed by several performance metrics such as accuracy, precision, specificity, sensitivity, F1-score and ROC. The gained results of the proposed PPVR-HGRNN-TDO method attains higher accuracy 20.46%, 23.54%, 35.58%, higher precision 33.56%, 21.72%, 33.97% and higher sensitivity 32.54%, 22.76%, 36.97%. The proposed method shows better results in all existing systems like Dual Channel Convolutional Neural Network (DCCNN),Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), and Back Propagation Neural Network with Genetic Algorithm (BPNN-GA). From the result it is concludes that the proposed PPVR-HGRNN-TDO method based accuracy is higher than the existing methods.

Complex Network: A Potential Tool for Uncloaking Tone Quality of Musical Instruments

Complex Network: A Potential Tool for Uncloaking Tone Quality of Musical Instruments

The dependence of viola top plate mode frequencies and shape on string tension

The normal mode vibrations of a viola’s top plate impact the tone quality of the radiated sound. Luthiers pay some attention to the body mode frequencies during fabrication of the instrument, though specific tuning of modes does not seem to be a priority over other considerations. Interestingly, the normal mode vibrations of the instrument body are modified by the downward force of the bridge feet on the top plate due to the string tension. Different string materials result in different string tensions for proper tuning, so the final body mode frequencies are not strictly predictable. We will present ESPI studies of the top plate normal mode frequencies and mode shapes of a viola as the string tension is increased from zero (strings as bridge removed) to in-tune values for all four strings. The changes of resonant frequency and mode shapes will be discussed in terms of their sensitivity to string tension and the resultant tuning of the final instrument behavior. Knowing the sensitivity of the instrument body to string tension variation may help in understanding the importance of body resonance tuning during the fabrication process.

Bone Conduction Implants: Comparative of Audiometric Results and Quality-of-Life Bonebridge® versus Osia®

Introduction: Bone conduction implants have been indicated for patients with conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss, and even profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss. With the introduction of Bonebridge®, new transcutaneous implant options emerged. The latest is Osia®, a direct-drive variant or active systems, where the implant directly generates and applies vibration to the bone. Materials and Methods: Retrospective study of two cohorts of patients treated with active bone conduction implants at a single center, one with the Bonebridge® device and the other with Osia®. Outcomes: Fourteen patients were included, seven in each group (n = 14). The Bonebridge® group showed an average hearing gain in tonal intelligibility thresholds of 32.43 ± 21.39 dB and a gain in the average intelligibility threshold (with 50% discrimination) of 26.29 ± 19.10 dB. In the Osia® group, there was a gain in average tonal thresholds of 41.49 ± 14.16 dB and 23.72 ± 6.98 dB in average intelligibility thresholds. Both devices contributed to improvements in patients’ quality of life, as assessed with APHAB in all the variables studied in the test. Both devices offer rehabilitation for hearing loss as an alternative to hearing aids. The Osia® system shows statistically significant (p < 0.05) improvements in mid and high frequencies, but Bonebridge® slightly outperforms in speech understanding at 50%. Differences in average tonal thresholds and quality of life are not statistically significant. Conclusions: While auditory improvement is observed postimplantation, other aspects, such as intelligibility thresholds and quality of life, lack statistical significance. Given the limited experience with Osia® and the small sample size, the choice of the device should be personalized. Although the literature is inconsistent due to small sample sizes and variable approaches, some studies suggest potential advantages of the Osia® system, especially in speech comprehension in different environments and greater hearing gain compared to Bonebridge®.

Gendang Melayu Sarawak (GMS) – Sarawak Malay Drum, the dying and forgotten tradition

This work was conducted using the Picoscope signal extraction procedure, which revealed significant insights regarding the belian wood and its application in Gendang Melayu Sarawak (GMS) production. The amplitude of belian wood GMS signal remains constant, allowing it to sustain its timbre for a longer duration compared to durian wood GMS using the same procedure. Considering that the dimensions of the big belian (BB) and big durian (BD) GMS are almost the same, both GMS yield almost the same note, i.e. G1# (51.9 Hz). Considering that the dimensions of both the small belian (SB) and small durian (SD) GMS are almost the same, both GMS yield almost similar note, i.e. F3 (174 Hz) and E3 (164 Hz). Although both BB and BD showed consistent harmonics, BD only displays 2 harmonics. The SB and SD both display consistent harmonics. Both BB and BD showed pleasing tonal qualities. These occurred due to the closeness of the principal overtones to the consonant interval.

Performative agency and transition in Àlàbí Ògúndépò’s ìjálá and Yẹmí Ẹlẹ́buìbọn’s Ifá chants

AbstractIndigenous Yorùbá poetry is often defined by such features as context, structure, tonal quality and the performer’s identity. Early taxonomy of the poetry focused on the poetics that could be deduced from a long tradition of practice. Recent scholarship in literary and cultural studies has been more interested in showing the ways in which the poetry is being inflected by encounters with postcolonial modernity. While these recent contributions demonstrate how new forms, such as ewì, distil expressive nuances from the older forms and invent new performative practices to address new publics, such studies encourage a generalization that credits to the new forms all the modern advances recorded in the indigenous forms themselves. Looking at specific indigenous forms in terms of how postcolonial modernity has reshaped them, rather than considering them another set of additions to a new generic category, allows us a clearer view of their transition. I track the inventions and changes in the practice of two Yorùbá forms, ìjálá and Ifá chants, using the performances of Àlàbí Ògúndépò and Yẹmí Ẹlẹ́buìbọn. I rely on ethnographic data to show how mutating audiences and electronic storage and retrieval systems have continually shaped composition and performance, discuss the imperatives of modernity and economy in the performative choices of the artists, and show how the performers simultaneously manage their resistance to and adoption of the modern.

Viscosity effects and confined cochlea-like geometry in laser-induced cavitation dynamics

On the path to an optoacoustic hearing implant for stimulation of residual hearing, one possibility for tone generation in liquids is the concatenation of acoustic click events, which can be realized i. a. by the acoustic transients that accompany an optical breakdown. The application of a viscous gel is helpful in this context, as this results in an attenuation of the distortion of tone quality caused by higher harmonic components. To further understand the underlying cavitation bubble dynamics both in the viscous gel and in a confined volume that is dimensioned similarly to the human cochlea, a numerical model built in OpenFOAM was adapted and compared to additional experiments. Experimentally, the acoustic transients were generated by optical breakdown by nanosecond laser pulses with a pulse duration of 0.7 ns and a wavelength of 1064 nm. The pulses were focused on a viscous gel inside a water container. The pressure transients were measured by a needle hydrophone. The comparison of the bubble dynamics in different viscosities between the model and the experiment shows that, except for high viscosities, the experimental observations could be modeled by the simulation. We assume that the maximum size of the cavitation bubble strongly decreases with increasing viscosity, which can be used for high-frequency attenuation as reported in our previous research. In conclusion, this study aims at an application-oriented realization of the numerical cavitation bubble dynamics model to understand the experimental findings on the pathway to an optoacoustic hearing implant.

Parametrized Optimization Based on an Investigation of Musical Similarities Using SPARK and Hadoop

The big data processing framework Spark is used to power a parameterizable recommender system that can make recommendations for music based on a user’s individual tastes and take into account a variety of musical tonal qualities. The system as it is presently built is completely scalable, which means that additional songs can be contributed to the data, the cluster size could be increased, and new types of audio information, in addition to more cutting-edge similarity evaluations, may be included. Another issue discussed in this research paper is the parallel collection of required audio characteristics on a computer cluster. Song recommendations for a dataset including more than 114,000 songs may be created on a Spark cluster with 16 nodes in under 12 s by integrating eight distinct audio feature types and similarity assessments. After the features have been retrieved, they are sent to the Spark-based recommender system to be processed. The calculated distance was displayed, examined, and graphically depicted. By computing the distance depending on the melody, rhythmic, and timbral components of the music, the final software controls song suggestion.

Reflections on Archaeomusicological Practice in South America

This paper aims to describe some problems and issues that have emerged from the practice of archaeomusicology in South America, especially in the Andean region. Some methodological approaches emerge from the specific problems of organological studies of pre-Hispanic objects, related to the evidence about sound use and the interpretation of sound by local cultures. This article presents four features of Andean music that illustrate some of the main methodological approaches that must be utilized when studying pre-Hispanic music in the Andes; the tone quality, the organological expansion from a singular object to multiple objects; the physical movement of musician and hearer as part of the sound properties, and musical performance as part of a social exchange between musicians and listeners. Each of these features offers a new perspective on archaeo-musicological studies, as well as on the contributions of the field to a greater understanding of new discussions in present society. The focus of this article will be to understand the ‘sound object’ as an acoustic object, as one or more objects, as related to the surrounding ambient, as a moving object, and as a modifier of the player’s or listener’s experience.

On the Yangqin Accompaniment in Shaanxi Opera

In Qinqiang Orchestra, dulcimer is often used as an accompaniment instrument to perform. Because of its beautiful tone quality, wide range and because of its beautiful tone quality, wide range, and powerful dual coordination function, it occupies an important position in the performance of Qinqiang Opera. This study will focus on dulcimer This study will focus on dulcimer coordination and discuss how to use this coordination to improve the effect of Qin opera. Through in-depth exploration of the ancient Qinqiang culture Through in-depth exploration of the ancient Qinqiang culture and interpretation of different types of classical works, we can better appreciate and understand the unique charm and essence of these works, and provide more inspiration and inspiration for their singing.

A Study on how Relaxed Technical Approaches affect Perceived Tension and Performance in Pianists

The pianoforte is one of the most popular musical instruments that has attracted by any individuals at any age in any part of the world. Much of the music that had been composed for various keyboard instruments in different periods of history is often performed in the present-day acoustic piano. As a result, many music students who enroll in piano study are regularly at risk of acquiring poor technical approaches at the keyboard, which often leads to physical tension, continuous pain, injuries and a slower rate of progress. Therefore, this pilot study explored relaxed technical concepts which may help pianists to be more efficient technically in their performances. The purpose of this research study was to examine how the application of an appropriate technical concept to a technically challenging extract of a piece of music affects the perceived physical tension of piano students. It also sought to determine whether the implementation of physically relaxed approaches aids in diminishing physical tension and increasing the performance level of piano students. 26 undergraduates studying piano at the University of Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo, Sri Lanka participated in this research study. The technical approach termed ‘the underwave and overwave motion’, a relaxed technical approach of Ortmann and Taubman was applied to minimize physical tension. Participants of this research study were required to perform and record their playing for two days and the music tracks were adjudicated by five judges. The collected data were statistically analyzed by the Shapiro-Wilk test to verify the relationship between the use of piano technique, performance, and perceived tension. The perceived tension difference was computed based on the collected data as ‘performance difference = day one performance minus day two performance; and perceived tension difference = day two perceived tension minus day one perceived tension’. Based on the results, the application of appropriate technical approaches to technically challenging extracts of music minimized the perceived physical tension and also improved the tone quality of the performance.

Research on character tone trend clustering of Kunqu Opera based on quantum adaptive genetic algorithm

Abstract Kunqu, one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera, features a unique artistic expression arising from the interplay between vocal melody and the tonal quality of its lyrics. Identifying Kunqu’s character tone trend (vocal melodies derived from tonal quality of the lyrics) is critical to understanding and preserving this art form. Traditional research methods, which rely on qualitative descriptions by musicologists, have often been debated due to their subjective nature. In this study, we present a novel approach to analyze the character tone trend in Kunqu by employing computer modeling machine learning techniques. By extracting the character tone trend of Kunqu using computational modeling methods and employing machine learning techniques to apply cluster analysis on Kunqu’s character tone melody, our model uncovers musical structural patterns between singing and speech, validating and refining the qualitative findings of musicologists. Furthermore, our model can automatically assess whether a piece adheres to the rhythmic norms of ‘the integration of literature and music’ in Kunqu, thus contributing to the digitization, creation, and preservation of this important cultural heritage.

Making It Magical

Making It Magical

Wood for guitars II : How the material properties of a spruce guitar top influence the tonal quality of the guitar

Pacific Rim Tonewoods is the world’s largest supplier of spruce tonewood for the soundboard and bracing of the acoustic guitar. A previous study from our research group (JASA 2019) has demonstrated the importance of (1) longitudinal Young’s Modulus and (2) density of the spruce soundboard on the tonal quality of steel string guitars. This study used pairwise comparisons of listener preference to rank a particular guitar model (the Taylor 814ce). The present study updates this previous work, adding a third material property: internal friction (damping) of the soundboard, as measured by the logarithmic decrement of the resonating spruce billet. In addition, objective data on tonal quality were measured on guitars recorded in an anechoic chamber at the Technical University of Dresden, Germany. Spectral sequence analysis, transfer function, and tone decay were measured, and are correlated with the perceptual data. With these data, we can demonstrate the relative importance of the three material properties on the “performance factors” of guitar quality, such as volume, responsiveness, timbre, attack, and sustain. In doing so, we hope to provide the lutherie community with a predictable means of integrating tonewood material properties into their designs, in order to consistently produce their desired tonal outcomes.