A comparative study of the directional characteristics of two gamelan gongs

Abstract

While previous research on the structural modes of gamelan gongs has revealed important insight into its unique acoustics, little attention has been dedicated to study the directionality of their acoustic radiation. This study compares high-angular resolution spherical directivity measurements of two Balinese gamelan gongs of different sizes. The directional characteristics are usually closely connected with measured structural modes at both low and high frequencies. However, the directivities of the large and small gong for the same structural mode shape are not always consistent, particularly at higher frequencies. Thus, changes in modal frequencies due to the scaling of the gongs do not always indicate similar acoustical radiation patterns.