Physical Modeling, Algorithms, and Sound Synthesis: The NESS Project

Abstract

Synthesis using physical modeling has a long history. As computational costs for physical modeling synthesis are often much greater than for conventional synthesis methods, most techniques currently rely on simplifying assumptions. These include digital waveguides, as well as modal synthesis methods. Although such methods are efficient, it can be difficult to approach some of the more detailed behavior of musical instruments in this way, including strongly nonlinear interactions. Mainstream time-stepping simulation methods, despite being computationally costly, allow for such detailed modeling. In this article, the results of a five-year research project, Next Generation Sound Synthesis, are presented, with regard to algorithm design for a variety of sound-producing systems, including brass and bowed-string instruments, guitars, and large-scale environments for physical modeling synthesis. In addition, 3-D wave-based modeling of large acoustic spaces is discussed, as well as the embedding of percussion instruments within such spaces for full spatialization. This article concludes with a discussion of some of the basics of such time-stepping methods, as well as their application in audio synthesis.

Numerical geometric acoustics

“…Offline sound propagation is often done in the time-domain. Finite-difference timedomain (FDTD) methods, in particular those based on two-step schemes, are popular [63,18]. There are well-known finite volume methods that can be used for linear acoustics [79], and they have received some attention for room acoustics simulations [19,20].…”

Large-Scale Physical Modeling Synthesis, Parallel Computing, and Musical Experimentation: The NESS Project in Practice

“…The majority of the time-stepping methods employed in the NESS project share many common features across different instrument types. Though it is impossible to describe here the complete workings of all the physical modeling sound synthesis algorithms described here and in the companion article (Bilbao et al 2019), an attempt is made here to give the user some notion of the technical challenges involved, particularly keeping in mind, from the previous discussion, that in some cases the problem size can be very large. For a more technical presentation of the implementation of such time-stepping methods, see (Bilbao et al 2014).…”

“…A variety of distinct environments developed over the course of the NESS project, based around the investigations of different instrument families described in the companion article (Bilbao et al 2019). Acceleration strategies depend highly on the particular system, and are described subsequently, but all environments have ultimately been made available to musicians through a web interface.…”

“…Physical modeling sound synthesis algorithms for many instrument types, from emulations of existing instruments to purely virtual constructions without a counterpart in the real world, were developed under the NESS Project, and are detailed in the companion article (Bilbao et al 2019). Though most do not operate in real time, they generate sound quickly enough to constitute a point of departure for musical exploration, which was the second, deeper and less defined goal of NESS.…”

Fizik Tabanlı Ses Sentezi Uygulamaları Üzerine Bir İnceleme

“…Bu nedenle, hiçbir zaman kaba kuvvet (brute-force) ile oluşturulmuş bir ses simülasyonu gerçek zamanlı performansa ulaşamamaktadır. Tablo 1'de 1993-2020 yılları arasında yayınlanmış fiziksel modellere dayalı ses sentezi çalışmalarından seçilen 29 Modal sentez genellikle "frekans alan" yöntemi olarak adlandırılsa da bu işleminin doğru bir tanımı değildir. Geçici Fourier dönüşümleri kullanılmaz ve çıkış dalga formu doğrudan zaman alanında üretilir.…”