Holographie, CAD und Modalanalyse im Dienste der Musik

First, a short historical survey of more and less successful experiments of famous persons on the understanding of the functioning of musical instruments and, consequently, the scientific explanation thereof, is given. Following, the newest computer techniques that are presently at use in laboratories and that aim at the objective assessment of musical instruments are commented upon in detail. These methods include holography and various resonance measurements for string instruments, improved input impedance-measurements for wind-instruments, and modal analysis (video-tape) for percussion instruments. Modal analysis is also used for piano, organ-pipe, and generally for all instruments. In brief, two methods are discussed. The first is a computerized system for the (as far as possible) hearing-adequate graphic presentation of musical sounds (even for the microstructures of sounds). This system makes possible important statements about the sound quality of a musical instrument in the stationary and transient range. The second method deals with the experiments to optimize woodwind instruments by means of CAD. Since a musical instrument can only have one objective quality but easily more than one subjective quality, i.e., different musicians judge differently about one and the same instrument, and not every instrument is equally suited for each musician), it is shown how, via computer simulation, the subjective quality of a specific instrument can be calculated for specific musicians.

BEM 2 (pdf 1235 KB)