Modal analysis and sound radiation from Caribbean steelpans
Andrew C. Morrison · The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 2003
The Caribbean steelpan is one of the most interesting acoustic musical instruments invented in the last century. Although simple in design, the acoustic properties of the steelpan are surprisingly complicated. Holographic interferometry was used to determine the modes of vibration of a double second and a low tenor steelpan. Sound intensity measurements were taken to explore the relationship between the modes of vibration and the radiated sound field. The pan was placed in an anechoic chamber, and selected notes were excited electromagnetically with a swept sinusoid signal. A two-microphone probe was used to gather sound intensity measurements. Sound intensity maps and animations were constructed for the first three harmonics.