Synthesis of piano tones from first principles
Gabriel Weinreich · The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 1981
A computer model of a piano has been constructed which includes the following features: A pair of strings with realistic intrinsic inharmonicity; a bridge admittance whose real and imaginary parts vary irregularly with frequency to simulate the resonant behavior of the soundboard; a hammer with finite mass, coupled to the string by nonrigid felt; a small mistuning between the unison strings; and a soundboard transfer function of a relatively primitive kind. All parameters can, of course, be varied. Problems involved in the model—both solved and unsolved ones—will be discussed, and an illustrative tape played.