Novel Impulse Response Measurement Method for Stringed Instruments
Friedrich Türckheim, Thorsten Smit, Carolin Hahne, Robert Mores · 2010
This paper introduces a measurement technique which delivers highly reproducible impulse responses of stringed instruments. The method bases on exciting the dampened strings at the bowing or plucking position by means of a thin copper wire which is pulled until it breaks. Taking into account the longitudinal and torsional movements of a bridge caused by string deflection, such stimulus of an instrument is close to the musical application. On the basis of the string-wire geometry, measurement setups can be exactly specified and individually adjusted, allowing for highly accurate repetition in comparative studies. The setup, including a fully automated exciting apparatus as well as a ’silent’ quadrochord, is described in detail. Furthermore, the method is compared with the commonly used impact hammer method. Finally, an application in the context of a research project on violin sound quality is briefly described, where the technique is used to measure binaural impulse responses of violins.