Active (Since Jan. 2003)

In the HARPSY project, the TKK Laboratory of Acoustics and Audio Signal Processing is co-operating with the Sibelius Academy Centre for Music and Technology. Our goal is to develop a physical sound synthesis model for the harpsichord and at the same time learn about the acoustics and design of the instrument. The harpsichord (also called the cembalo) is a keyboard instrument that was popular before the grand piano. It is still commonly used in performances and recordings of Baroque music. The project personnel include signal processing and music synthesis experts and also an instrument builder. We are interested in measuring and recording the sound of the instrument using various transducers, e.g. microphones and accelerometers, to understand how the plucking mechanism works and how factors such as the quill material affect the string excitation and the sound quality. Also the behavior of the soundboard is under investigation. The final outcome of the project will be a digital waveguide model of the harpsichord, which enables natural-sounding performances of computer-generated harpsichord music. The musical score and control of performance parameters are implemented using a new version of the ENP notation and control system developed at the Sibelius Academy.

• A companion web page to a paper that will be published in the EURASIP Journal on Applied Signal Processing (special issue on Model-Based Sound Synthesis) in 2004.

• Välimäki, V., Penttinen, H., Knif, J., Laurson, M., and Erkut, C., ''Sound synthesis of the harpsichord using a computationally efficient physical model,'' EURASIP Journal on Applied Signal Processing, no. 7, pp. 934-948, 15 June 2004. Special Issue on on Model-Based Sound Synthesis.
• Välimäki, V., Penttinen, H., Laurson, M., Erkut, C., and Knif, J., ''Model-Based Sound Synthesis of the Harpsichord,'' in Proceedings of Baltic-Nordic Acoustics Meeting 2004 (BNAM2004), Mariehamn, Aland, June 8-10, 2004. CD-ROM Proceedings.
• Välimäki, V., Penttinen, H., Knif, J., Laurson, M., and Erkut, C., ''Cembalon äänen analyysi ja synteesi,'' in Proceedings of Akustiikkapäivät 2003, pp. 129-134, Turku, Finland, October 6-7, 2003. in Finnish.

• TKK Laboratory of Acoustics and Audio Signal Processing
• Sibelius Academy, Center for Music and Technology

Prof. Vesa Välimäki
Dr. Cumhur Erkut
PhD. student Henri Penttinen

Docent Mikael Laurson
Jonte Knif
Mika Kuuskankare
Vesa Norilo