Modelling instruments

[Jackie Long <j-long@uwe.ac.uk>]

My last message to the group seemed to reach only a few so I am sending it
again. I apologise to those of you who have already read it once! 

I also thank those of you who have replied to me personally and am sorry
that I have not yet replied.  It is the beginning of a new academic year
here and I have been busy trying to settle students in and answering
munerous queries from them.  I hope to reply to you soon. 

The message:

My own interest is in signal processing with applications to music. I play
the violin (sort of) for fun and, like many other electronic engineers,
have a considerable interest in music. 

I am just putting together a proposal for a research project which aims to
set up computer models of musical instruments in such a way as to
represent their physical parameters.  It is intended that these parameters
can be changed by the user in such a way that different physical aspects
of a musical instrument can be represented.  As a result, the significance
of various physical parameters and their contribution to the sound
produced by the instrument would be determined analytically. 

Mechanical and real instruments rigs will be built together with an
analytical subsystem.  The project is ambitious and will involve several
researresearchers over a few years (assuming I am successful in obtaining
funding). It is thought that such a system could be adapted for use by
instrument makers and restorers either asd a database or a user-friendly
subsystem itself.  At some stage I should also like to incorporate the
effect of various type of wood, brass finishes, cleaning, staining,
oiling, preserving, etc. 

I should be very pleased to hear from anyone who might be interested in
the principles of such a project and any other suggestions or comments you
might have from your own point of interest. 

Jackie Long (j-long@pat.uwe.ac.uk)