Some simulations of the effect of varying excitation parameters on the transients of reed instruments

Abstract

This paper considers the simulation of self-sustained oscillations in reed and brass instruments, based on a compact continuous-time formulation of the sound production mechanism. The control parameters such as the mouth pressure and the player's embouchure, but also the acoustic resonator and the reed may vary with respect to time, allowing the analysis of transient and non-stationary phenomena like changes of regime. A particular attention is first given to staccato notes, with comparison of the evolution of the instantaneous frequency in simulations to theoretical and experimental results. This shows the importance of using realistic control parameters on the onset of the oscillations. When the acoustic resonator is modelled using a modal expansion with non-stationary resonance frequencies and damping, it is also possible to simulate and study slurs and musical effects like the wah-wah, gaining some insight on the mechanisms involved. © 2013 Acoustical Society of America.