Saxophone modelling and system identification

Abstract

In this work, saxophone instrument frequency responses are estimated at both the mouthpiece (corresponding to the input impedance) and outside the bell, using acoustic measurement and post signal processing. The measurement technique is based on one previously developed for measuring the acoustic properties of instrument bells, but is adapted to account for the fact that the saxophone bell does not easily separate from the instrument bore and must be measured as a single unit. Furthermore, measurements are taken of the instrument configured with all possible fingerings covering the playable range of the B-flat tenor saxophone, and instrument reflection and transmission functions are estimated for, and applied to a waveguide model of, each tone-hole configuration. Having the instrument frequency responses at both the mouthpiece and the bell for every possible fingering allows for an improved parametric synthesis, but also allows for saxophone system identification, inverse modelling and estimation of player-instrument control parameters during real-time performance. © 2013 Acoustical Society of America.