Convolutional Synthesis of Wind Instruments

In this work we propose a new physical modeling technique whereby a waveguide structure is replaced by a low latency convolution operation with an impulse response that is either measured, modified, and/or constructed, optionally parametrically. By doing so, there is not longer the constraint that successive arrivals be uniformly spaced, nor need they decay exponentially as they must in a waveguide structure. Measured impulse responses allow for the estimation of filter transfer functions normally seen in a waveguide model of an acoustic tube, some of which are difficult to obtain theoretically, which may then be used to synthesize new impulse responses corresponding to wind instrument bores both existing and imagined. The technique is presented in the context of reed-based wind instruments, but may be extended to other musical instruments.