Vibroacoustic characteristics of a gothic harp

The "gothic" style of harp was popular across most of Europe from the late medieval period to the Renaissance. These harps have a one-piece, longitudinally oriented hardwood soundboard, as opposed to the transverse-oriented bonded softwood structure on a modern instrument. In addition, the one-piece back is flexible, whereas the back of a modern instrument is a rigid molded shell. To study the gothic harp, one was constructed from plans created by the Boston Museum of Fine Arts from a late German model in their collection. The vibrational behaviors of the soundboard and soundbox were measured at various stages of construction. The completed instrument was subjected to modal analysis and radiativity measurements. The sound radiation is dominated by two breathing modes at 188 and 273 Hz, each with strong motion of the back, and modes around 350 Hz. Taken together, these modes function like the A0/T1 resonance pairs seen in the soundboxes of other instruments, and a comparison is made with the guitar. Also observed is that as the frequency increases, radiation is emitted from higher up the soundboard, and from higher soundholes. This feature has been observed in other harps, and is a consequence of the harp family's unique geometry.     

Physics-based modeling techniques of a twelve-string Portuguese guitar: A non-linear time-domain computational approach for the multiple-strings/bridge/soundboard coupled dynamics

The Portuguese guitar is a pear-shaped instrument with twelve metal strings which is widely used in Portuguese traditional music. Unlike most common guitars, it has a curved top-plate and a specific violin-like bridge which is not rigidly fixed to the soundboard of the instrument. From the dynamical point of view, if the bridge transmits the strings vibrations to the instrument body in order to maximize the radiated energy, it also couples all the component parts of the instrument which therefore interact by structural coupling. This can originate various audible effects such as beating behavior and the excitation of numerous sympathetic resonances enhanced by the large number of strings of the instrument, and this is certainly why the Portuguese guitar has such distinct sound compared to other guitars. In this paper, a fully coupled time-domain model of the Portuguese guitar is developed and a series of simulations are presented to emphasize the various coupling phenomena involved in sound production. To reproduce the main musical features, the model includes the coupled dynamics of the twelve strings supported by a bridge which interact with the body of the instrument, described through Finite-Element modeling of the soundboard of a typical Portuguese guitar. Further simple models have been devised for the string/fret interaction and the pluck excitation. Since nonlinear effects are quite apparent in the behavior of string musical instruments, the string dynamics is modeled by the Kirchhoff–Carrier equations which describe large-amplitude string vibrations, and includes the coupling between both polarizations of string motion. The coupling between the strings and the soundboard at the bridge is provided by a model of the bridge kinematics, built on the basis of simple geometrical rationale, so that the two perpendicular string motions can exchange energy back and forth. By a close examination of the energy transfers between the various subsystems of the model, we first assess the correct behavior of the physical model and then examine the respective influence of the string nonlinearity and the bridge on the nonplanar motion of the string. The fully coupled model which pertains to the restricted group of studies which deals with the complete physical-based modeling of a multi-stringed instrument, captures many important phenomena observed in practice, among which the pitch glide effect and the mutual excitation of sympathetic vibrations.     

Some characteristics of the concert harp's acoustic radiation

The way a musical instrument radiates plays an important part in determining the instrument's sound quality. For the concert harp, the soundboard has to radiate the string's vibration over a range of 7 octaves. Despite the effort of instrument makers, this radiation is not uniform throughout this range. In a recent paper, Waltham and Kotlicki [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 124, 1774-1780 (2008)] proposed an interesting approach for the study of the string-to-string variance based on the relationship between the string attachment position and the operating deflection shapes of the soundboard. Although the soundboard vibrational characteristics determine a large part of the instrument's radiation, it is also important to study directly its radiation to conclude on the origins of the string-to-string variation in the sound production. This is done by computing the equivalent acoustical sources on the soundboard from the far field sound radiation measured around the harp, using the acoustic imaging technique inverse frequency response function. Results show that the radiated sound depends on the correlation between these sources, and the played string's frequency and location. These equivalent sources thus determine the magnitude and directivity of each string's partial in the far field, which have consequences on the spectral balance of the perceived sound for each string.     

Outer cavity Janus-Helmholtz underwater acoustic transducer

The outer cavity Janus-Helmholtz with sound insulation layer is presented for obtaining the capacity of high-power non-directional transmitting. The radiation efficiency and directivity in the 0 degrees direction can be improved when the radiation mode is changed by laying sound insulation layer. The operating bandwidth can be expanded effectively by the dual mode coupling between the cavity vibration and longitudinal vibration of Janus transducer. A prototype is designed by finite element method. Test results show that the results are in good agreement with the design results. Compared with inner cavity Janus-Helmholtz transducer,acoustic radiation performance of outer cavity Janus-Helmholtz underwater acoustic transducer in the 0 degrees direction has been significantly improved.     

外液腔式Janus-Helmholtz水声换能器

为获得具有大功率无指向性发射特性的水声换能器,提出了一种外液腔式Janus-Helmholtz结构。通过设置隔声层改变换能器的声辐射模式,从而改善声辐射效率和无指向性方向的声辐射能力,并利用外液腔振动和Janus换能器纵向振动耦合实现宽带发射。基于有限元法设计了一只工作频段为1.1~3.5 kHz的外液腔式Janus-Helmholtz换能器试验样机。样机测试结果显示与设计结果符合得较好,与内液腔式相比,外液腔式Janus-Helmholtz水声换能器在0°方向的声辐射能力得到了显著改善。      

Vibrational behavior of a soundbox in an atmosphere with a variable speed of sound

This paper describes a semi-quantitative method, suitable for a student laboratory exercise that shows that the acoustic properties of the soundbox of a musical instrument depend on the sound speed of the atmosphere surrounding and filling the instrument. A gas tent was constructed and used to enclose instruments in helium, carbon dioxide and mixtures thereof, allowing the sound speed to be varied from 250 to 1000 m/s. Soundboard admittance data were taken using a guitar and a violin as examples. The data, expressed as contour plots, show clearly the qualitative relationship between air and wood modes, and the guitar data are compared with a simple mechanical model. Experimental details of the construction and operation of gas tent are given, with attention paid to safety issues.     

Interferometric studies of a piano soundboard

Electronic speckle pattern interferometry has been used to study the deflection shapes of a piano soundboard. A design for an interferometer that can image such an unstable object is introduced, and interferograms of a piano soundboard obtained using this interferometer are presented. Deflection shapes are analyzed and compared to a finite-element model, and it is shown that the force the strings exert on the soundboard is important in determining the mode shapes and resonant frequencies. Measurements of resonance frequencies and driving-point impedance made using the interferometer are also presented.     

A platform for manipulation and examination of the acoustic guitar: The Chameleon Guitar

A platform for manipulation and examination the acoustic guitar is presented, based on a novel guitar design – the Chameleon Guitar – featuring a replaceable acoustic resonator functioning as the soundboard of the instrument. The goal of the design process is to create a tone as sonically close to that of a traditional guitar as possible, while maintaining an easily replaceable soundboard. An iterative, data driven approach was used, each design step coming under examination from one or more measurement tools: finite-element method, acoustic impulse testing, and laser vibrometry. Ideal resonator geometry, bridge location, and piezoelectric sensor positions were determined. The finished instrument was then examined with laser vibrometry to confirm earlier results, evaluate the behavior and chosen sensor positions for various tonewoods, and examine the acoustic effects of adding sensors and wax finish. The conclusions drawn are diverse and point to the significance of attention to detail in each step of instrument construction. For example, when changing instrument material from one softwood to another, ideal locations for piezoelectric sensors are subject to change. We conclude that detailed acoustic analysis can significantly aid in the construction of new instruments by quantifying the impact of instrument geometry and material properties.     

Radiation from finite cylindrical shell with irregular-shaped acoustic enclosure

In practical situations, large machinery is usually placed in an underwater vessel and changes the acoustic enclosure shape into an irregular one. The existence of machinery causes the difficulties in expressing sound transmission and radiation analytically. In this study, the sound radiation of a cylindrical shell excited by an internal acoustic source is modeled and analyzed. The cylindrical shell contains a machine modeled as a rectangular object, which is attached to a shell with a spring-mass system. The acoustic field of the cavity is computed by the integro-modal approach. The effect of object size on the coupling between acoustic mode and structural mode is investigated. The relationship between object volume and sound radiation is also studied. Numerical results show that the existence of objects inside vessels leads to a more effective coupling between the structure and acoustic enclosure than the existence of no objects in a regular-shaped cavity(i.e. empty vessel).     

Numerical simulation of a piano soundboard under downbearing

A finite element model of a piano soundboard is used to study the effect of the strings tension (downbearing) on its vibration, considering the ribs, the bridges and the crown. The downbearing is modeled with the prestress theory. Prestress calculation with linear and nonlinear models including geometric rigidity are compared in terms of the modal frequencies. The effects of the downbearing in modal frequencies and mobility are investigated and the importance of the crown on these results is evaluated. A simple phenomenological law is exhibited, which characterizes the evolution of eigenfrequencies with downbearing, including the initial crown.     

脉冲超声换能器声场测试系统的设计*

脉冲超声换能器是超声检测的关键部件,为了获取其声场特性参数,文中基于小球反射法原理,采用虚拟仪器技术和单片机技术设计了声场测试系统。系统的程控交互界面采用了美国国家仪器公司研制开发的图形化编程软件LabVIEW来设计,在程控交互界面程序中通过调用动态链接库DLL来对系统核心硬件超声发射接收卡进行数据通信及对卡功能进行设置,同时系统上位机通过RS232串口与下位机单片机通讯,实现对三轴扫查平台的多种扫查方式控制。该系统可实时显示脉冲换能器声压分布图像,并可通过对声压分布数据实现对换能器近场长度及扩散角等参数的测量。     

Evolution of the vibrational behavior of a guitar soundboard along successive construction phases by means of the modal analysis technique

The crucial piece of a craft guitar is the soundboard since it determines the quality of the sound given by the instrument. From the initial phase (the gross plate with no hole) until the last construction phase (the plate with the full structure) several stages are followed to modify the dynamic behavior of the structure and hence the acoustic response of the final guitar. The aim of this work is to analyze the effect of each modification on the vibrational response of the plate. With this in mind, an experimental modal analysis of all the construction phases has been performed in the low frequency range under free conditions. The response of the plate in each stage is defined by vibration patterns, resonance frequencies, quality factors, and admittance curves.     

基于声辐射模态的有源结构声传入及其辐射控制

从辐射模态的概念和角度研究利用结构误差传感方法对弹性封闭空间结构声辐射进行传感和有源控制。首先分析了辐射模态的数学和物理意义并揭示了辐射模态与声腔模态之间的内在耦合关系。通过声辐射模态建立了弹性封闭空间结构声辐射传感和有源控制模型,并提出了通过传感器阵列测量结构表面有限点的振速分布和设计特定的辐射模态空间滤波器来获得控制所需的误差信号。在此基础上对封闭空间结构声辐射有源控制和误差传感策略进行了深入的理论和数值仿真分析,重点讨论了传感器的数量和布放对辐射模态传感及其有源控制效果的影响。结果表明:辐射模态与声腔模态的耦合具有严格的选择性,各阶辐射模态的形状和与相耦合的主导声模态在耦合面上的形状非常相似;利用结构传感技术传感封闭空间的辐射模态时测点不足或空间采样不足将可能产生较严重的模态泄漏问题,使得不希望的结构模态泄露进所测的辐射模态当中来。在低频范围内,一般只需传感并最小化前三阶有效辐射模态声势能,在更低频和空间声模态频率附近,只需最小化前一阶最有效辐射模态声势能,便能和总声势能最小化策略控制效果基本一样。      

Numerical and experimental studies on the effects of stage risers

The acoustic effects of stage risers, especially on the sound of lower string instruments, are numerically and experimentally analyzed. To discuss the effects of the vibration of riser’s boards due to the mechanical force from an instrument, a structural-acoustical coupling approach is applied based on the mode expansion and the boundary element technique. Measurement results of the mechanical force from real instruments are used in the numerical study. The vibration of the top board of a riser affects the sound field only around the natural frequencies of the board and the cavity of the riser. In contrast, the acoustic diffraction due to the riser affects the sound field in a wide frequency range. The riser’s sideboard that faces to receiving points increases the sound pressure levels because it reflects waves diffracted at the riser’s edge to the front. To verify the numerical results, the effects of acoustic diffraction due to risers are especially investigated in detail through a scale model experiment.     

Mechanisms of active control of sound transmission through a linked double-wall system into an acoustic cavity

The mechanism of active control on sound transmission through a mechanically linked double-wall structure into an acoustic cavity is investigated in this paper. Two control methods, i.e., structural control and acoustic control under two linkage cases (soft and hard) are investigated to analyze the effect of the links on the selection of control strategies and the corresponding control mechanisms. Simulations are performed to examine the dominant control mechanism (modal suppression or modal rearrangement) in different frequency ranges for each control case. The alteration in the structural-acoustic coupling is also analyzed so as to explain the mechanisms of sound attenuation. In addition, the dominance of the acoustic mode (0, 0, 0) in the energy transmission process as well as its use in designing a more effective sensor/actuator arrangement is discussed.     

利用混合FE-SEA方法的前围隔声性能优化设计*

为了提升某重型商用车前围的隔声性能,建立了用于分析前围传递损失的有限元-统计能量分析(FE-SEA)模型。针对前围结构复杂的特点,依据FE-SEA模型建模原则,提出了通过在表面创建声腔来确保能量在模型中的正确传递路径。将仿真结果与测试值对比,二者误差小于1.6 dB(A),验证了FE-SEA方法的准确性。用吸声材料与隔声材料复合设计前围声学包,采用正交试验法对前围声学包进行优化设计并对各个试验方案进行仿真计算。对仿真结果进行极差分析与方差分析,选出了在传递损失、重量和厚度三方面达到最佳平衡的声学包:毛毡(10 mm)+EPDM隔声垫(2 mm)。结果表明,优化后的前围传递损失在测试频率315 Hz～2000 Hz范围内最小提升了3.8 dB(A),最大提升了7 dB(A),前围的隔声性能得到较大的提升。     

Effects of using scalloped shape braces on the natural frequencies of a brace-soundboard system

Many prominent musical instrument makers shape their braces into a scalloped profile. Although reasons for this are not well known scientifically, many of these instrument makers attest that scalloped braces can produce superior sounding wooden musical instruments in certain situations. The aim of this paper is to determine a possible reason behind scalloped shaped braces. A simple analytical model consisting of a soundboard section and a scalloped brace is analyzed in order to see the effects that changes in the shape of the brace have on the frequency spectrum of the brace-soundboard system. The results are used to verify the feasibility of adjusting the brace thickness in order to compensate for soundboards having different stiffness in the direction perpendicular to the wood grain. It is shown that scalloping the brace allows an instrument maker to independently control the value of two natural frequencies of a combined brace-soundboard system. This is done by adjusting the brace’s base thickness in order to modify the 1st natural frequency and by adjusting the scalloped peak heights to modify the 3rd natural frequency, both of which are considered along the length of the brace. By scalloping their braces, and thus controlling the value of certain natural frequencies, musical instrument makers can improve the acoustic consistency of their instruments.     

Noise control of a rectangular cavity using macro perforated poro-elastic materials

The effectiveness of macro perforated porous materials to control noise levels inside a cavity is investigated. This is done using a finite element formulation based on the Biot-Allard theory that accounts for sound propagation in a poro-elastic medium. Earlier investigations have shown that macro-holes in a porous material can enhance low frequency sound absorption. However, this has been demonstrated in free field or waveguide environments. When such an approach is used in a cavity, it is seen that only certain patterns of macro-holes, dictated by cavity mode shapes, enhance noise reduction in the higher frequency ranges. This phenomenon is shown to be independent of porous material properties by considering two different materials. A correlation between the mode shapes and material removal is also established. A detailed convergence study for both cavity and poro-elastic finite element models, establishes the suitability of using higher order interpolation functions for coupled cavity-poro-elastic acoustic analysis.     

Measurement of acoustic power in studying cavitation processes

A comparative calorimetric method for measuring the acoustic power generated by a sound source under cavitation conditions and the power absorbed by a liquid with bubbles is developed. The conditions under which the whole of the generated power is absorbed by the liquid with bubbles are determined experimentally. An instrument for power calibration of sound sources operating under cavitation conditions is designed. The instrument is found to provide a high measurement accuracy (3% or better). The requirements on the dimensions of the vessel and on the volume of the liquid in which the sound source operates are formulated to make the power generated under cavitation conditions independent of these parameters. For the first time, it is shown experimentally (by the example of the reaction of nitric oxide formation under the action of sound) that, if these conditions are satisfied and the sound intensity exceeds the threshold intensity, the rate of a number of sonochemical reactions is proportional to the sound intensity in the range from 1.7 to at least 47 W/cm². It is shown that the dependence of the rate of cavitation processes on the sound intensity with a maximum at 8.6 W/cm² and a sharp decrease in the rate with a further intensity increase is determined by the fact that the measured quantity was the electric power at the transducer rather than the acoustic one.