String Resonance Simulator for Acoustic Piano Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic piano sound reproduction methods fail to accurately replicate the resonance effect of acoustic pianos, as they do not correctly reflect the physical structure of the instrument and cannot reproduce the propagation of vibration from one string to another.
Innovation Solution
A musical sound signal generation apparatus that includes a string signal generator, a string resonance simulator with loop circuits and attenuation elements, and a controller to manage attenuation coefficients based on note-on, note-off, damper-pedal-on, and damper-pedal-off instructions, simulating the resonance effect by circulating and attenuating resonant signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If vibration propagation is simulated through air, bridge, and frame components, then the physical structure of the acoustic piano is accurately reflected, but the complexity of the sound generation system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sound generation system is divided into independent modular components: a string signal generator for generating individual string vibrations, a string resonance simulator for modeling resonance through loop circuits, and a sound board simulator for modeling the sound board's vibration and radiation. This segmentation allows each module to handle specific physical phenomena separately, making the overall complex system manageable while maintaining physical accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Loop circuits are introduced as intermediary elements to simulate the complex vibration propagation paths. The loop circuits act as mediators that take a string signal and transform it into resonant signals that propagate through the simulated air, bridge, and frame structure, eventually reaching the sound board. This intermediary approach simplifies the representation of complex physical propagation without requiring direct modeling of every component interaction.
2Ease of operation
If damper state controls the level of musical sound signal, then the damper pedal function is implemented, but the physical structure of the acoustic piano is not correctly reflected
Solution Approach 1:
The attenuation coefficients in the loop circuits are made dynamic rather than static. The controller adjusts these coefficients in real-time based on the damper pedal state (on or off) and the note-on/note-off instructions. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to accurately reflect the physical effect of dampers on string vibration while maintaining ease of operation through automated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the attenuation parameter of the resonant signals based on damper state. When the damper pedal is pressed, the attenuation coefficient increases, simulating the damper's contact with the string and rapid vibration decay. When the pedal is released, the attenuation coefficient decreases, allowing the string to continue vibrating. This parameter change approach accurately models the physical damper mechanism without requiring complex mechanical simulations.
3Measurement precision
If vibration propagation is modeled with multiple strings and propagation paths, then the resonance effect is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of physically measuring and detecting the complex vibration propagation in a real acoustic piano, the system creates a virtual copy or simulation of the physical structure and its behavior. The loop circuits and attenuation elements replicate the essential characteristics of string vibration propagation, allowing the system to generate accurate resonance effects without the need for complex detection and measurement systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical vibration detection and measurement systems with an electronic signal processing approach. Instead of using physical sensors to detect string vibrations and propagation paths, the system uses digital signal generation and processing to simulate these mechanical phenomena electronically, significantly reducing the complexity of detection and measurement while maintaining the resonance effect.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus effectively imparts the same resonance effect as an acoustic piano to electronic sound signals, enhancing the realism of piano tones by accurately simulating the physical structure and vibration propagation.
Implementation Method 1
a delay element for delaying the resonant signal by a delay time for the corresponding pitch
Implementation Method 2
an attenuation element for variably attenuating the resonant signal according to a attenuation coefficient
Implementation Method 3
a string resonance simulator that is equipped with a plurality of loop circuits corresponding to the plurality of the pitches and through which resonant signals of the corresponding pitches circulate
Data Source
AI summary
A string signal generator generates a string signal representing vibration of a string corresponding to a specified pitch in response to a note-on instruction such that the string signal rises and then attenuates in response to a note-off instruction. The string signal generator distributes the generated string signal to a plurality of loop circuits of a string resonance simulator. The plurality of the loop circuits correspond to a plurality of pitches and circulate resonant signals of the corresponding pitches, each loop circuit having a delay element for delaying the resonant signal by a time depending on the corresponding pitch, and an attenuation element for variably attenuating the resonant signal according to an attenuation coefficient. A controller respectively provides attenuation coefficients to the attenuation elements in the plurality of the loop circuits based on the note-on instruction, the note-off instruction, a damper-pedal-on instruction, and a damper-pedal-off instruction.