Development of Simplified Tuning System for Physical Modelling of the Gayageum

ABSTRACT

This paper describes a simplified tuning system for the physical modelling of the Gayageum, a Korean traditional plucked string instrument. In a previous work, an Anjok model was proposed as part of the string model to control pitch. However, this model has a maximum error of 7.75 Hz for the low fundamental frequencies. In order to ameliorate this situation, this paper modifies the assumption of the previous model and proposes a method to design a simplified tuning system. The optimal parameter of the system is determined based on the minimax algorithm and the error is 1.14 Hz on average. Furthermore, the maximum error decreases to about one third that of the previous method.

Keywords:

• Minimax algorithm
• Physical modelling
• Plucked string instrument
• String model
• Tuning system

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the 2013 Research Fund of University of Ulsan.

Notes on contributors

Sangjin Cho

Sangjin Cho received his BS and MS degrees in electronic engineering from the University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea, in 1997 and 2002, respectively. He studied computer engineering at the University of Ulsan and received his PhD degree in 2007. He has experience designing a musical controller for stringed instruments and digital audio effecters in CCRMA at Stanford University, USA, in 2006. He works for the Automobile/Ship Electronics Convergence Center at the University of Ulsan as a research professor. He is a member of AES, ASA, IEICE, and ASK. His current research interests include analysis/synthesis of musical sound, physical modelling of musical instruments, audio signal processing, watermarking, and new musical interfaces.

E-mail: [email protected]

Jinwook Chae

Jinwook Chae received his Bachelor's degree in physics from the Kyungwon University, Seongnam, Korea, in 1997. He studied computer engineering at the University of Ulsan and received his MS degree in 2005. He worked for KURZWEIL MUSIC Systems as a sound engineer from 1997 to 2002 and 2006 to 2007. He worked for the Kyonggi University as an adjunct professor. He works for TGENS as a sound engineer. His current research interests include analysis/synthesis of musical sound, interactive music, audio signal processing, and new musical interfaces.

E-mail: [email protected]

Sang-Bock Cho

Sang-Bock Cho received his BS, MS, and PhD degrees in electrical engineering from Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea, in 1979, 1981, and 1985, respectively. He worked at the University of Texas in Austin as a visiting scholar from 1994 to 1995 and at the University of California in San Diego as a visiting scholar from 2003 to 2004. He has worked in the School of Electrical Engineering at Ulsan University, Ulsan, Korea, since 1985. He is a member of IEEE, IEEK, KIISE, and KIPS. His current research interests include VLSI/SOC design and test, computer vision, audio signal processing, automotive electronics, and multimedia applications.

E-mail: [email protected]