Augmenting sonic reality. Cyberinstruments designed with digital waveguides

Abstract

This article discusses how cyberinstruments created with digital waveguides—a technique for physical modelling synthesis, enable the augmentation of musical reality. These facilitate efficient replication of musical instruments and allow the extension of the properties of the replicas beyond the limitations of the physical world. The article examines how different composers have manipulated cyberinstruments designed with waveguide synthesis to stretch the sonic identities of physical instruments.

Keywords:

• cyberinstruments
• physical models
• digital waveguides
• interactive music composition
• augmented sonic reality

Notes

1. Smith's website (www-ccrma.stanford.edu/∼jos) is an outstanding resource for researchers and musicians interested in physical models and digital signal processing for music.

2. This composition and its technology details are well described in Kojs and Serafin (2007b).