With the rapid advances in the processing power of parallel special purpose hardware, it is now possible to create models of instruments embedded in a full 3D environment. This paper explores a test case of a timpani drum using finite difference time-domain methods, which are particularly suitable for parallelized hardware. Processing limitations usually required a simplification of the timpani model as a linear membrane and cavity under low striking amplitudes. Using the Nvidia Tesla architecture, the model of the timpani drum can the include high-impact nonlinearity of the membrane and the air, as well as the nonuniform tension of the membrane. In addition, 3D synthesis of the entire acoustic space is possible. Matlab code was ported to Nvidia’s native language without significant optimization, which still results in high-speed processing.

Authors: Bilbao, Stefan; Webb, Craig J.
Affiliation: Acoustics and Audio Group, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
JAES Volume 61 Issue 10 pp. 737-748; October 2013
Publication Date: October 28, 2013 Import into BibTeX
Permalink: https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=16967

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