Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019).

Applied Acoustics Systems (AAS) is a Montreal company specializing in the development of soundx000D
synthesizers using a physics-based modeling approach. Over the years, AAS has developed models of stringx000D
instruments such as the violin and the guitar. More recently, AAS has been working on piano modeling, whichx000D
has significant commercial potential due to the large user base. An important aspect of a piano's sound isx000D
determined by its soundboard, which radiates the vibrations of the strings into the surrounding air. However,x000D
the data currently available in the research literature about piano soundboard characteristics is limited, coveringx000D
a frequency range only up to about 1-2 kHz and sometimes contradicting predictions of theoretical models.x000D
Research in the Computational Acoustics Modeling Laboratory at McGill University has recently resulted inx000D
highly effective techniques for the measurement and modeling of violin and guitar bodies. Although the pianox000D
presents its own challenges, these techniques have great potential for use in AAS's sound synthesis efforts.x000D
Significant progress has been made in measuring the characteristics of the piano soundboard during the coursex000D
of the previously awarded Engage grant. This Engage Plus proposal is focused on using the measured data tox000D
build efficient digital models for implementation in AAS's piano synthesis system.x000D
This project will represent an important application of our expertise in music instrument measurements,x000D
modeling and sound synthesis to an instrument we have not previously studied. In turn, this research will helpx000D
AAS to develop and sell convincing sound synthesis models of the piano, as well as contribute to the design ofx000D
a modeling approach that can be expanded to other string instruments.