CC3 - Week 4 - Sound Generation

I decided to try my hand at additive synthesis again, this time I created a violin. Considering how long it took to create, the code itself doesn't look too impressive. Luckily the sound itself is quite convincing, although it does sound exactly like a synthesised violin. As is the approach whenever an attempt is made to mimic real life on a computer, realism stems from imperfection. A computer generated face just doesn't look real without hairs, blemishes, discolouration etc. The same can be applied to musical synthesis. What my violin sound needs is imperfection; maybe a scratchy start, shaky volume as the string is bowed, less instant vibrato, the sound of a finger pressing a string against a fingerboard, and so on. The inherent problem with computers is that we have built them to be so mechanical, so inorganic, that forcing them to imitate real life requires vast amounts of human input. Is the outcome worth the effort? Couldn't I just learn to play a real violin instead?



CCwk4.RTF (No promises)
CCwk4.SC

Haines, Christian. "Creative Computing - Week 4 - Sound Generation." Lecture presented at Tutorial Room 408, Level 4, Schultz Building, University of Adelaide, 27th of March 2008.