SOUND MORPHOLOGIES DUE TO NON-LINEAR INTERACTIONS : TOWARDS A PERCEPTUAL CONTROL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SOUND SYNTHESIS PROCESSES

Abstract : This paper is concerned with perceptual control strategies for physical modeling synthesis of vibrating resonant objects colliding non-linearly with rigid obstacles. For this purpose, we investigate sound morphologies from samples synthesized using physical modeling for non-linear interactions. As a starting point, we study the effect of linear and non-linear springs and collisions on a single-degree-of-freedom system and on a stiff strings. We then synthesize realistic sounds of a stiff string colliding with a rigid obstacle. Numerical simulations allowed the definition of specific signal patterns characterizing the non linear behavior of the interaction according to the attributes of the obstacle. Finally, a global description of the sound morphology associated with this type of interaction is proposed. This study constitutes a first step towards further perceptual investigations geared towards the development of intuitive synthesis controls.