Source-Filter Decomposition of Harmonic Sounds

TL;DR

This paper introduces a method to decompose steady-state instrument sounds into excitation and formant filter components using frequency domain analysis, enabling improved synthesis and sound manipulation techniques.

Contribution

A novel source-filter decomposition method for steady-state instrument sounds based on frequency domain analysis and modeling.

Findings

Successfully applied to SHARC database data

Creates accurate source-filter models for various instruments

Enables applications like wavetable synthesis and pitch shifting

Abstract

This paper describes a method for decomposing steady-state instrument data into excitation and formant filter components. The input data, taken from several series of recordings of acoustical instruments is analyzed in the frequency domain, and for each series a model is built, which most accurately represents the data as a source-filter system. The source part is taken to be a harmonic excitation system with frequency-invariant magnitudes, and the filter part is considered to be responsible for all spectral inhomogenieties. This method has been applied to the SHARC database of steady state instrument data to create source-filter models for a large number of acoustical instruments. Subsequent use of such models can have a wide variety of applications, including improvements to wavetable and physical modeling synthesis, high quality pitch shifting, and creation of "hybrid" instrument timbres.