A Study of Trumpet Envelopes

Abstract: Most synthesis techniques provide for some amount of parametric control. Generating suitable controls is a difficult problem, especially for instruments that admit continuous control by the performer. The traditional approach to control generation in computer music has been note-based, but note-by-note synthesis tends to overlook the interaction between notes in a phrase. This study considers factors, including melodic contour, articulation, and dynamics, that affect the shape of amplitude envelopes in trumpet performance. After showing statistically significant variation due to these factors, a model for trumpet envelopes is described. This model is used with Spectral Interpolation Synthesis to synthesize realistic trumpet performances.