A generalized parametric Reed Model for Virtual Musical Instruments

A reed, or more generally, a pressure-controlled valve, is the primary resonator for many wind instruments and vocal systems. In physical modeling synthesis, the method used for simulating the reed typically depends on whether an additional upstream or downstream pressure causes the corresponding side of the valve to open or close further. In this work, a generalized and configurable model of a pressure controlled valve is presented, allowing the user to design a reed simply by setting the model parameters. The parameters are continuously variable, and may be configured to produce blown closed models (like woodwinds or reed-pipes), blown open models (as in simple lip-reeds, the human larynx, harmonicas and harmoniums) and symmetric “swinging door” models. This generalized virtual reed affords the musician the ability to produce a wide variety of sounds which would otherwise only be obtained with several reed instruments.