Subsections

Lumped Acoustic Elements

The fundamental wavelength of sound produced by a musical instrument is generally much larger than the dimensions of certain of its component parts, such as toneholes and mouthpieces. The behavior of large wavelength sound waves within small structures is generally well approximated by assuming uniform pressure throughout the volume of interest (Fletcher and Rossing, 1991). In this way, we can analyze small acoustic components in terms of ideal lumped elements.

An Acoustic Mass (Inertance)

Figure 4: A short acoustic tube.
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An Acoustic Spring (Cavity)

The Helmholtz Resonator

Figure 5: The Helmholtz resonator and its mechanical correlate.
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