2.4
Signal Flow
21
Figure 8: Control modules and output stage of
String Studio
(Panel A).
string. This is the signal received by the synthesis or string module which then simulates the vi-
bration signal of the individual strings of the guitar. The output of this module corresponds to the
signal that would actually be measured at the bridge of the instrument and which is transmitted to
the body of the instrument. The body module completes the instruments and simulates how sound
is radiated both from the top-plate of the body (or soundboard) and the air cavity of the body. Fi-
nally, in addition to the modules reproducing the guitar itself, an output stage has been included to
allow further processing of the sound radiated by the instrument.
It is important to note how the MIDI signal received by the synthesizer is parsed. Signal
received from the MIDI input or MIDI player module, is interpreted in terms of the fretting hand
(usually left hand) and picking hand (usually right hand) of a guitar player. MIDI notes with
number ranging between 40 (E1) and 70 (B
[
4) are associated with the fretting hand and their
corresponding signal is sent to the chord detector. Notes with number ranging between 71 (B4)
and 84 (C6) are special strumming keys, used to trigger different picking hand techniques, and are
therefore used to control the strumming engine. The use of these strumming keys is explained in
more details in section 3.
