Large-scale real-time Modular Physical Modeling Sound Synthesis

Due to recent increases in computational power, physical modeling synthesis is now possible in real time even for relatively complex models. We present here a modular physical modeling instrument design, intended as a construction framework for string- and bar-based instruments, alongside a mechanical network allowing for arbitrary nonlinear interconnection. When multiple nonlinearities are present in a feedback setting, there are two major concerns. One is ensuring numerical stability, which can be approached using an energy-based framework. The other is coping with the computational cost associated with nonlinear solvers---standard iterative methods, such as Newton-Raphson, quickly become a computational bottleneck. Here, such iterative methods are sidestepped using an alternative energy conserving method, allowing for great reduction in computational expense or, alternatively, to real-time performance for very large-scale nonlinear physical modeling synthesis. Simulation and benchmarking results are presented.