Relationship between chaotic vibrations and acoustic properties of percussion cymbals

Abstract

Cymbals are a type of percussion instrument that have existed for a long time. However, the mechanism of sound generation has not yet been clarified, and there is no clear standard for the production process. Therefore, cymbals have been manufactured and processed using the experience of craftsmen to the present day. In this study, we evaluated and compared the vibration and acoustic characteristics of cymbals manufactured by different manufacturers and processing methods to clarify the sound generation mechanism of percussion cymbals. The cymbals were vibrated in the horizontal direction using a shaker, and various vibration evaluations using the Poincaré section and correlation dimensions, along with various psychoacoustic evaluations using loudness curves and sharpness, were used to evaluate and compare the cymbals. Consequently, it was clarified that the route to the chaotic vibration of cymbals was determined and that there was a correlation between the correlation dimension and sharpness.

Keywords

• Chaotic vibration
• Cymbal
• Instrumental acoustics