Digitar algorithm

The digitar algorithm

In about 1979, Alex Strong and I developed a technique for producing moderately realistic plucked string sounds with almost no computation (2 or 3 simultaneous sounds in real time on an 8080A microprocessor). We published the technique in the Computer Music Journal ( "Digital Synthesis of Plucked-String and Drum Timbres", "Computer Music Journal" , 7(2), Summer 1983, page 43--55 ) and this articel was later reprinted in The Music Machine edited by Curtis Roads. The technique was granted US patent number 4,649,783 (also Australian patent 570,669 and Canadian patent 1,215,869). Alex went on to improve the technique and get another patent. Although various companies have licensed the technology from Stanford, I have yet to see a product on the market from any of them using the technology (there have been a few companies trying to market the technique without paying royalties). Here are some on-line references to the technique:

Progamming a music synthesizer (SY).
Seven wonders of the Ancient World (program notes)
Keynote Address to the 1995 Conference of the Australian Computer Music Association"Music and the Computer: Up-Ending the Family Tree"
Karplus-Strong-algoritmen
Karplus-Strong
The Karplus-Strong algorithm as extended by David Jaffe and Julius Smith (LISP code)
Main Group 15: Karplus/Strong Algorithm Physical Modelling Synthesis. by Nicky Hind.
Sergio's sound vault The Sound Vault. The following are physical models of plucked string sounds generated using the Karplus-Strong algorithm.
#include "Sound.h" /* Kiwi : A Parallel System for Software Sound Synthesis William Walker (walker@cs.uiuc.edu)
Algoritmo de Karplus y Strong A translation of the Computer Music Journal<\it> paper into Spanish.
Physical Modelling SoE home Kevin Karplus's home page Biomolecular Engineering Department UCSC Bioinformatics research Questions about page content should be directed to Kevin Karplus Biomolecular Engineering University of California, Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA 95064 USA karplus@soe.ucsc.edu 1-831-459-4250 318 Physical Sciences Building