Legal Notice
Python library assisting instrument makers
Help

This applications uses the Openwind python library to estimate some acoustic characteristics of a wind instrument from its geometry.

Here you can find minimal instructions to use this application.

If needed, do not hesitate to contact us!

Basic use

First, you need to define the Instrument Geometry.

This includes the internal bore, the holes & valves and the fingering chart. You must fill the corresponding pane.

To do so, you can either:
  • Start from scratch
  • Load and edit one of the Examples.
  • Import Instrument file from your computer.

This app does not have account. If you don't want to lose what you've done please save the geometry one your computer by downloading it.

To do it, click on Export Instrument.

Please, also check the validity of the indicated geometry by plotting the instrument: Plot Instrument

Once the geometry defined and validated, you can compute the acoustic response of the instrument: Compute

Here we compute the input impedance which determined at which frequency the instrument vibrates easily (resonance).

You can adjust few options (e.g.: temperature, the fingering) and start the computation.
This can take few seconds.

Once the computation done, you can observe the results.

In addition to the impedance curve, this app gives the characteristic of the resonance for each fingering.

You can also observe the acoustic pressure and flow along the main bore of the instrument for each resonance.
Other features

If you want you can generate a 3D file from your geometric indications.

You only need to specify few options (wall thickness, angular position of the holes, ...).

You can either display the 3D object: Plot 3D-object.
Or directly download it: Export 3D.

The generation can be quite long depending of the complexity of the instrument.

Once you've done one computation a new button Keep as Reference appears.

This save the current acoustic results and give you the possibility to compare with another one. You can:
  • modify the geometry and repeat the acoustic computation to observe how it affects the impedance and the resonance characteristics,
  • load another geometry and compare the two instruments.
Only one computation can be kept! If you save new results this will replace the previous reference.

Instrument Geometry


:
:
:
Label
Angle [°]

Acoustic Response

The linear acoustic response (impedance or admittance) characterizes how easily the air column can vibrate at each frequency.
Tip: You can show/hide the curves by clicking on them in the legend.

Resonances
Warning! The resonance frequencies indicated here can strongly deviate from the one of the sound obtained when the instrument is played. The mouthpiece and the musician can have a big influence on the sounding pitch.
:
Acoustic fields