From sevush@rcn.com Thu May 23 08:54:35 2002
Subject:Re: Modeled Piano

> Anyway, I could be wrong but I don't
> think anyone has done a fully modelled piano as a consumer product.

I am fairly certain the Roland MKS-20 and the piano - RD1000? - was designed
using modeling and heralded as a breakthrough product in cost.

Alright, went out there searching and I now think you're correct, in that it
wasn't completely modeled. Although one could argue even in a completely
algorithmic approach, there has to be some data to create the various
elements - i.e., "samples".

Here's a link that touches on the early models I'm referring to and more
refinements. It sounds like what they did was use some baseline samples
(though it's hard to tell by their language) and modified them on the fly.

http://www.novelmusic.com/roland/Technical/default.htm

(last paragraph below hints at the approach)

First generation SA soundsource (RD-1000, MKS-20, HP-3000, HP-5000, etc.,
1986-1989)

The first digital sound source from Roland, was the SA (Structured Adaptive
Synthesis Sound
Source) which was specially designed for digital pianos. This
state-of-the-art sound source was
used in the pro-use RD-1000 and MKS-20 digital pianos and home-use for the
HP-3000. These
digital pianos received much acclaim for their outstanding expressive
qualities and level of
achievement as sophisticated instruments.

Around that time, PCM sound source-based sampling techniques also began to
arrive in
the market. This technique apparently simulated piano sounds with an instant
and
dramatic contrast to digital pianos employing an analog sound source.
However, this
sampling technique showed that it was only capable of recording a naturally
occurring sound
under certain conditions. It was just like taking a photograph. There were
difficulties
when it came to duplicating sound having all rich and expressive timbral
changes of pianos.
It is interesting to note that PCM sound sources sounded incredibly lifelike
to the listener,
but caused much frustration for the players who were unable to fully express
themselves
pianistically with these sound sources.

We believe that the most important factor behind musical instruments is the
ability to
express the player's originality and creativity to the fullest. This
philosophy was therefore
reflected in the development of the SA Synthesis Sound Source. We were
committed to
developing innovative piano sound generation technology that surpassed
conventional
sampling.

What really distinguishes piano tones are the rich and colorful tonal
variations along the
three axes of note range, playing dynamics, and time. It is these timbral
subtleties that
form so much of a piano's distinctive expressive capability.

To make such tonal variations easily controllable by the players, we knew
simple sampling
(direct recording) would not be enough. We carefully examined the sources
that create
various piano sound characteristics in order to create our proprietary
technique. This
technique structures each element of piano sound and stores them
individually into
memory, re-synthesized to obtain natural timbral changes.

(more in link above)