Title: New Designs for the Kantele with Improved Sound Radiation
Abstract: The kantele is a plucked string instrument belonging to the family of zithers that are used in traditional folk music in Finland, Northwest Russia, and the Baltic states. We propose design rules for a kantele that has a higher loudness than traditional models and present acoustical analysis results to confirm the amplification. The guidelines for making a plucked string instrument louder are to increase the string tension, to add more radiating surface area, and to isolate the top plate from the sound-box with an air gap. We investigate the increased string tension analytically, and show the benefits of the enlarged radiating surface and the isolated top plate experimentally, by acoustical measurements. The input force and the resulting SPL are measured in an anechoic chamber at several points around the instrument, and the measured SPL values are converted to loudness estimates using a computational model. All results are compared against similar figures for a traditional kantele. A playability test, where a professional kantele player is asked to play as softly and as loudly, as she/he feels comfortable, reveals how much we have been able to widen the dynamic range. Finally, the effect of the structural modifications on the timbre is evaluated.
Publication Year: 2003
Publication Date: 2003-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 5
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