Acoustic radiation from bowed violins

Abstract

Near-field acoustic holography (NAH) is applied to visualize the acoustic radiation from bowed violins across a frequency range from 294 Hz to 3 kHz. These visualizations are employed to localize regions of acoustic radiation from surfaces of violins. Three violins were tested: a common student instrument by Scherl and Roth; Hutchins violin SUS295, which has been the subject of many previous investigations; and a Hutchins mezzo violin from the Violin Octet set of instruments, which is longer, broader, and thinner than a standard instrument. The violins were bowed continuously with an open-frame mechanical bowing machine, while NAH measurements were made on four planes surrounding the instrument. Mappings of the acoustic intensity are presented that show locations of maximum radiation at low and high frequencies with a spatial resolution smaller than the acoustic wavelength. Comparisons are made of the radiation patterns between the two conventional instruments and the mezzo violin. Radiation patterns from SUS295 at frequencies near to known modal responses are also presented.