AES Europe 2026

This tutorial lecture is intended to present the basic
concepts of Physical Modelling (PM) sound synthesis. The
motivation behind the presentation is to increase the
awareness of the audio community of the existence of this
synthesis method, as an alternative to the much more
widespread subtractive synthesis approach.

Physical modelling synthesis allows for the creation of
realistic acoustic instrument timbres, as well as
avant-garde sound design constructs, in a way that is much
more approachable and intuitive than FM synthesis.

The lecture is intended for the beginner adept of sound
design, as well as the general audio public, so no prior
knowledge is required beyond a basic, intuitive
understanding of sound. Auditory examples will be presented
using a software modular synthesiser environment, as well
as dedicated physical modelling virtual instruments/effects
plugins within a Digital Audio Workstation application.

The presented concepts are applicable to the field of sound
design for music, film, gaming, and audiovisual arts, as
well as to teaching acoustics and musical instrument
studies in the classroom.

Topics covered:
-PM synthesis premise
-Comparison to subtractive synthesis
-Concept of a resonant model (Karplus–Strong oscillator)
-Simple and complex resonators, resonator coupling,
exciters, modifiers, pickups, and instrument body resonance
-Typical PM synthesiser architecture and workflow
-Signal processors/effects utilising physical modelling
(e.g. modal reverb)
-Dedicated virtual instruments for realistic acoustic and
electroacoustic instrument synthesis

All sound and workflow examples will be presented in a
technology-neutral way (using a variety of physical
modelling plugins from different vendors).