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I was wondering if anyone knows of or has any computer programs for designing musical instruments. I have a few ideas (probably ones that will never work) that I'd like too see in a 3D model.

I've not seen a program exclusively for the design of music instruments. However... I worked for many years as a 'board rat' and more recently with computer-aided design software. You can draw pretty pictures with most any piece of solid-modelling software but the learning curve would be monstrous.

There used to be an Austrian system called BIAS; haven't heard much about it lately, but some informative links can still be found. It involved a transducer attached to your mouthpiece, and it would measure early reflections, resonance, etc. but could also "model up" theoretical instruments as well. Some links:

http://iwk.mdw.ac.at/Forschung/english/ ... lation.htm" target="_blank
http://www.jet-systems.com/bias.html" target="_blank
http://orgs.usd.edu/nmm/UtleyPages/Utle ... ticle.html" target="_blank

I, like you, had ideas about instrument design and I used a 3D modeling program to bring them to life. Not an engineering type program. I used the free Anim8tor program. There are lots of tutorials for it. I don't think there is support for the app anymore, meaning they aren't actively releasing new versions. So it is what it is and it isn't going to get new features. But it is easier to use than the other 3D modeling software. You might be able to use Googles simple 3D modeling program, but I can't remember what it was called. I was still a french horn player at the time, so I modeled 2 different horns. One with my "revolver" vavle design, and one with a double piston valve.

My piston valve double horn design. I used rocker arms to be able to adjust lever throw and keep levers like horn players are used too.

I have first hand experience in this. As far as I know there is no musical instrument specific design software. I have seen many auto-CAD designs printed out (and even own a few), and they are all technical "drawings."

I suggest you just take pen to paper and go nuts. What software won't ever do (until it does) is let you know if your drawings will make a good design or not. That stuff is all trial and error, and in reality, mostly error until it ends up working.

Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

BRSousa wrote:I have first hand experience in this. As far as I know there is no musical instrument specific design software. I have seen many auto-CAD designs printed out (and even own a few), and they are all technical "drawings."

I suggest you just take pen to paper and go nuts. What software won't ever do (until it does) is let you know if your drawings will make a good design or not. That stuff is all trial and error, and in reality, mostly error until it ends up working.

Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

I do like doing pen and paper stuff, but I can't get the 3D effect with just a sheet of paper, but this 3D animation stuff is really tough (for me) to get a handle of, so I guess pen and paper is my best option.

What did you have in mind?

Nothing really specific, just some random tuba body designs, sousaphone valve clusters, maybe some trombones and euphoniums...

I think I might be a tuba geek

SousaWarrior9 wrote:Nothing really specific, just some random tuba body designs, sousaphone valve clusters, maybe some trombones and euphoniums...

I think I might be a tuba geek

Do you want to design the actual construction, or do you want to produce pretty pictures? You will
find that there are two types of software packages - one for each task.

And, if you want to know what it will *sound* like...well...good luck with that.

sloan wrote:
And, if you want to know what it will *sound* like...well...good luck with that.

That was the ultimate point I was getting at earlier BUT if you have any ideas, don't be afraid to pursue them. Draw some pictures.

Do you have any neat ideas for Sousaphone clusters? I would be interested to know, so would KiltieTuba (Ian) and some other guys on the board. What did you have in mind and for what purpose? Don't be afraid to try, you might come up with something really great!

You could always think like that Dyson vacuum guy. Maybe you will make the next bladeless fan? Who knows?

I am sure there is sofftware for not only modelling design, but used to check how it is likely to play, such as where are nodel points to avoid stays and such like at such points. At least talking to one of the Chinese manufactures I got the impression they use such software.

Mind you such specialist software is likely to be far too expensive for the home user.

Neptune wrote:I am sure there is sofftware for not only modelling design, but used to check how it is likely to play, such as where are nodel points to avoid stays and such like at such points. At least talking to one of the Chinese manufactures I got the impression they use such software.

Mind you such specialist software is likely to be far too expensive for the home user.

I have talked to one European instrument manufacturer who indicated that his company used a CAD program to help design tubas. It may be proprietary software but I believe the software has been developed.

Neptune wrote:I am sure there is sofftware for not only modelling design, but used to check how it is likely to play, such as where are nodel points to avoid stays and such like at such points. At least talking to one of the Chinese manufactures I got the impression they use such software.

Mind you such specialist software is likely to be far too expensive for the home user.

Eh...I don't know. I am REALLY skeptical about this. I would like to see it. Do you have access to this?

BRSousa wrote:

Neptune wrote:I am sure there is sofftware for not only modelling design, but used to check how it is likely to play, such as where are nodel points to avoid stays and such like at such points. At least talking to one of the Chinese manufactures I got the impression they use such software.

Mind you such specialist software is likely to be far too expensive for the home user.

Eh...I don't know. I am REALLY skeptical about this. I would like to see it. Do you have access to this?

The “Institut für Wiener Klangstil” (Institute for Musical Acoustics) of the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria, has developed a software package called BIAS (Brass Instrument Analysis System) which can be used for modelling and optimization of new or existing brass instruments.

Miraphone reportedly used it to model and optimize the 5050 Ambassador (Demondrae Thurman) euph.

For such a specialized product, it's relatively inexpensive (€5400-8000, depending on the configuration ordered).

This was the sort of program I was thinking about (I don't know what it is)

This was on the Wisemann website...

SousaWarrior9 wrote:This was the sort of program I was thinking about (I don't know what it is)

This was on the Wisemann website...

The two photos immediately preceding show (special intonation pulse response impedance test and R&D dept) the BIAS program mentioned above.

The models in the photos you linked look like they were drawn up in Autocad.