The Sound Synthesis

I started out recording my violin's sound by using an acoustic guitar pick-up. I clipped it to the bridge of my violin, plugged the jack into my computer and recorded it with audacity. Through the guitar pick-up, I only pick up the vibration of the strings (means with less resonance and less background noise). After some observation, I figured out one period of the sound wave and drew it to a wave table. I did it four times for each string, so I have four wave oscillators for my sound synthesis.

Having "one period of the sound wave" means that if I time it with the freqency, I will get a similar sound to a violin. For instance, if I time 440 to the oscillator than I get an A note. However, that is the theory; since I recorded it with the pick up, I only got the vibrations of the strings, and the sound I produced through the wave oscillators lacks the property of a woodbox's resonance. So I added a "freeverb" object (reverberation) hoping to create the resonance. And it sounded fine. Later, I recorded my brother's cello with the same process. So now, I have the sound of violin or cello in a flick of a swtich.

Above: The highlighted part is one period vibration of the e string of violin.

Below: One period of the soundwave of a cello's c string