Non-linear behaviour of single-reed woodwind musical instrumentx

Time-domain simulation based on simple physical models of musical instruments has presented the possibility of designing a new type of musical sound synthesizer. This expanding field of musical research requires a better understanding of the flow responsible for the oscillation of the reed and the production of sound in single-reed instruments such as the clarinet. While the existing physical models explain the reed oscillation, the generation of the musically relevant sound depends on details of the non-linear behaviour of the instrument, which are generally ignored in these models. A review of existing models is presented. Starting from a descripu'on of Ihe simplest, commonly used model, we focus our auention on specific non-linear effects, in particular those related to the flow in the instrument.