The evaluation of acoustic characteristics of Musical Instruments after restoration

Many museums of musical Instruments hold collections of ancient and rare Instruments, which very often are damaged. Sound characterisation, preservation, utilisation of quite particular Instruments represents a still unsolved question, and different world institutions give not-univocal answers to this matter. Usual technology gives just an overview of the physic characterisation of the sound chests of violins or the bodies of flutes or trumpets, and there are no easy possibilities to rendering "sound quality" of ancient Violins without building a replica. In this research the sound characterisation of ancient musical instruments through a virtual non-destructive methodology is investigated. Taking into account the acoustic behaviour of soundboards and bells of instruments, considered as linear system, the acoustic characterisation of string and wind instruments has been analysed. By measuring the impulse responses of ancient violins and of wind instruments, like flutes of different material and trumpet of the baroque age, the sound quality of their sound chests have been replied. Following this technique, also musical Instruments heavily damaged or not more existing could be "virtually" played.