3D virtual reconstruction and sound simulation of old musical instruments

Digital technologies and 3D models, nowadays largely used to document archaeological remains and to obtain hypothetical reconstructions when these remains are more or less heavily damaged, can also be powerful tools to simulate and render the acoustic response of an environment, such as the interior of a building, or an artifact, such as sounding objects or musical instruments. This work addresses the cases of three musical instruments of the past – namely a Pan flute, a brass instrument, and an electrophone instrument – coming from different periods and in different states of preservation, which voices can now be heard thanks to as many multidisciplinary projects. Possible approaches to the simulation of the sounds that these instruments could generate are discussed in relation to different aims and contexts.