Abstract

Crafting a musical instrument demands substantial expertise and skill from the artisan in selecting the appropriate material and working with it. In some cases, as stringed musical instruments, the outcome remains highly unpredictable despite these efforts. The above is due to variability in inherent material and manufacturing procedures and is why exploring the influence of isolated parameters on stringed instruments' sound poses a challenge: their acoustic characteristics are highly variable.

This seminar explores the potential of designing, fabricating, and characterizing 3D-printed musical instruments. We discuss how additive manufacturing allows for controlled parameter studies, making possible investigations into the influence of construction and material properties on sound performance. We also review the opportunities and challenges for parametrized design and fast fabrication of functional instruments. Case studies, including a 3D-printed guitar, charango, and ukulele, illustrate these concepts and demonstrate the possibilities of digital fabrication in musical instrument research.

Biography

Carolina Espinoza is an artist and scientist. She is an Associate Professor in the Sound Department at the University of Chile. She leads the Laboratory of Musical Acoustics and Post-Digital Luthiery (LAÚD), where her research explores the intersection of physics, acoustics, and musical instrument making.

With a background in physics, she earned her PhD specializing in the acoustic characterization of materials. Her doctoral research focused on understanding how material properties influence wave propagation, which later, together with her passion for music and art, led her to study musical instruments. Her work combines traditional luthiery with digital fabrication techniques to develop new perspectives in instrument construction and research.

Her research is supported by state funding from the sciences (FONDECYT-ANID) and the arts (FONDART), reflecting her interdisciplinary approach to innovation in musical acoustics and instrument making.