• Research

    The fundamental principle of IRCAM is to encourage productive interaction among scientific research, technological developments, and contemporary music production. Since its establishment in 1977, this initiative has provided the foundation for the institute’s activities. One of the major issues is the importance of contributing to the renewal of musical expression through science and technology. Conversely, sp…

    • Research Topics
    • The STMS Lab
    • Research Teams
    • Sound Systems and Signals: Audio/Acoustics, InstruMents
    • Acoustic and Cognitive Spaces
    • Sound Perception and Design
    • Sound Analysis-Synthesis
    • Sound Music Movement Interaction
    • Musical Representations
    • Analysis of Musical Practices
    • Projects
    • Sound Workshop
    • The Musical Body
    • Creative Dynamics
    • Finished Projects
  • Creation

    IRCAM is an internationally recognized research center dedicated to creating new technologies for music. The institute offers a unique experimental environment where composers strive to enlarge their musical experience through the concepts expressed in new technologies.

    • Composers & Artists in Studio
    • Mauro Lanza in studio
    • Chloé Thévenin in studio
    • Oren Boneh in studio
    • Tristan Murail in studio
    • Martin Matalon in studio
    • Sébastien Gaxie in studio
    • Murcof in the studio
    • Vimala Pons in studio
    • Lucie Antunes in studio
    • Deena Abdelwahed in the studio
    • Music-Fictions
    • Artistic Research Residency
    • Artistic Residencies: The Blog
    • Rendez Vous 24.25
    • 2024-2025
    • Replay Concerts
    • Seasons from 1996 to present
    • ManiFeste-2024 Website
    • ManiFeste festival from 2012 to 2024
    • L’Étincelle, IRCAM’s journal of creation
  • Transmission

    In support of IRCAM's research and creation missions, the educational program seeks to shed light on the current and future meaning of the interactions among the arts, sciences, and technology as well as sharing its models of knowledge, know-how, and innovations with the widest possible audience.

    • Training Courses
    • Training Courses 2025.26
    • Max, Max for Live
    • Computer-Assisted Composition
    • ASAP & Partiels
    • Sound spatialization
    • Generative AI
    • Practical Information
    • Higher Education
    • Cursus Program on Composition and Computer Music
    • Master ATIAM
    • Sound Design Master's Program
    • Mixed-Music
    • AIMove Master
    • Discover Research at IRCAM
    • Cultural Outreach
    • Cultural Mediation at Middle School Students
    • Médiations culturelles au lycée
    • Digital Workshops
    • TACT
    • Images of a Work Collection
    • Group Tours
    • ManiFeste-2025 Festival Academy
    • 2025 ÉLAN award
    • Spatial Composition Workshop
    • In Situ Polytopes
    • ULYSSES Ensemble
    • Auditors
  • Innovations

    Engaged with societal and economic issues at the intersection of culture and IT, research at Ircam has forged a reputation for itself in the world of international research as an interdisciplinary benchmark in the science and technology of sound and music, constantly attentive to the new needs and uses in society.

    • The IRCAM Forum
    • Softwares
    • Ircam Amplify
    • Innovative art-science-technology processes
    • Forum Vertigo
  • IRCAM
  • Careers & Job Offers
  • Calls for applications
  • Newsletter
  • Arrive
  • Boutique
  • Resource Center
  • News
  • login
  • En
  • Fr
  • IRCAM
  • Careers & Job Offers
  • Calls for applications
  • Newsletter
  • Arrive
  • Boutique
  • Resource Center

Fr | En

  • login
  • Research

    The fundamental principle of IRCAM is to encourage productive interaction among scientific research, technological developments, and contemporary music production. Since its establishment in 1977, this initiative has provided the foundation for the institute’s activities. One of the major issues is the importance of contributing to the renewal of musical expression through science and technology. Conversely, sp…

    • Research Topics
    • The STMS Lab
    • Research Teams
    • Sound Systems and Signals: Audio/Acoustics, InstruMents
    • Acoustic and Cognitive Spaces
    • Sound Perception and Design
    • Sound Analysis-Synthesis
    • Sound Music Movement Interaction
    • Musical Representations
    • Analysis of Musical Practices
    • Projects
    • Sound Workshop
    • The Musical Body
    • Creative Dynamics
    • Finished Projects
  • Creation

    IRCAM is an internationally recognized research center dedicated to creating new technologies for music. The institute offers a unique experimental environment where composers strive to enlarge their musical experience through the concepts expressed in new technologies.

    • Composers & Artists in Studio
    • Mauro Lanza in studio
    • Chloé Thévenin in studio
    • Oren Boneh in studio
    • Tristan Murail in studio
    • Martin Matalon in studio
    • Sébastien Gaxie in studio
    • Murcof in the studio
    • Vimala Pons in studio
    • Lucie Antunes in studio
    • Deena Abdelwahed in the studio
    • Music-Fictions
    • Artistic Research Residency
    • Artistic Residencies: The Blog
    • Rendez Vous 24.25
    • 2024-2025
    • Replay Concerts
    • Seasons from 1996 to present
    • ManiFeste-2024 Website
    • ManiFeste festival from 2012 to 2024
    • L’Étincelle, IRCAM’s journal of creation
  • Transmission

    In support of IRCAM's research and creation missions, the educational program seeks to shed light on the current and future meaning of the interactions among the arts, sciences, and technology as well as sharing its models of knowledge, know-how, and innovations with the widest possible audience.

    • Training Courses
    • Training Courses 2025.26
    • Max, Max for Live
    • Computer-Assisted Composition
    • ASAP & Partiels
    • Sound spatialization
    • Generative AI
    • Practical Information
    • Higher Education
    • Cursus Program on Composition and Computer Music
    • Master ATIAM
    • Sound Design Master's Program
    • Mixed-Music
    • AIMove Master
    • Discover Research at IRCAM
    • Cultural Outreach
    • Cultural Mediation at Middle School Students
    • Médiations culturelles au lycée
    • Digital Workshops
    • TACT
    • Images of a Work Collection
    • Group Tours
    • ManiFeste-2025 Festival Academy
    • 2025 ÉLAN award
    • Spatial Composition Workshop
    • In Situ Polytopes
    • ULYSSES Ensemble
    • Auditors
  • Innovations

    Engaged with societal and economic issues at the intersection of culture and IT, research at Ircam has forged a reputation for itself in the world of international research as an interdisciplinary benchmark in the science and technology of sound and music, constantly attentive to the new needs and uses in society.

    • The IRCAM Forum
    • Softwares
    • Ircam Amplify
    • Innovative art-science-technology processes
    • Forum Vertigo
  • Home
  • Research
  • Research Teams
  • Sound Systems and Signals: Audio/Acoustics, InstruMents
  • Research Teams
  • Sound Systems and Signals: Audio/Acoustics, InstruMents
    • Collaborations
    • Research topics and related projects
    • European and national projects
    • Softwares (design & development)
    • Team
    • Publications
  • Acoustic and Cognitive Spaces
  • Sound Perception and Design
  • Sound Analysis-Synthesis
  • Sound Music Movement Interaction
  • Musical Representations
  • Analysis of Musical Practices






Sound Systems and Signals: Audio/Acoustics, InstruMents

Edit






The team Sound Systems and Signals : Audio/Acoustics, InstruMents creates theoretical, technological, and experimental tools based on multiphysic systems and the sound signals they produce.
Edit






The team is interested in exploring, understanding, reproducing, and inventing sound objects in audio, acoustics, focusing on musical instruments and the production of the human voice. 

More precisely, the objectives are to model, simulate, identify, and optimize these systems (voice, musician/instrument, loudspeakers, audio electronic effects, etc.) using physics to reveal and benefit from heir intrinsic structures. The team creates methods for analysis, transformation, control, and simulation of sounds as well as tools to
assist conception in virtual, real, or hybrid paradigms. 

This global approach, “systems and signals” creates a synergy in the conception of these tools, connecting—not merely juxtaposing—several disciplines and scientific fields: physics, theory of systems and control, differential geometry, numerical analysis, signal processing, computer science, electronics, mechatronics, and robotics. 

Target applications concern scientific, artistic, educational, and healthcare domains.

Major Themes

  • Physical modeling of musical instruments and voice
  • Sound synthesis based on physical modeling
  • Modeling physical audio systems and loudspeakers
  • Experimental robotic platforms: robotic bow, robotic artificial mouth to play brass instruments, robotic  apparatus at a 1:1 scale
  • Identification of non-linear systems
  • Control of non-linear systems and historical objects
  • Augmented instruments, hybrid instruments
  • Augmented lutherie

Specialist Areas

Acoustics, mechanics, non-linear systems, automatic and control, signal theory, differential geometry, digital analysis, experimentation, mechatronics, real and virtual instrument-making, sound synthesis.

Team Website

Edit
  • © Philippe Barbosa
    © Philippe Barbosa
  • © Philippe Barbosa
    © Philippe Barbosa
  • © Philippe Barbosa
    © Philippe Barbosa

Collaborations

Athena-RIC (Greece), Cabrilog SAS (France), Cambridge University (United Kingdom), C2RMF-Louvre, C2RMF et Louvre-Lens (Paris), Centre Bernoulli-EPFL (Switzerland),  CHU Liège, EPCC-Edinburgh Univ. (United Kingdom), GIPSA-lab (Grenoble), IJLRA-Sorbonne Université (Paris), IMJPRG-Sorbonne Université (Paris), Imperial College London (United Kingdom), ISAE-SUPAÉRO (Toulouse), LAGEP-université Lyon-1 (Lyon), LaSiE-université de la La Rochelle (France), LEOPOLY (Hongrie), LMA-CNRS (Marseille), LMD-ENS (Paris),  Mines ParisTech (Paris), Musée de la musique - Philharmonie de Paris, NTNU (Trondheim, Norway), Thalès Group (France).


Research topics and related projects

Augmented instrument-making

Prototypes of musical instruments, or components of musical instruments, that can be used in concert have been produced in this project

The Augmented Instruments

Acoustic instruments that have been fitted with sensors

European and national projects

ATRIM

Analyseur temps-réel haute précision de justesse et de timbre pour instruments musicaux

AVATARS

Artificial Voice production: control of bio-inspired port-hAmilToniAn numeRical and mechatronic modelS

DAFNE+

Decentralized platform for fair creative content distribution empowering creators and communities through new digital distribution models based on digital tokens

INFIDHEM

Interconnected inFInite-Dimensional systems for HEterogeneous Media

Ondes Martenot

Virtualisation d’instruments de musique électroniques et clonage analogique/numérique de composants pour la conservation

Wasabi

Web Audio Semantic Aggregated in the Browser for Indexation

Organologie des harpes pharaoniques



Softwares (design & development)

product

Modalys

free
Modalys is an environment that lets users create unheard of virtual instruments based on simple physical objects such as strings, plates, tubes, membranes, plectrum, bows, or hammers, and making them interact. It is possible to construct objects with complex forms using a threedimensional mesh or resulting from measurements.
download
product

The Snail-Absolute Tuning

for sale at Ircam
The Snail-Absolute Tuning is a frequency analyzer based on an original chromatic alignment representation. Compared to conventional analyzers, this representation provides a simple visualization of the active zones through light activation and organizes the arrangement of frequencies by notes on a tempered scale, tuned to a tuning fork.
learn more

Team


Head Researcher : Thomas Hélie
Researchers & Engineers : David Roze, Henri Boutin
Chargé(e) de développement : Robert Piéchaud
PhD Students : César DELOMOSNE, Paul Estève, Thomas Risse, Vincent Martos

Publications

Also discover

News
Research

Thomas Hélie: "We model instruments, musicians, and the signals they produce”

Article
Physical modelling, digital analysis of sounds, identification of signals: the Sound Systems and Signals: Audio/Acoustic, Instruments team at IRCAM unravels the mechanisms of sound production by all …
Ircam

1, place Igor-Stravinsky
75004 Paris
T. +33 1 44 78 48 43
Opening times

Monday through Friday 9:30am-7pm Closed Saturday and Sunday
Subway access

Hôtel de Ville, Rambuteau, Châtelet, Les Halles
  • Jobs Offers & Internships
  • The IRCAM team
  • Partners
  • Support IRCAM
Institut de Recherche et de Coordination Acoustique/Musique

go to :
  • Centre Pompidou
  • General Conditions
  • Legal Notes
  • Espace Pro
Copyright © 2025 Ircam. All rights reserved.