Preserving the possibility of inquiry

Musical instruments are physical objects, historical witnesses and systems of action. Their sounding behavior depends on material, construction, configuration, room and use. Digitization brings these perspectives together, but also introduces choices about what to measure and how to represent it.

Two translations#

The first translation moves from an instrument and its sources into a digital representation. The second turns that representation into something a person can hear, explore or play. Each stage selects, transforms and leaves things out.

Three guiding questions#

• What must be documented for a representation to remain scientifically interpretable?
• How can heterogeneous sources and measurements be related without hiding disagreement?
• How can interactive access retain the boundaries and uncertainties of its evidence?

MODAVIS connects these questions through research data infrastructure, a semantic model and the Virtual Acoustic Object standard. Pipe organs serve as a demanding principal case; the models distinguish instrument-neutral concepts from organ-specific ones.