Acoustical characteristics of the Jing ; An experimental observation using planar acoustic holography

The Jing is a traditional Korean percussion instrument which plays a major role in Korean folk music. The distingishing feature of this instrument is its unique, long lasting low tone timbre. In this paper, we investigated the vibro-acoustic characteristics of the Jing. Our attention was focused mainly on findings out the physical variables that determine its unique sound. By understanding the way in which the Jing is manufactured, we were able to realize that the unique manufacturing and especially the tuning process by expert craftsman is responsible for the peculiar timbre the Jing produces. The experimental methods implemented to analyzer the Jing were planar acoustic holography and direct measurements by accelerometers. The results from the holographic method and the direct measurements were in good agreement. It turned out that unlike most percussion instruments which have inharmonic partials, the Jing has harmonic partials which are responsible for its unique low-tone timbre. From the holographic representations of the modes, it is clear that the antinodes are located in the center of the Jing which is coincident with the typical striking location. In addition, intensity maps were constructed so that the specific acoustic energy flow can be visualized. It was also interesting to see the the circulation of energy intensity which corresponds to the rotating mode of the Jing.