Chinese Traditional Instrument Sound Database (CTIS) is developed by Prof. Han Baoqiang's team for many years, which is a database containing sound information about Chinese traditional musical instruments. The database includes 287 Chinese national musical instruments, including traditional musical instruments, improved musical instruments and ethnic minority musical instruments. This database uses computer sound analysis technology to realize the establishment of automatic labeling system, content-based massive audio data retrieval, and other methods that help to automatically improve the database function and facilitate database management, and focuses on the quality, acoustic characteristics, characteristic labeling, retrieval and corresponding academic applications of sound, provide massive data support for music researchers.
The database has formulated standardized requirements in terms of recording environment, performer, sample content, standard labeling and other aspects.
The acoustic recording and measurement of all musical instruments are carried out in a full anechoic chamber. 30 B&K 4190-L-001 free-field microphone units are evenly distributed on the three-quarter spherical support with a diameter of 3 meters on the square platform in the middle of the full anechoic chamber, including 6 on the bottom layer, 8 on the second layer, 6 on the third layer, 5 on the fourth layer, 4 on the fifth layer and 1 on the top layer. One microphone is arranged in front of the instrument for spectrum acquisition and monitoring, and one microphone is arranged under the ground grid which directly below the instrument. Therefore, a total of 32 free field microphone units are used for instrument acquisition in the full anechoic chamber.
The selection of performers in this database is mainly professional performers and teachers. At the same time, performers should keep their physical and emotional states normal during the recording of live samples.
This database can be used for researchers to carry out various research work. Such as: range and deviation analysis, sound pressure level and dynamic range analysis, timbre analysis, special technique analysis, etc.
The number, types and contents of musical instruments in this database are very complete. The sound collection of musical instruments include aerophones, idiophones, membranophones and chordophones, involving 287 kinds of traditional musical instruments, improved musical instruments and ethnic minority musical instruments.
| Serial Number |
Name | Total Capacity |
Total Time（min） |
Number of Files |
Content | File Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L0239 | Soprano banhu | 50.0 MB (52,514,566 bytes) |
09:52 | 40 | Scales, techniques, music fragments | .wav（RIFF） |
| L0240 | Alto banhu | 133 MB (140,064,824 bytes) |
12:08 | 41 | Scales, techniques, music fragments | .wav（RIFF） |
| L0291 | Flat-octagon gaohu | 13.6 MB (14,329,802 bytes) |
02:28 | 7 | Scales, techniques, music fragments | .wav（RIFF） |
| L0292 | Hexagon gaohu | 22.1 MB (23,186,748 bytes) |
04:00 | 14 | Scales, techniques, music fragments | .wav（RIFF） |
| L0297 | Zhonghu | 52.2 MB (54,826,414 bytes) |
09:29 | 36 | Scales, techniques, music fragments | .wav（RIFF） |
| T0078 | Siguxian | 102 MB (107,117,896 bytes) |
09:17 | 36 | Scales, techniques, music fragments | .wav（RIFF） |
This database selects the typical sound of all conventional performance techniques, and the representative fragments in music. This database makes comprehensive annotation on the playing position, pitch and performance techniques of musical instruments. Taking the traditional Sheng as an example, the list is as follows:
| Serial Number |
File name /demo |
Performance Content |
File Size | File Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Traditional Sheng] Performance Technique_Traditional Chord_first pass.wav | Traditional chord performance technique of traditional Sheng | 2.18 MB (2,293,186 bytes) | 25s |
| 2 | [Traditional Sheng] Performance Technique_Single-tonguing_first pass.wav | Single-tonguing performance technique of traditional Sheng | 737 KB (755,632 bytes) | 8s |
| 3 | [Traditional Sheng] Performance Technique_Abdominal vibrato.wav | Abdominal vibrato performance technique of traditional Sheng | 1.41 MB (1,479,642 bytes) | 16s |
| 4 | [Traditional Sheng] Performance Technique_Throat vibrato_first pass.wav | Throat vibrato performance technique of traditional Sheng | 1.01 MB (1,063,708 bytes) | 11s |
| 5 | [Traditional Sheng] Performance Technique_Breath tongue_first pass.wav | Breath tongue performance technique of traditional Sheng | 1.07 MB (1,132,326 bytes) | 12s |
| 6 | [Traditional Sheng] Performance Technique_Tongue flutter_first pass.wav | Tongue flutter performance technique of traditional Sheng | 1.16 MB (1,217,638 bytes) | 13s |
| 7 | [Traditional Sheng] Performance Technique_Triple-tonguing_second pass.wav | Triple-tonguing performance technique of traditional Sheng | 601 KB (615,958 bytes) | 6s |
| 8 | [Traditional Sheng] Performance Technique_Slide up_first pass.wav | Slide up performance technique of traditional Sheng | 819 KB (839,346 bytes) | 9s |
| 9 | [Traditional Sheng] Performance Technique_Double-tonguing_first pass.wav | Double-tonguing performance technique of traditional Sheng | 638 KB (653,900 bytes) | 7s |
| 10 | [Traditional Sheng] Scales_Low speed_f_first pass.wav | Traditional Sheng plays the scale slowly and forcefully | 2.35 MB (2,471,632 bytes) | 27s |
| 11 | [Traditional Sheng] Scales_Low speed_p_first pass.wav | Traditional Sheng plays the scale slowly and piano | 2.33 MB (2,451,538 bytes) | 27s |
| 12 | [Traditional Sheng] Scales_Low speed_mf_second pass.wav | Traditional Sheng plays the scale slowly and medium forcefully | 2.30 MB (2,414,106 bytes) | 27s |
| 13 | [Traditional Sheng] Scales_Moderate speed_f_second pass.wav | Traditional Sheng plays the scale in moderate speed and forcefully | 1.59 MB (1,677,626 bytes) | 18s |
| 14 | [Traditional Sheng] Scales_Natural decay_mf_first pass.wav | Traditional Sheng plays the scale medium forcefully | 3.42 MB (3,587,970 bytes) | 40s |
| 15 | [Traditional Sheng] Music pieces_Winter Hunting.wav | Sample piece of traditional Sheng "Winter Hunting" | 1.31 MB (1,376,124 bytes) | 15s |
| 16 | [Traditional Sheng] Music pieces_Qin Wang Po Zhen Yue.wav | Sample piece of traditional Sheng "Qin Wang Po Zhen Yue" | 1.73 MB (1,824,260 bytes) | 20s |
| 17 | [Traditional Sheng] Music pieces_Abacus ring.wav | Sample piece of traditional Sheng "Abacus ring" | 1.10 MB (1,162,376 bytes) | 13s |
| 18 | [Traditional Sheng] Music pieces_Taihang.wav | Sample piece of traditional Sheng "Taihang" | 1.83 MB (1,919,562 bytes) | 21s |
| 19 | [Traditional Sheng] Music pieces_Weishan Lake Boat Song.wav | Sample piece of traditional Sheng "Weishan Lake Boat Song" | 2.12 MB (2,225,120 bytes) | 25s |