Karplus-Strong Texture Generator — User Guide

Praat script.

Author: Shai Cohen Affiliation: Department of Music, Bar-Ilan University, Israel Version: 0.1 (2025) License: MIT License Repo: https://github.com/ShaiCohen-ops/Praat-plugin_AudioTools

Contents:

What this does Quick start Parameters Outputs

What this does

Praat script.

Process Description: This script is an exceptional implementation of Karplus-Strong Synthesis, a physical modeling technique known for creating plucked string and percussion sounds. It works by sending a short noise burst (the "pluck") through a very short delay loop with a low-pass filter (the "string body"). The elegance of this script lies in how it modifies the core feedback loop L=sample/frequency to produce a vast array of instruments and textures, from bright harps to noisy chaos.

Quick start

Run script… → Karplus-Strong Texture Generator.praat.
Set parameters and click OK.
Output object appears (see Outputs).

Parameters (form fields)

Name (GUI)	Type	Default
Texture_type:	choice	1
Duration_(s)	positive	3.0
Pitch_center_(Hz)	positive	220
Damping_(0	real	.9-0.999) 0.995
Chaos_(0-1)	real	0.3
Process:	choice	1

Outputs

Object name: Pluck
Sample rate: unknown
Normalization: Final peak scaled to 0.9