A Virtual Orchestra for Human-Computer Music Performance

A virtual orchestra was implemented to augment a human jazz big band with the addition of violins, violas, and cellos. In an effort to maximize musical quality, the orchestra uses a high-quality studio recording of each individual part, yet adapts to the tempo of the band in real time using a custom multi-channel PSOLA algorithm. The tempo is tracked through a foot-tapping interface, with additional cueing that allows for deviation from the nominal score and recovery from counting errors. Output is through an array of 8 highquality studio monitors arranged to provide the illusion of many point sources configured as an acoustic