John Smith is an Associate Professor with the School of Physics in the Faculty of Science at UNSW.
 
Research Interests
My main research interest in recent years has been the development of new techniques for the rapid and precise measurement of acoustic impedance spectra with a very large dynamic range.

These improved techniques have enabled our laboratory to publish comprehensive databases that include the input impedance spectra for all the standard fingerings (and also some additional fingerings of interest) for the clarinet, saxophone and a number of flutes ranging from baroque to modern. The database for the flute has also allowed the development of a ‘virtual instrument’.

These techniques have also answered long-standing questions about the high singing voice and demonstrated that trained singers can tune their vocal tract resonances to the fundamental or a harmonic of the note sung.

They techniques have also been used to measure the different ways in which players utilise their vocal tract when playing various musical instruments including the didjeridu, saxophone, clarinet and trumpet.