A realtime model for the synthesis of crumpling sounds is
presented. By capturing the statistics of short sonic transients
which give rise to crackling noise, it allows for a consistent
description of a broad spectrum of audible physical
processes which emerge in several everyday interaction contexts.
The model drives a nonlinear impactor that sonifies
every transient, and it can be parameterized depending on
the physical attributes of the crumpling material. Three different
scenarios are described, respectively simulating the
foot interaction with aggregate ground materials, augmenting
a dining scenario, and affecting the emotional content of
a footstep sequence. Taken altogether, they emphasize the
potential generalizability of the model to situations in which
a precise control of auditory feedback can significantly increase
the enactivity and ecological validity of an interface.
