Real Instrument Analysis for Synthesis

[jupiter8]

Just to add an extra layer of complexity to an already complicated problem: A lot of the sound of an instrument is in the playing. A really good player can make a seemingly uninteresting patch sound really convincing.

[Winstontaneous]

I can't add too much to the fine suggestions in this thread, except that I've found acoustician Arthur Benade's "Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics" and "Horns, Strings, and Harmony" very helpful in understanding the physics of acoustic instruments.
http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Musi ... pd_sim_b_1
http://www.amazon.com/Horns-Strings-Har ... pd_sim_b_4