Klarinet Archive - Posting 000123.txt from 1999/04

From: Dave Sandusky <daves@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Material irrelivant comment
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 1999 23:57:17 -0500

Being a scientist and all, I would have to agree with David. I think we can all recall
some high school physics: sound travels through different media at different speeds
depending on the density. Also, harmonics will be affected (perhaps not their initial
production, but their transmission). Think of an extreme example: a clarinet made of
balsa wood (stuff toy gliders are made of ). I can't imagine that it would sound
anywhere near how one would sound made out of the very dense woods clarinets are
normally made of. If nothing else, the body wouldn't radiate the sound energy nearly
as efficiently as a traditional clarinet (would probably absorb internally rather than
reflect). That said, it probably is true that it would take an acoustician with
electronic instrumentation to tell the difference between two clarinets that were
identical (as identical as we can get in the real world, anyway) except for slightly
different wood species. Plastic, maybe a bit more obvious, but I wouldn't be surprised
if a blind testing (hearing) of a wooden and a plastic clarinet side-by-side ended in a
tie. The human ear just might not be precise enough to tell the difference (all other
variable being equal). Just a thought...
Dave Sandusky

David Renaud wrote:

> > But this makes absolutely no difference in the acoustical qualities of the
> > instruments. Wood density, like plastic vs. wood, is irrelevant as long as the
> > inside shape is identical.
> > - Tim Roberts, timr@-----.com
>
> > Been thinking about this........Still do not believe that material is irrelevant.
>
> Argument:
>
> Material does vibrate.
> Material vibration does effect sound.. because...
> Proof: Grab your barrel with your hand while playing.
> Listen to change in timbre.
> Same tube, reed, temperature, performer, moment... different sound.
> This proves restricting vibration of material by contact
> alters tone despite all else being identical.
> This demo proves that the material is effecting timbre drastically,
> and there is more beyond simple geometry of the tube.
> Its logically follows the the different materials, vibrate
> differently,
> therefore effecting...supporting...cancelling, vibration with
> different
> characteristics.
>
> OK; Flame suit is on.......but I can't believe for a moment wood/plastic makes no
> difference.
>
> David Renaud
>
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