Klarinet Archive - Posting 000668.txt from 2000/01

From: "Kevin Fay (LCA)" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Key Plating
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 14:22:21 -0500

Benjamin Maas noted re key plating:

<<<It was an incredible coincidence that *all* of the nickel and all of the
silver keyed instruments had very definite qualities in their sounds. When
I heard this I thought it was bunk. However, when I sampled about 1-1/2
dozen instruments and they all had certain tendencies, I thought that was
too strange to be strictly coincidence.>>>

Either (a) Ben has fooled himself into believing what is not true, or (b) he
did indeed hear a difference in sound.

Ben's not the only one who has noticed this. Francois Kloc has stated on
the list that silver-keyed horns sound different. While still anecdotal
evidence, he probably plays more new horns than all of us put together.

So -- which is it?

My scientific background ended about a zillion years ago, when I decided
that math was not as much fun as clarinets & beer (not necessarily in that
order). I am going to hazard a guess, however, on what is going on.

I find it hard to believe that the key plating produces a discernable
difference in what the audience hears. I am certain that the composition of
the body material does not (plastic horns are OK if well made -- sorry), and
the keys seem one step removed. Nor do I believe, however, that Ben Maas &
Francois Kloc are stupid and/or deluded.

My suspicion is based on the what we hear when we play. Unlike the members
of the audience, much of what we hear in our own playing results from bone
conduction through our teeth (that pointy thing in our mouth up the jaw to
the ear). It's the same effect as if you bite the butt end of a ringing
tuning fork -- won't sound any different to someone else in the room, but a
whole lot louder (and different timbre) to the person biting. Perhaps the
change in mass or resonance frequency is indeed perceptible to the player?

Ben also mentioned others hearing a difference. As I said, I am much more
skeptical about this. But hey -- I watch the X Files, too, so who knows?

kjf

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