Klarinet Archive - Posting 000669.txt from 2000/01

From: Joe Fasel <jhf@-----.gov>
Subj: Re: [kl] Key Plating
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 14:43:43 -0500

Kevin Fay writes regarding key plating:
| 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?

This sounds likely to me, too. Somebody ought to run some double-blind
tests, though there is the problem that even if the player is behind
a screen, blindfolded, and wearing surgical gloves or something, if he
can hear a difference, he may play differently so that the listener
detects a difference.

The truth is out there ...

Cheers,
--Joe

Joseph H. Fasel, Ph.D. email: jhf@-----.gov
Technology Modeling and Analysis phone: +1 505 667 7158
University of California fax: +1 505 667 2960
Los Alamos National Laboratory postal: TSA-7 MS F609
Los Alamos, NM 87545

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