Klarinet Archive - Posting 000009.txt from 2007/08

From: "Alexander Brash" <brash@-----.edu>
Subj: RE: [kl] Re: Clarinet Manufacture - Differences between French and
Date: Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:13:48 -0400

Not particularly relevant to this debate, but there are actually two
standing waves to consider, the air column, and reed. At high frequencies
the resonant response curve of the reed vibrating well overpowers that of
the tube, and at anything above around high G, the clarinet even stops
behaving like an ideal tube all together. I'd imagine as a result that
bore design etc has less of an effect in these ranges?

On Thu, August 2, 2007 10:40 am, Tom.Henson@-----.com wrote:
> Catherine,
>
> Yes, I think you are on the right track here. The clarinet being a
> hollow tube, the air inside is what transfers the energy of the
> vibrating reed into an audible sound that we can hear. And based upon
> that, the material that the body is made out of is of lesser importance
> than the design of the bore itself.
>
> However, I do believe that the wood does have an ability to vibrate
> sympathetically in the way that it reacts to the standing wave, and I
> agree with you on that. I also can feel the vibration transmitted
> through the wood in the way that you describe. The metal keywork can
> also vibrate sympathetically as well and I believe that the keywork has
> an often overlooked effect on the perceived sound produced by a
> clarinet. While this is a subjective statement, I did find some
> information on the web related to this subject based upon scientific
> research.
>
> I think the more important issue in regards to sound production and
> resonance lies in the damping effect that the material exerts on that
> vibrating air column. Obviously, the wood is inanimate until you set in
> motion that standing wave and the resulting vibrations produced by that
> wave. That would be why, I would think, that bore design is probably the
> more important thing in relation to how that wave reacts internally and
> the sound produced. But how does the damping effect of the material
> effect the harmonic frequencies produced.
>
> Take a look at this article:
>
> http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6664456-description.html
>
> If one approached designing a clarinet in a purely scientific way, then
> theoretically, the material that exerted the least damping effect and
> produced the highest efficiency of wave transmission would be the best
> design. However, we do not see clarinets made of steel or other very
> hard and dense molecular structures. Nor do we see any made of very soft
> and porous materials. Steel would be impractical anyway from the
> standpoint of weight, but what about making a clarinet of leaded glass
> (crystal). Louie Lott made flutes out of this material and they are very
> interesting indeed and quite valuable for their rarity. There is also a
> Japanese company that has produced a ceramic clarinet from what I hear.
>
> However, the question here is does the material that the body is made of
> react in a meaningful way with that vibration to make any difference in
> the perceived sound and I still believe that it does, even if it is very
> small. I think it is the way that Grenadilla reacts to the standing wave
> that makes it an ideal material for a woodwind instrument, and not just
> from an atheistic point of view. Some of the articles that I found
> discussed the damping effect that the material has on the harmonic
> frequencies and how the ear translates this vibration into the sound
> that we hear.
>
> Below is an excerpt from an article on synthesizing sounds of musical
> instruments. It states that the typical musical instrument has 3 parts
> as shown below. I have included the link to the full article for a
> reference.
>
> http://www.acoustics.salford.ac.uk/acoustics_info/sound_synthesis/
>
> "Excitation Source - this gives the system energy, for instance a violin
> bow, plectrum, hammer or player's breath.
>
> Wave-guide - this is the main part of the instrument that oscillates
> (for instance the string of a guitar or the air column in a flute). When
> the system oscillates in a steady periodic fashion it produces a complex
> waveform that can be expressed in terms of a fundamental frequency and
> harmonics.
>
> Resonator - this primarily takes energy away from the wave-guide to
> produce sound. The resonator is typically the sound box, bell or body of
> the instrument. The resonator will oscillate in it's own way in sympathy
> with the wave-guide so emphasizing or damping oscillations from the
> wave-guide, hence modifying the timbre. The sympathetic oscillating
> properties of the resonator are often referred to as formants. These
> formants have an important bearing on the quality of the sound produced.
> "
>
> Now, Forest asked how this all has to do with the sound that comes out
> of a clarinet. Reading the article above, it is understood that material
> does effect the oscillation in following way: "The resonator will
> oscillate in it's own way in sympathy with the wave-guide so emphasizing
> or damping oscillations from the wave-guide, hence modifying the timbre.
> The sympathetic oscillating properties of the resonator are often
> referred to as formants. These formants have an important bearing on the
> quality of the sound produced. "
>
> Now, getting back on the original topic of what Wurlitzer does that
> effects "the sound coming out of a clarinet" and based upon the
> acoustical information shown above, they do two things. First, the
> biggest difference between their bore design and that of a French
> clarinet is they design the bore such that each oscillation node (note)
> vents (tunes) through 2 tones holes and not just 1 as in a French bore
> design. This effects the harmonic frequencies by adding a sub-tone to
> the partials. Thus, the tuning on their clarinet takes this 2 tone hole
> venting method into account. Some refer to this design as nodal locking.
> Each oscillation node is locked (tuned) into place in such a way that
> playing a scale on a German bore clarinet would be akin to playing a
> scale on a piano. Assuming that you played the scale the exact same way,
> the sound pitch produced would always be exactly repeated. This is the
> very thing that leads some people to say that a German bore clarinet
> lacks "flexibility" of sound and lacks the ability to produce a wider
> color palette. The Wurlitzer Reform-Boehm clarinet that I play is of a
> new design that attempts to blend the flexibility of the French bore
> design with the best sound & tuning qualities of the German bore.
>
> The second thing that they do is use Rosewood for their bells. Again,
> based upon the article shown above, the bell is part of the resonator of
> the instrument, but more importantly, directly effects the reverse
> reflection of the wave back up the standing air column. They have chosen
> Rosewood for it's ability to react sympathetically to the standing wave
> and the resultant harmonic dampening. This is exactly the reason why
> Morrie Backun uses these types of woods for his barrels and bells,
> internal design not withstanding.
>
> Tom Henson
>
>
> << Catherine Bickley said: I do wonder if we claim no wall vibration to
> quickly. Holding my clarinet by the barrel and blowing an open G I can
> feel some vibration. Perhaps the tap test has the effect of identifying
> those pieces of wood which have properties such that more of the energy
> input into the system is transferred into the vibration of the air
> column and thus into the sound the listener hears and less into the
> vibration of the wood that doesn't add to the sound. >>
>
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>
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