 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: miyuki39
Date: 2018-12-21 14:52
Hey everyone,
Recently I've invested in a pair of on-ear headphones, which I now use to play along with. I'd say it is quite a tight clamp (although I'm not quite sure how it relates to others since I'm a lifelong earbud user), but not too unbearable.
Anyway, the other day I was playing Brahms Sonata No.2 in Eb.
If you want to know the specific bars, the sheet music does not display but for reference: https://youtu.be/w1E77EGpgrk?t=414
I played the three soft bars with octave leaps, and upon playing the second (clarinet) F on the third bar, a high (concert) Bb6 sounded in my right ear about 0.2 seconds after hitting the note, and was xylophone-like in tone.
I hadn't heard this sound when I had played along this piece before using my old earbuds, so I listened to the audio, thinking that maybe the piano had that note, but to my surprise it didn't! To double check I wasn't hearing things I played along with the audio in my headphone again those exact few bars and voila, the high ding came back, exact delay and exact same pitch, and also in the right ear.
I took my headphones off and then played the same passage, no ding.
However, I did feel a tiny, almost unnoticeable popping sensation in my ear at the same spot.
I figured that it may have been the small pop causing the ding when I was wearing the headphones, since the cups would be trapping the tone of the pop, registering as a high Bb...
To test my hypothesis, I played the same passage with headphones on, no audio play along, and sure enough, the ding came as predicted at the second F.
However, without headphones on, no ding could be heard.
I also thought it may have been an error message on behalf of the headphones, but I confirmed otherwise.
So right now, I have a few questions..:
What exactly is this ding?
Why is it specifically a concert Bb6?
Why is it xylophone-like?
Why does it only noticeably occur on that specific passage?
Why doesn't it occur when not wearing headphones?
This strange happening has been intriguing me the whole night, any responses would be greatly appreciated!
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2018-12-21 15:43
I have heard that there is a form of tinnitus where certain pitches or dynamics trigger the "ringing." Then there is the issue of the "pop" vs. the high Bb. I may surmise that the issue there has to do with trapped air (pressure?) within "closed back" headphones (?).
Couple things: Which headphones are you using (brand and model)? Also, have you flipped the cups so that "L" cup is on right ear? If so, do you get the same result?
From my experience, all I hear from the clarinet sound on an ear with closed back design is that "buzzy," bone conducted sound. So if I play along with a recording (rare for me!) I have one side of a pair of cans half off one ear (I vary which side but I think I prefer to listen "open ear" on the left).
...................Paul Aviles
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