Author: clarnibass
Date: 2015-03-22 10:29
>> I actually disagree with the assessment of leather pads as porous in a way the can affect the seal of a horn. <<
You can't really generalize like that. A while ago I tested about ten different models of pads from various materials using a mag machine. Only one pad showed porousity and it was the kangaroo leather pad. However...
>> At least some kangaroo pads are porous. <<
Yes, key word being some. According to a former leather "maker" (I forgot the professional term, but it is someone who dries, dies and deals with leather), kangaroo leather is not necessarily more or less porous than other leather.
So it seems to me, based on many different leather pads, that it is the treatment of the pads that makes the difference. The proous kangaroo leather pad I tested seemed like they had less treatment, the face of the pad felt more "natural" (as best as I can describe it). Obviously I can't say for sure, but I would guess it was (at least mainly) the treatment of the leather that made any pad more or less porous.
>> Water sticks to smooth surfaces MORE, so when the bead of condensation is at the tone hole AND the pad is a smooth piece of plastic, the water adheres MORE causing no sound or a really pronounced gurgle. <<
Smoothness is a bit tricky...
Some synthetic pads actually feel like they have more texture on the face when you slide your finger on it than e.g. bladder or cork pads. Cork has some type of fine finish but is very smooth. Leather has "grain" (I think it's called grain? not sure). Bladder is pretty smooth. Goretex/teflon is very smoth.
Anyway what you found is not what I found statistically, from many different clarinets with synthetic pads, which is no worse water clog problem than with any pad. I have found an issue with pads that were porous enough to let water absorb into them.
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