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Re: New Clarinet Question

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2018-10-24 19:35

On the subject of trying out horns I would say that is very important to start off on your horn (and mouthpiece and trusty reed) first. This way you establish not only how you are playing in the moment but how the room sounds as well. I was at a clarinet conference about a year ago where the instruments for purchase were in the worst sort of ballroom acoustically. It was not just dry but the sound I produced on my horn could only be compared to a kazoo. So really the ONLY assessment that I could make that day in that room was pitch (and maybe response to some degree).

The remark concerning the perception of higher frequencies leaves me confused. If you cannot hear certain frequencies, there is no way to recalibrate what you hear. Those frequencies are permanently lost to you.

I will give you two practical examples:

Years ago I sold stereo and it was general rule that couples would often not agree on what speakers sounded better. That is because women in general are better at perceiving higher frequencies. So the male half of the couple would think he was listening to something as smooth as butter and yet the female could hear the parts that were grating on her nerves (NOT good).

A pretty famous recording mixer (determines the basic sounds and balances of a recording......mostly associated with pop music) once told the story of when his sub woofer was blown. He failed to test his set up before putting together a final mix of a recording that was sent out immediately to the mastering engineer. Sure enough he got the call from said mastering engineer who said, "Hey buddy, this is NOT your usual work. The bass is way too boomy."

The point here is that if you don't perceive a certain set of frequencies, the risk is that you'll have too much of it to the detriment of others.

.............Paul Aviles

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New Clarinet Question new

Windy Dreamer

2018-10-21 20:05