 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2023-09-23 16:22
Do cork joints make an instrument sound different than an otherwise similar, one-piece instrument? Wouldn't corked tenon joints, especially thickly corked ones, be expected to damp vibrations?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: kdk
Date: 2023-09-23 17:47
This seems like a moot issue, since most of us in the modern age (or for the last 60 or so years) haven't had the choice between a one- or two-piece instrument.
You can't use a cork that's any thicker than will fit into the tenon socket, nor can you use cork that doesn't provide a firm enough fit. Stability of the joint is far more important than any possible damping effect a thinner or thicker cork will have on the sound.
Karl
Post Edited (2023-09-23 18:00)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: lydian
Date: 2023-09-23 23:18
The eleven fleshy bits touching the instrument dampen the already inaudible vibrations more than cork. It’s the vibrating air column inside that you hear.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarnibass
Date: 2023-09-24 12:06
There are so many downsides, any improvement pales in comparison. The only real improvement being a better C#/G# (for a one piece main section as opposed to barrel/bell).
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2023-09-25 15:52
Hi Luuk, thank you for that link. I missed the earlier discussion. It sounds like the question has been considered and tested and used by others.
Judging by comments about the LefreQue device, any effect of the cork damping is undoubtedly subtle and probably hard to hear, but it may be palpable to the performer.
I'd guess that someone adept has already tried fashioning sets of cork sleeves of varying thickness and density, and slid those onto naked tenons for test comparisons.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2023-09-25 20:27
Hi Philip,
I have wondered about the question you have posed too, but I came to the conclusion that it's a question that maybe comes from seeing things the wrong way. It assumes that transmitting frequency vibrations down the instrument from the reed and MP will boost overtones, but the only overtones one would want are those relating to the note present in the bore's vibrating air column.
Hence the instrument body's contribution to sound( such as it is ) comes from being driven from within, rather than down from the MP. Basically I think that the body acts like a sound-box .( I not a particularly good one)
Those LefreQue things work best on flutes which have high-contact metal tenon joints, so where's the vibration continuity break there?
More likely these devices work well on flutes by adding mass to an intrument that's rather light in it, and so gets vibration saturated.( like a wolf-note suppressor)
I may be wrong about all this, but try to look at things rationally.
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
