Double Basses on the Stage Floor ISMA 2007 DOUBLE BASSES ON THE STAGE FLOOR

Abstract It is often claimed that a compliant stage floor in contact with the end pin of a double bass will act much like a tabletop in contact with a tuning fork, and assist in radiating the low-frequent sound. On the other hand, it is also claimed with the same conviction that a compliant floor will act as an absorber of airborne sound and thus shorten the low-frequency reverberation time. This pilot study looks at basses' end-pin contact with the floor in terms of impedances and transfer functions in the range 20 to 500 Hz. It was observed that below 100 Hz the transfer ratio is often surprisingly high, in fact noticeably higher than zero dB. The explanation is that while the bass primarily is acting as mass in this range, the floor is often acting as a spring. Data of two double basses, each with two end-pin angles, and a small selection of concert-hall stage floors are discussed in this paper

ISMA 2007 DOUBLE BASSES ON THE STAGE FLOOR

Abstract It is often claimed that a compliant stage floor in contact with the end pin of a double bass will act much like a tabletop in contact with a tuning fork, and assist in radiating the low-frequent sound. On the other hand, it is also claimed with the same conviction that a compliant floor will act as an absorber of airborne sound and thus shorten the low-frequency reverberation time. This pilot study looks at basses' end-pin contact with the floor in terms of impedances and transfer functions in the range 20 to 500 Hz. It was observed that below 100 Hz the transfer ratio is often surprisingly high, in fact noticeably higher than zero dB. The explanation is that while the bass primarily is acting as mass in this range, the floor is often acting as a spring. Data of two double basses, each with two end-pin angles, and a small selection of concert-hall stage floors are discussed in this paper