Investigating the consistency of woodwind instrument manufacturing by comparing five nominally identical oboes

For large-scale woodwind instrument makers, producing instruments with exactly the same playing characteristics is a constant aim. This paper explores manufacturing consistency by comparing five Howarth S10 student model oboes. Psychophysical testing involving nine musicians is carried out to investigate perceived differences in the playing properties of the two Howarth oboes believed to be most dissimilar. Further testing, involving one musician and combinations of the five oboes, provides information regarding the relative playabilities of the instruments at specific pitches. Meanwhile, input impedance measurements are made on the five oboes for fingerings throughout the playing range and their bore profiles are measured. The main findings are (i) the two instruments used in the preliminary psychophysical testing are perceived as identical by most of the musicians, although differences are identified by two players when playing the note F6 and by one player when playing in the lowest register, (ii) a variation in the playability of F6 across the five oboes is due to differences in the elevation of the C key, and (iii) variations in the playing properties in the lowest register are related to input impedance differences which, in turn, appear to be at least partly due to bore profile differences

Simulations of modal active control applied to the self-sustained oscillations of the clarinet

Modal active control enables modifications of the damping and the frequencies of the different resonances of a system. A self-sustained oscillating wind instrument is modelled as a disturbance coupled to a resonator through a non-linear coupling. The aim of this study is to present simulations of modal active control applied to a modeled simplified self-sustained oscillating wind instrument (e.g. a cylindrical tube coupled to a reed, which is considered to approximate a simplified clarinet), incorporating collocated speaker, microphone and a reed. The next goal will be to apply this control experimentally and to test it with musicians

Active control applied to wind instruments

Musicians have always been interested in the evolution of their instruments. This evolution might be done either to adapt an instrument’s quality to musicians’ and composers’ needs, or to enable it to produce new sounds. In this study, we want to control the sound quality and playability of wind instruments, using modal active control. The modal active control makes it possible to modify the input impedance (frequency, gain and damping) of these instruments and to modify the instrument’s quality. The simulations for a first experiment are presented here. We simulate a control of the modes (frequency, damping) of a cylinder, which is considered as a simple ”wind instrument”. We consider the use of a microphone, a speaker, an observer and a controller to modify theses modes, then we look at the modifications on the sound and playability using Modalys. Our next goal will be to apply the control to a real cylinder, and to evaluate it in a musical context with a musician

Simulations of modal active control applied to the self-sustained oscillations of the clarinet.

This paper reports a new approach to modifying the sound produced by a wind instrument. The approach is based on modal active control, which enables adjustment of the damping and the frequencies of the different resonances of a system. A self-sustained oscillating wind instrument can be modeled as an excitation source coupled to a resonator via a non-linear coupling. The aim of this study is to present simulations of modal active control applied to a modeled self-sustained oscillating wind instrument in order to modify its playing properties. The modeled instrument comprises a cylindrical tube coupled to a reed and incorporates a collocated loudspeaker and microphone; it can thus be considered to approximate a simplified clarinet. Modifications of the pitch, the strength of the harmonics of the sound produced by the instrument, and of the oscillation threshold are obtained while controlling the first two resonances of the modeled instrument

Investigating oboe manufacturing consistency by comparing the acoustical properties of five nominally identical instruments

For large-scale musical instrument makers, the ability to produce instruments with exactly the same playing characteristics is a constant aim. Modern acoustical measurement techniques (such as acoustic pulse reflectometry and input impedance measurement methods) together with psychoacoustical testing, can help this goal be reached. This paper investigates the issue of instrument manufacturing consistency by comparing the acoustical properties and the perceptual qualities of five Howarth S10 student oboes. Input impedance measurements have been made on the five oboes for fingerings throughout the standard playing range of the instrument, acoustic pulse reflectometry has been used to measure the bore profiles of the oboes, and nine musicians have taken part in a two-alternative-forced-choice discrimination playing test using two of the instruments. The main findings are (i) the instruments are perceived as identical by most of the musicians tested, (ii) a variation in the playability of the note F6 experienced by two of the musicians is shown to be due to differences in the elevation of the pad above the C hole, and (iii) some small variations in the playing properties in the first register of the instruments are shown to be related to differences in input impedance which, in turn, appear to arise from small differences in the bore profiles of the instruments

An active mute for the trombone

A mute is a device that is placed in the bell of a brass instrument to alter its sound. However, when a straight mute is used with a brass instrument, the frequencies of its first impedance peaks are slightly modified, and a mistuned, extra impedance peak appears. This peak affects the instrument’s playability, making some lower notes difficult or impossible to produce when playing at low dynamic levels. To understand and suppress this effect, an active mute with embedded microphone and speaker has been developed. A control loop with gain and phase shifting is used to control the damping and frequency of the extra impedance peak. The stability of the controlled system is studied and then the effect of the control on the input impedance and radiated sound of the trombone is investigated. It is shown that the playability problem results from a decrease in the input impedance magnitude at the playing frequency, caused by a trough located on the low frequency side of the extra impedance peak. When the extra impedance peak is suppressed, the playability of the note is restored. Meanwhile, when the extra impedance peak is moved in frequency, the playability problem position is shifted as well

Active control applied to musical wind instruments

Au début du 21ème siècle, l'innovation dans le domaine des instruments de musique se fait surtout par le biais de la synthèse sonore, via des synthétiseurs et des ordinateurs. Cependant, si ces instruments permettent une création presque infinie de sons nouveaux, l'interaction entre le musicien et son instrument est bien plus pauvre qu'avec un instrument mécanique, ce qui provoque une perte d'expressivité musicale et réduit l'utilité d'une grande maîtrise du geste instrumental. Dans le but d'innover tout en conservant ce geste musical, cette thèse propose d'appliquer le contrôle actif aux instruments à vent, en particulier, sur le trombone muni d'une sourdine active et sur la clarinette basse. Son objectif est de modifier les caractéristiques des résonances des instruments à vent afin d'en modifier le son produit (hauteur, timbre) et la jouabilité. Les effets des modifications apportées aux instruments, lors de l'utilisation de deux méthodes de contrôle actif, sont observés sur l'impédance d'entrée des instruments, sur leur fonction de transfert et sur le son rayonné. Un contrôle actif par feedback simple n'utilisant que des gains et des déphasages est appliqué à la sourdine. Cela permet de modifier la fréquence et l'amortissement de sa résonance, avec pour conséquence de modifier l'impédance d'entrée du trombone, et pour l'instrumentiste de faire varier sa jouabilité. Si ce premier contrôle est simple, il ne permet pas de contrôler efficacement un système à plusieurs degrés de liberté. Le deuxième contrôle implémenté est le contrôle actif modal. Il permet, à partir d'un modèle du système à contrôler, de modifier de manière ciblée les paramètres modaux de ses résonances (amortissement et fréquence). Il est appliqué en simulation à un modèle de clarinette puis validé expérimentalement sur une "clarinette basse simplifiée". Il permet d'importantes modifications des résonances, entrainant des changements notables dans le son et l'impédance d'entrée.The main focus of innovation in musical instrument making in the early 21st century has been sound synthesis using computers or stand-alone electronic synthesisers. However, while these tools enable the creation of a near-infinite range of new sounds, the interaction between the musician and their instrument is much weaker than with a conventional acoustical instrument. This results in a loss of musical expression and reduces the use of musical gesture. With the aim of innovating while keeping the influence of musical gesture, this thesis proposes to apply active control to musical wind instruments. In particular, active control is applied to a trombone equipped with a specially designed mute and to a bass clarinet. The aim of this work is to modify each instrument's resonance characteristics in order to change its radiated sound (pitch, timbre) and playability. The effects of two control methods on the input impedance, transfer function and radiated sound of the instruments are studied. First, a feedback control involving gains and phase shifting is applied to the trombone mute. It allows significant modification of both the frequency and the damping factor of the mute's resonance. The effects of the mute on the trombone's input impedance and playability are studied. This control is simple, but it is not efficient with more complex systems. Second, a modal control is implemented. Using a model of the system, modal active control allows the modal parameters (frequency, damping) of the system's resonances to be modified in a targeted manner. It is first applied to a modelled clarinet, then experimentally validated with a "simplified bass clarinet". Significant independent modifications of the resonances are obtained, as well as noticeable alterations of the sound and input impedance of the instrument

Active control applied to simplified wind musical instrument

Active control is widely used in industry. However, there have been relatively few applications to musical instruments, particularly wind instruments. The aim of this study is to attempt to control the sound quality and playability of wind instruments, using active control. Active control makes it possible to modify the input impedance (amplitude and frequency) of an instrument and to modify the instrument's quality. Simulations and first experiments on a cylindrical tube, which is considered to be a simple wind instrument, with embedded microphone and speaker are presented. Finally, the effects on the sound and the input impedance of the instrument are studied

Contrôle actif appliqué aux instruments de musique à vent

The main focus of innovation in musical instrument making in the early 21st century has been sound synthesis using computers or stand-alone electronic synthesisers. However, while these tools enable the creation of a near-infinite range of new sounds, the interaction between the musician and their instrument is much weaker than with a conventional acoustical instrument. This results in a loss of musical expression and reduces the use of musical gesture. With the aim of innovating while keeping the influence of musical gesture, this thesis proposes to apply active control to musical wind instruments. In particular, active control is applied to a trombone equipped with a specially designed mute and to a bass clarinet. The aim of this work is to modify each instrument's resonance characteristics in order to change its radiated sound (pitch, timbre) and playability. The effects of two control methods on the input impedance, transfer function and radiated sound of the instruments are studied. First, a feedback control involving gains and phase shifting is applied to the trombone mute. It allows significant modification of both the frequency and the damping factor of the mute's resonance. The effects of the mute on the trombone's input impedance and playability are studied. This control is simple, but it is not efficient with more complex systems. Second, a modal control is implemented. Using a model of the system, modal active control allows the modal parameters (frequency, damping) of the system's resonances to be modified in a targeted manner. It is first applied to a modelled clarinet, then experimentally validated with a "simplified bass clarinet". Significant independent modifications of the resonances are obtained, as well as noticeable alterations of the sound and input impedance of the instrument.Au début du 21ème siècle, l'innovation dans le domaine des instruments de musique se fait surtout par le biais de la synthèse sonore, via des synthétiseurs et des ordinateurs. Cependant, si ces instruments permettent une création presque infinie de sons nouveaux, l'interaction entre le musicien et son instrument est bien plus pauvre qu'avec un instrument mécanique, ce qui provoque une perte d'expressivité musicale et réduit l'utilité d'une grande maîtrise du geste instrumental. Dans le but d'innover tout en conservant ce geste musical, cette thèse propose d'appliquer le contrôle actif aux instruments à vent, en particulier, sur le trombone muni d'une sourdine active et sur la clarinette basse. Son objectif est de modifier les caractéristiques des résonances des instruments à vent afin d'en modifier le son produit (hauteur, timbre) et la jouabilité. Les effets des modifications apportées aux instruments, lors de l'utilisation de deux méthodes de contrôle actif, sont observés sur l'impédance d'entrée des instruments, sur leur fonction de transfert et sur le son rayonné. Un contrôle actif par feedback simple n'utilisant que des gains et des déphasages est appliqué à la sourdine. Cela permet de modifier la fréquence et l'amortissement de sa résonance, avec pour conséquence de modifier l'impédance d'entrée du trombone, et pour l'instrumentiste de faire varier sa jouabilité. Si ce premier contrôle est simple, il ne permet pas de contrôler efficacement un système à plusieurs degrés de liberté. Le deuxième contrôle implémenté est le contrôle actif modal. Il permet, à partir d'un modèle du système à contrôler, de modifier de manière ciblée les paramètres modaux de ses résonances (amortissement et fréquence). Il est appliqué en simulation à un modèle de clarinette puis validé expérimentalement sur une "clarinette basse simplifiée". Il permet d'importantes modifications des résonances, entrainant des changements notables dans le son et l'impédance d'entrée