[Dixielandjazz] Re: Cryogenic treatment for brass

[Stan Brager]

Robert;

Perhaps the best way to test this theory would be to have someone record a
series of notes played on a trombone under lab conditions. Next, subject the
trombone to cryogenic treatment. Then, rerecord the trombone playing the
same notes and compare the waveforms. This ought to solve this question once
and for all.

Oh, it would be helpful if we can get a robot to blow the notes just to
remove human factors.

Stan (with tongue somewhat in cheek)
Stan Brager
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Smith" <robert.smith at mitransport.no>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2005 9:08 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Re: Cryogenic treatment for brass


> Mike,
> I also play trombone and, as you say, the instrument sounds sweeter as the
> years roll by. Also, the plastic treble recorder that used to 'screech'
> sounds more mellow. I've also noticed that the 18kHz 'squeal' that I used
to
> hear from desktop screens has also vanished, so in my case I think the
> mellowing is due to attenuation of the high register in my hearing.
> I don't really know what effect residual stresses have on the timbre of
> brass instruments, but somehow I can't equate residual stresses to any
> effect on the note produced by the instrument. If there is any effect,
then
> I would think that it would be confined to one or two notes only. After
all,
> the note is produced by the column of air vibrating inside the instrument,
> so the instrument only has to provide a case for the air column, and act
as
> a 'projector' for the note. I would think that keeping the inside of the
> instrument clean would have the greatest effect on the quality of the
tone.
> Here in Norway an instrument for calling farm animals resembling a
straight
> bugle is made by wrapping layers of bark into the bugle shape. A
> trumpet-like mouthpiece is made of wood. The tone produced, although
> sounding somewhat melancholy, can be heard a long way away.
>
> Cheers
>
> Bob Smith
>
>
>
>