Tone Intensifiers

[Blaringbrass]

I was at the music store yesterday and I tried one out, i couldn't really tell much more of a difference though. Although with all the extra weight on the mpc you prob would have more of a chance of it flying out of the horn during a hard horn snap.

[JayM]

Somewhat related to the subject at hand, I once asked Al Chez on IRC why he holds his trumpet the way he does (he lets the valve casing rest on his left palm, IIRC). His response was that it allowed the horn to vibrate more, giving him a more vibrant sound. I guess in his case, that's a good thing.

[mosthumbleone]

Right off the bat the name gives you a clue...sound intensifier...mostly marketing when in actuality they are sound deintensifiers.  Not being a trumpet player that is afraid of a bright sound, I've never bought into any of those extra weight thingys.  To me extra weight just means more work to get the sound I want.  Now being in the 40 something demographic I'm all about working less to achieve that sound.

[bill]

Well, just follow some guidelines suggested by Ken Norman....wrap some solder around the mouthpiece shank or add some small hose clamps to the shank...also strap your metal watch and watchband on the valve cluster...also put some coins (denomination depends on horn) in you bottom valve caps.....

Bill

The Kilts

8^)

[Blaringbrass]

Don't forget a lead dipped bell.

[kalijah]

Mike wrote:

Tone intensifiers work on the same principle as a heavy weight mouthpiece (like a Bach Megatone).  The theory with

the tone intensifiers, and heavy mouthpieces, is that the added mass will absorb some of the vibrations.  Fewer vibrations result in fewer overtones, which results in a less bright sound.

Actually the way these work is the opposite of your explanation. The added weight actually prevents the absorption of energy from the tone with the result of more sound energy being transmitted through the remainder of the horn. The primary result is that attacks and the tone in general feels more centered. This causes a percieved reduction in flexibility becase tones center so well.

The reason that added mass does not absorb energy has to do with one of Newton's first laws. That is; objects at rest tend to remain at rest. Or to expand upon that theory; more massive objects tend to remain at rest even more than less massive objects. The tone intensifier adds a bit more acoustic stability at a crutial point on the horn on the mouthpiece near the mouthpiece/horn coupling.  SO the key here is reduced sympathetic vibration (resulting in absorption) at a crutial point at the beginning of the horn.

The reason that a "darker" sound is percieved has nothing to do with fewer overtones or any harmonics, especially high ones, being absorbed. The harmonics that are most likely to be lost due to sympathetic vibrations, without the added mass, are the lower harmonics; the fundamental, the first few above and to a large degree, sub-harmonics. This is also another reson for the perceived loss of flexibility, the improved transmission of the fundamental harmonic into the horn.

The result is a slightly darker sounding tone from the bell, especially to the player. Though there there is less perception of this at any appreciable distance.

Other factors have much more to do with the color of sound from a horn and a tone intensifier or a heavy reciever will only slightly (if at all) change the sound of the horn overall.

I personally prefer to use a horn with a medium to medium heavy reciever. The effect is the same if not better than the intensifier, but less pronounced, leaving some flexibility.

I play a Calicchio 1s2 trumpet (medium receiver), and a Kanstul Powerbore G Bugle (medium heavy receiver) and I love them!

Hope this helps your understanding,

Darryl Jones

[mosthumbleone]

:o) ...those trumpet playing engineers!

[kalijah]

Guilty as charged.

Trumpet player first, engineer next ( to support my habit).

DJ

[brassguymike]

kalijah... glad to see what you have to say on this.  As a tuba player, I haven't ever really worried too much about these things.  Personally, I have never dallied with this stuff.  Much of what I know about them is what I've read about tuba players adding mass.  

I'll stick with the music and continue to stay away from the gadgets; I'll leave all the physics to you.

[mosthumbleone]

...about tuba players adding mass.

Most of the tuba players I know could stand to lose some mass.   :P

(I know, I know, glass houses, yada, yada    )