EP2830038A1 - Method for improving the sound of musical instruments - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for improving the sound of acoustic musical instruments by avoiding energy storage effects, which lead to unwanted interference and distortion of the sound. This is done by the targeted derivation of the sound energy (kinetic disposal) from not directly required for the sound production components before they can influence the desired, primary sound event of the musical instrument. In a second aspect, the kinetic disposal achieves the fastest possible restoration of the respectively lowest energy level for sound generation and thus optimum initial state of all components of a musical instrument which are necessary for the primary sound event. The kinetic disposal is achieved by arranging on a component (5) in the passive region of the musical instrument at least one crystalline body (1) with a speed of sound in the solid of more than 8,000 m / s.

Description

The invention relates to a method for improving the sound of musical instruments. It relates in particular to a method for reducing the sound output and / or for reducing energy storage effects of the passive range of musical instruments. Finally, the invention also provides a novel musical instrument.

For the purposes of this invention, the term "passive area" of a musical instrument is to be understood as meaning those components or areas of components which are not directly required for sound generation. Examples of such components are e.g. in the case of a grand piano or grand piano, the cast plate on which the strings are stretched, the neck of a violin, the timpani on which the membrane is mounted, etc.

In contrast to this, the "active region" of a musical instrument in the sense of this invention is to be understood as meaning those components or regions of components which are directly required for sound generation, such as, for example, the Strings of a piano / grand piano or a violin, the reed of a clarinet, etc.

Further, for explanation of the invention, the terms "primary sound event" and "secondary sound event" are used below and shall be understood as follows: A primary sound event is one generated by the vibrations of the components of the active area of a component is triggered, in other words, that is actually in the foreground for the sound of the musical instrument wanted sound event. As a secondary sound event, however, the sound event generated by vibrations or vibrations of the components of the passive range of the musical instrument is here understood, which co-determines the overall sound by superposition with the primary sound event.

In traditional instrument making, the influence of secondary sound events on the primary sound event is understood as an essentially unavoidable component of the overall sound.

Using the example of pianos and grand pianos (cf. FIGS. 1 and 2 This means: The soundboard 13 is sound conducting with the rest of the body (wing frame 6 and wall 7), and in this way connected to all components of the instrument. This means that all parts of the instrument by the primary sound event, ie by the vibrations of the active area, consisting of strings, bridge 14 and sound board 13, are stimulated to resonate.

The same basic principle applies to all other musical instruments also: for example, in string and plucked instruments by the sound conductive connection of the soundboard with the instrument neck, in wind instruments through the sound conductive connection of the mouthpiece with the pipe, in percussion instruments by the tensioning of the membrane on the frame, which in turn is conductively connected sound to the body, etc.

This results in very complex interference patterns and phase shifts, due to the differences in transit time and different resonance characteristics of the individual components. The end result is an overall sound that is dominated by the primary sound event radiated from the soundboard 13, but whose unadulterated purity, clarity and dynamics are distorted, obscured and blurred by the countless complex interferences.

There have always been attempts to reduce disturbing sound events, especially in piano and grand piano construction in the past. For example, the cast plate 5 was provided with large sound openings, and cast plate braces were tentatively eliminated. Wing rollers 11 or coasters have been specially designed (usually as spring or air cushion systems) to decouple the wing from the floor. However, all components of the piano or grand piano have basically been connected to each other in a conductive manner.

The coupling of the musical instrument to its environment through contact with the floor by e.g. the scrolls 11 for a grand piano or pianos, the sting for a cello or double bass, the stands for drums, timpani or harps, and the like. inevitably leads to further resonance phenomena.

Furthermore, in this context, energy storage effects of the individual components as it were unavoidable. The energy storage effect is understood as the following phenomenon: When a sound event is triggered, the sound energy propagates as a temporal process throughout the instrument. Since the components are "at rest" up to this moment, each component first sucks in full with the sound energy flowing into it before it comes to the emission of energy surplus in sound conductive components and the surrounding air. In the case of the active components (for example, a piano / grand piano strings, bridge 14 and sound board 13) this effect is desired and necessary. However, in the passive components, which are insignificant for the primary sound event, the sound energy that reaches them, which varies in their component-to-component proportions, leads to phase shifts and thus interference with the primary sound event.

To make matters worse, that in normal play a musical instrument many independent and different primary sound events are triggered in very short time intervals. These events also overlap in polyphonic play. The components of the instrument are thus normally not at rest when a new sound event occurs, but are still oscillating after the previous event. If these events are still partly desirable in the soundboard, since an immediate radiation of the entire sound energy to the medium air would only make the sound undesirably short, then these effects have extremely negative influences on all other (passive) components on the superimposed by the secondary sound events primary sound event.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method with which the effect of secondary sound events can be suppressed or reduced to the primary event, in particular the formation of secondary sound events is prevented, the latter can be significantly reduced at least in their intensity.

This object is generally achieved by a method having the features of claim 1. Further developments which are advantageous for this method are specified in the dependent claims 2 to 8.

Finally, claim 9 discloses a use according to the invention of a crystalline body with a speed of sound in the solid of more than 8,000 m / s for influencing the sound of musical instruments, and claim 10 claims a musical instrument equipped with such a crystalline body according to the invention.

The essential aspect of the invention is the recognition that it is possible to derive sound energy from a musical instrument by means of an effect referred to herein as "kinetic disposal".

With kinetic disposal, in the context of this invention, the direct dissipation of energy transferred from the active region of a musical instrument into the passive (ideally silent) regions (which are all other parts of the instrument) into the space surrounding the instrument before it becomes energy storage effects in the instrument comes. The derivation into the surrounding space happens by transformation of the energy on a level, which is no longer audible sound energy.

In a first aspect, the kinetic disposal can take place on a component attributable overall to the passive area of the musical instrument, in order to avoid energy storage effects occurring in this component and their negative repercussion on the current or possibly subsequent primary sound event (see claim 2).

Equally well, according to the method according to the invention, the crystalline body can also be used in a passive region of a component which is also equipped with an active region. This prevents the acoustic energy stored elsewhere in the passive area of the component from flowing back into the active area and adversely affecting the sound of the subsequent primary sound event.

The kinetic disposal is achieved according to the invention by a crystalline body made of a material with a high speed of sound in the solid state (sound velocity of more than 8,000 m / s) on the non-required for the generation of the primary sound event components of the passive area or on the passive area of Also, an active region having component of the instrument is arranged to reduce the sound output to the environment, as far as possible to eliminate and to reduce its ringing or avoid.

The decisive factor for the effect of the crystalline body used according to the invention is that there must be a potential for the speed of sound between it and the material of the component to be kinetically disposed of. The material used for the kinetic disposal must always have a higher speed of sound than the material to be disposed of. The greater the potential, the clearer the effect (see Table 1).

For the kinetic disposal of components of musical instruments, the degree of kinetic disposal (transmission factor) is given by the ratio of the sound velocities of the two materials. When using a diamond to dispose of the casting plate of a wing (consisting of gray cast iron), for example, results in a transmission factor of about 4: 1 (18000 m / s: 4500 m / s). Typically in musical instrument making used, kinetically disposable materials are wood, gray cast iron, brass, etc., whose sound velocities are all between about 3,000 and 5,000 m / s. Thus, materials with sound velocities of at least 8,000 m / s have sufficient potential to be kinetically disposable. Table 1: Degree of kinetic disposal, with air as a reference material speed of sound Passage factor diamond about 18000 m / s about 50: 1 boron carbide 14,400 m / s about 42: 1 alumina about 10000 m / s about 30: 1 spruce about 5000 m / s about 15: 1 cast iron about 4500 m / s about 13: 1 Brass 3400 m / s 10: 1 water 1481 m / s about 4: 1 air 340 m / s 1: 1

The kinetic disposal makes it possible to unambiguously divert the body and airborne sound energy into the passive area of the instrument almost instantaneously and as inaudible energy into an area outside the entire instrument so that only the active area is sound and airborne affecting the sound-determining element of the instrument. The result is a more genuine, clearer and more dynamic primary sound event, free from the interference and distortion inevitably present in any non-kinetically discarded musical instrument. However, this means that nothing is damped away from the primary sound event in this process of kinetic disposal.

The kinetic disposal can also react directly on the active area. The reed of a clarinet, for example, consists of an active (i.e., free oscillating) region and a passive (i.e., tightly clamped) region. The kinetic disposal by means of the method according to the invention by arranging a crystalline body according to the invention directly at the clamping reduces the repercussions of the ringing of the fixed clamping on the active region of the reed. The active area thus returns as quickly as possible to its energetically optimal initial state, overlays of sound events are avoided.

Kinetic disposal is also no attenuation of the secondary sound event, but an immediate, almost instantaneous derivative of the sound energy entering the passive area before it could be stored in the passive area, and thus to interference with the primary sound event.

As mentioned, the crystalline bodies are arranged in the passive region of the musical instrument, the best positions for the arrangement of the bodies being determined either in simulations or experimentally. For example, in the case of a piano, the mounting locations may be at the box angle, at the plate wedge between the cast plate and box angle, at the cast plate, at the feet, at the castors, etc.

Preferably, the crystalline body is a crystal of high crystalline order, whereby the best results can be achieved with single crystals. In principle, the higher the speed of sound in the crystal of the selected body, the greater the effect of the method according to the invention. The more ordered a crystal of a solid is, the higher the speed of sound in it.

Materials which have the properties required for kinetic disposal in the sense of the invention are e.g. Diamonds (true or synthetic, with a cubic surface-centered crystal structure and a sound velocity of about 18000 m / s) or ceramic materials such. Boron carbide, alumina, boron nitride, zirconia or the like (with a speed of sound greater than 8000 m / s).

In the simulations and test series carried out by the Applicant, it is apparent that the size of the crystalline body (or its volume) has no influence on the effect of the kinetic disposal achieved. The aim is to have as small and inconspicuous sizes as possible, which are preferably in the range of edge lengths or diameters of the body between a few nanometers and a few centimeters, with reference to the location of the attachment of the crystalline body.

The crystalline bodies are preferably connected by a firm, direct connection with the respective components of the musical instrument to be disposed of kinetically or with the passive regions of such components, in particular adhesively bonded thereto or embedded therein.

The present invention describes for the first time by means of kinetic disposal means and ways in which the primary sound event can be radiated undistorted and unadulterated by interferences of secondary sound events by directly dissipating the introduced sound energy from the components in which it is not desired to avoid the described energy storage effects and resulting interference.

Fig. 1

eine dreidimensionale Darstellung eines Flügels als mögliches Musikinstrument zur Anwendung des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens;

Fig. 2

eine Darstellung des Korpus des in Fig. 1 gezeigten Flügels;

Fig. 3

die erfindungsgemäße Anordnung eines kristallinen Körpers zur kinetischen Entsorgung am Kastenwinkel des in Fig. 1 gezeigten Flügels, wobei der kristalline Körper in eine Passbohrung eingelassen ist;

Fig. 4

eine Darstellung wie in Fig. 3 mit dem Unterschied, dass hier der kristalline Körper auf die ebene Fläche aufgeklebt ist;

Fig. 5

die erfindungsgemäße Anordnung eines kristallinen Körpers an einer Spreize der Gussplatte zur kinetischen Entsorgung an diesem Bauteil;

Fig. 6

schematisch den Verlauf (die Hüllkurve) des Gesamtklanges eines mit einem herkömmlichen Instrument erzeugten Tones (Schallereignisses); und

Fig. 7

schematisch den Verlauf (die Hüllkurve) des Gesamtklanges eines mit einem mit dem erfindungsgemäßen Verfahren veränderten Instrumentes erzeugten Tones (Schallereignisses).

Further advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment with reference to the accompanying figures. Showing:

Fig. 1

a three-dimensional representation of a grand piano as a possible musical instrument for applying the method according to the invention;

Fig. 2

a representation of the corpus of in Fig. 1 wing shown;

Fig. 3

the inventive arrangement of a crystalline body for kinetic disposal at the box angle of in Fig. 1 shown wing, wherein the crystalline body is embedded in a fitting hole;

Fig. 4

a representation like in Fig. 3 with the difference that here the crystalline body is glued on the flat surface;

Fig. 5

the arrangement according to the invention of a crystalline body on a spreader of the cast plate for kinetic disposal of this component;

Fig. 6

schematically the course (the envelope) of the overall sound of a sound generated with a conventional instrument (sound event); and

Fig. 7

schematically the course (the envelope) of the overall sound of a sound generated with an instrument modified by the method according to the invention (sound event).

In the FIGS. 1 and 2 a wing or insulated body is shown as a possible musical instrument for the application of the method according to the invention.

The wing consists of a central main component, the rim, consisting of the wall 7 and the frame 6, which is placed on feet 10 with rollers 11 arranged thereon and closed with a lid 8 on the top. At the front of the rim is the underside of the chair bottom or game table 9, on which there is needed for striking the strings game, consisting of a keyboard (keyboard) and a mechanism. In the rim is located as a central component of the glued on the frame 6 sound board 13, usually made of spruce, with overlying cast plate 5, usually made of gray cast iron, on which the strings are spanned, and underlying, the body stiffening struts. The connection between struts and cast plate 5 consists of a box angle 4, the connection of strings and sound board 13 is carried out by the firmly connected to the soundboard 13 web 14. In the front upper part of the wing is the music stand 12th

In the wing are for the actual generation of the primary sound event, ie for the desired vibrations to generate the sound, only the following active components responsible: the strings, the bridge 14 and the soundboard 13. However, these parts with the other passive components, such as the cast plate 5, the box angle 4, the frame 6, the wall 7 and the feet 10, sound conductive connected.

In order to prevent occurring in these components of the passive area and in passive areas also actively acting (directly involved in the formation of the primary sound event) components energy storage effects and to avoid by interference with the primary sound event this falsifying, secondary sound events are inventively in the passive areas of Blades crystalline body 1 made of a material with a speed of sound in the solid state of more than 8,000 m / s, eg made of diamond, boron carbide or similar.

Such a crystalline body 1 must be with the kinetisch to be disposed portion of the passive area (eg the box angle 4, the lid 8 or the cast plate 5, see FIGS. 3 to 5 ) are connected in such a way that on one side a direct, full-surface contact with the component is produced and the other side is exposed. This can, for example, by a counterbore in the form of a fitting hole 2 (s. Fig. 3 ) or by a bond 3 on a flat surface (s. Fig. 4 ) can be achieved.

The size or the volume of the crystalline body 1 applied for the kinetic disposal depends, on the one hand, on the material used and the particular point of use and on the other requirements, and can range in diameter from several nanometers to several centimeters.

In the FIGS. 6 and 7 is shown schematically the effect of the method according to the invention on the overall sound of a correspondingly treated or equipped instrument.

In these figures, the time course of the envelope of the total sound of a scarf event generated in an instrument is shown in FIG Fig. 6 in conventional construction and in Fig. 7 shown in modified according to the method according to the invention construction.

While in both cases the sound build-up in the phases "Attack" and "Decay" and the reverberation "Sustain" are identical, the described kinetic disposal and the associated elimination of energy storage effects ensures that the decay in the "release" Phase is significantly shorter, instantaneously in the theoretical ideal case. The decay time is in other words about 0 ms, as in the Fig. 7 is indicated.

The operation of the kinetic disposal to minimize the influence of secondary sound events on the primary sound event has been described here primarily based on the wing and piano construction. However, it is transferable analogously to other musical instruments:

Application example for the kinetic disposal of wind instruments and organs:

The sound event of a wind instrument consists of a swinging column of air inside a pipe. The pipe should not affect the air column, as natural vibration of the pipe or mouthpiece to interference, and thus lead to distortions of the sound event. Therefore, within the meaning of this invention, the tube / housing of a wind instrument can be kinetically disposed of, in which the material (diamond, boron carbide or the like) is sound-conducting with the pipe is connected, for example, immediately behind the mouthpiece, in the vicinity of the funnel or similar.

Application example for the kinetic disposal of stringed and plucked instruments:

The primary sound event of a stringed and plucked instrument consists of a vibrating string, which is coupled to a soundboard via a bridge. This soundboard amplifies the sound of the strings. Undesirable here are vibrations of the passive components such as the neck with the fingerboard. This can also be disposed of kinetically in the manner described above in the sense of this invention.
The same applies, for example, to the sting of cello and double bass.

Application example for the kinetic disposal of vibration exciters, such as e.g. Hammerstielen (piano and grand piano), bows (bowed instruments), plectrums (plucked instruments), mallets and sticks (percussion instruments) and similar:

By triggering a sound event, the respective vibration exciter is also set in vibration. At the time of the triggering of the next sound event, energy from the previous event can still be stored in the vibration generator and have a distorting influence on the subsequent event. The kinetic disposal takes place in the manner already described.

The same procedure can be applied to all other musical instruments: diaphragmophones such as timpani and drums, in which the influence of housing or body vibrations on the membrane is minimized by kinetic disposal, as well as other percussion instruments), Orff's instruments, vibraphones, marimbas and much more

In a (not shown here) use of the crystalline body to reduce the immediately by reacting from the passive range implied ringing of a component on a musical instrument, which is attributable both to a part of the active and the other part of the passive area (eg the reed of a Holzblasinstrumentes, which consists of an active, ie free-swinging and a passive, ie firmly clamped part), finally, this must also be connected to the passive region of the component to be disposed of kinetically such that on one side a direct, full-surface contact with the component is produced and the other side is free. However, the position must be chosen so that the desired vibration of the component is not hindered. For example, if the crystalline body is connected directly to the chuck in a reed, it does not hinder the free swing of the reed, but kinetically disposes of it. The reed moves more freely and the sound response is more direct.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

crystalline body

2

fitting bore

3

bonding

4

box bracket

5

cast iron plate

6

frame

7

wall

8th

cover

9

Chair bottom (game table)

10

foot

11

role

12

Music stand

13

sounding board

14

web

Claims (10)

Method for reducing the sound output and / or for reducing energy storage effects of the passive range of musical instruments, wherein at least one component (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) comprises at least one crystalline body (1) a sound velocity in the solid body of more than 8,000 m / s is arranged. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the crystalline body is arranged on a total not involved in the primary sound generation component. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the crystalline body is arranged in a passive region of a component involved with an active region at the primary sound generation. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one crystalline body (1) is a crystal of high crystalline order, preferably a single crystal. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one crystalline body (1) is a body consisting of one of the following materials: aluminum oxide (Al ₂ O ₃ ), boron carbide, boron nitride, zirconium dioxide, diamond. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the edge dimensions and / or a diameter of the crystalline body in the range of a few nanometers to a few centimeters. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one crystalline body (1) with the component (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) connected directly to the surface, in particular glued on this is. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the at least one crystalline body (1) in the component (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) is embedded. Use of a crystalline body (1) with a sound velocity in the solid body of more than 8,000 m / s for influencing the sound of musical instruments. Musical instrument having a crystalline body (1) arranged on at least one of its components (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) and having a speed of sound in the solid of more than 8,000 m / s.

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