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Brasswind engineering: Some practical observations

Vereecke, Hannes 

The advent of computer-powered diagnostic equipment and physical modeling techniques, resulted in a significantly increased understanding of the physics of brasswind instruments. Although the practice of engineering and optimization of brasswind instruments is supported by modern technology, it remains a procedure with a highly empirical character. Questions persist concerning how input impedance curves, material selection, manufacturing technology and aero-acoustical occurrences correlate with playing properties. Subsequently, a trial-and-error approach embedded in a framework of general accepted assumptions must bridge the gap between theory and practice. Although assumptions based on such observations are of a subjective nature, it can provide guidance for further scientific work and is therefore of significant importance. This paper aims to shed some light on the subject by presenting the observations made during conception and manufacturing of prototypes, complemented by the results of systematic interviews of established brasswind instrument makers.