The study presents the project, method of construction, and results of research and analysis of a new type of trumpet mute in relation to its effect on the trumpet sound. The aim was to achieve a new and interesting sound in relation to the other silencers. The main feature of the silencer is its specific construction using alternating modules connected by a tension spring. The principle of the silencer's operation is its complex internal geometry of the modules, forming multiple maze-like systems that modify the sound propagation path. The prototype of the trumpet mute was made by using 3D printing technology based on a previously designed CAD model. The stress analysis was carried out using the finite element method in order to verify the strength of the silencer elements most exposed to damage. The influence of the silencer on the trumpet sound was calculated using the finite element method by analyzing such parameters as directivity characteristics and the sound spectrum. Acoustic measurements were performed in an anechoic chamber on the printed prototype. The influence of the silencer on the performer's intonation was also analyzed. Numerical calculations as well as the acoustic measurements showed a distinct influence of the silencer on the trumpet sound by changing its spectrum, directivity characteristics and by introducing attenuation. In addition to the above analyses, psychoacoustic tests of timbre perception were carried out on a group of random subjects. They revealed significant differences in the perception of trumpet timbre before and after the use of the silencer as well as differences for a trumpet with the silencer or different configurations of the modules.

Authors: Naspinski, Jakub; Wegrzyn, Filip; Gorazd, Lukasz
Affiliations: AGH University of Science and Technology, Kraków, Poland; AGH University of Science and Technology, Kraków, Poland; AGH University of Science and Technology, Kraków, Poland(See document for exact affiliation information.)
Express Paper 60; AES Convention 154; May 2023
Publication Date: May 13, 2023 Import into BibTeX
Subject: Musical Acoustics
Permalink: https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=22085

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