The acoustic effect of cryogenically treating trumpets

Jesse Jones, Chris Rogers
2003 Journal of the Acoustical Society of America  
The acoustic effect of cryogenically treating trumpets is investigated. Ten Vincent Bach Stradivarious B trumpets are studied, half of which have been cryogenically treated. The trumpets were played by 6 players of varying proficiency, with sound samples being recorded direct to disc at a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz. Both the steady-state and initial transient portions of the audio samples are analyzed. In some cases, a slight shift of power in the harmonic spectrum toward the higher frequencies
more » ... s observed in the treated trumpets. However, no statistically independent results are seen, and the most pronounced results were not repeatable. Differences observed in player-to-player and trumpet-to-trumpet comparisons overshadow any differences that may have been brought on due to the cryogenic treatment. All data was collected in a double blind fashion. The treatment itself is a three step process, involving an 8 hour linear cool down period, a 10 hour period of sustained exposure to -195 • C (-300 • F), and a 20-25 hour period of warming back to room temperature.
doi:10.1121/1.4809222 fatcat:rfkzunnfojef7f5ih6lwckcu7u