Re: [Harp-L] comb material (was big sound)

[<ironmanmc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The player is the biggest variable in the equation.  I've done measurements 
that show that a resonantly played harmonica (where the player adjusts 
his/her embouchure to resonate at the pitch being played) can be +20 dB 
louder (about 100 times the acoustical power output) than a nonresonantly 
played harmonica, and that the waveform changes rather dramatically with 
resonance.  The volume can be further increased by another ~6 dB (times 4, 
or 400 times the "original" acoustic wattage) by using the cupped hands as a 
second resonator in front of the harp.  Our ear responds logarithmically (as 
do most of our senses), so this will sound to our ear about 5 times as loud.

Interestingly, if I play nonresonantly, I can hear - and measure on a 
'scope - a substantial difference in sound/waveform between a Lee Oskar and 
Blues Harp (the only two I bothered to test), but when I play resonantly, 
the waveform of both becomes, for practical purposes, a nearly perfect 
sinusoidal wave, and virtually identical for both harps.


-IronMan Mike Curtis
http://www.SouthlandBlues.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Zombor Kovacs" <zrkovacs@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 9:03 AM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] comb material (was big sound)


> I have already read that article. What is the point
> making different comb materials then?
>
> What is the way of amplifying the sound in a
> non-electronic way then?
>
>
>
> --- G <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2006 23:37:08 -0500
> > From: "Jonathan R. Ross" <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Subject: [Harp-L] comba material (was big sound)
> > To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> >
> > Zombor wrote:
> > >> "I am looking for some info on harp sound."
> > > If you search the archives with the words "comb
> > material" you'll find a
> > > veritable treasure trove of information on the
> > subject of comb material
> > > and the sound of harmonicas.  There have been very
> > large debates over
> > > and again on the subject.
> >
> > I think this article summarises the entire ongoing
> > debate adequately...
> http://www.angelfire.com/music/harmonica/combmaterials.html
> > _______________________________________________
> > Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
> > Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
> > http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com
> _______________________________________________
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
> Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l