Trumpet Timbre: a Comparative Investigation of the Tone Quality of Two Professional C Trumpets

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe similarities and differences in the tone quality of two professional quality C trumpets, and to provide a source of detailed information concerning trumpet tone quality. Individual tones and two-note transitions were performed on Bach and Monette C trumpets by a professional trumpet player and digitally recorded. Digital information from selected tones was transferred to computer files and analyzed using a spectral analysis program at the Sound Synthesis Studio of The Ohio State University. Four types of graphical representations resulted from analysis: perspective plots of Amplitude x Frequency x Time, single sample spectral profile plots, phase vocoder graphs of individual harmonics, and amplitude envelope plots of transitions. Comparisons of these various representations were used to identify similarities and differences of the steady-state, attack, decay, and transition portions of the digitized Bach and Monette trumpet tones. Subjective comments 1 2 on tbe tone quality of the two brands of trumpets investigated were solicited from principal trumpet players in major American orchestras. Their impressions were presented as anecdotal information and related to the physical comparisons of tones. Comparisons of spectral analyses revealed differences in the spectral composition of tones from the Bach and Monette trumpets. Differences tended to be consistent, and pertain primarily to the relative strengths and distributions of spectral energy. A formant region from 1000-1400 Hz was noted. The Monette trumpet generally produced more harmonics, was richer in high frequency energy, and produced a more consistent spectrum than the Bach trumpet. The amplitude of spectral components of Monette trumpet tones tended to be greater than for the same tones on the Bach trumpet. The instruments differed in distribution of spectral energy at the identified formant region. The Bach trumpet generally produced several strong and relatively equal harmonics in this region, while the Monette instrument produced a single harmonic considerably stronger than others. Subjective impressions of the professiC?nal players seemed to be supported by objective analyses.