Does this whistle exist?

[Peter Duggan]

What is 'back pressure'?

The degree of resistance you feel when blowing.

While it's a widely-accepted term, some (including myself) don't really like it because there's nothing really coming back at you when the air's still going away from you!

[Feadoggie]

The more freeblowing a whistle is the easier/lighter/sweeter the 2nd octave is. The more resistance/backpressure a whistle has the more push it takes to get the 2nd octave.

That's and interesting and sweeping observation. I would not want to argue with you observations since they are your personal observations. No aeguments here. Just thinking out loud.

Not all free blowing whistles are sweet in the upper end. The sweetness of the upper end really depends on a variety of design choices including bore size, window dimensions and voicing. You can have a free blowing whistle that is a bear to play at the top end, requiring lots of air at high velocity to sound the notes, and the notes will be loud when they do sound. I won'r pick on a particular whistle here. We've all played one or two of those, I am sure.

"Backpressure" and "push" get interchanged quite a lot when we talk about whistles. I do think they refer to altogether different characteristics of whistles. But of course we are "dancing about architecture" here. A whistle with a restricted windway is frequently said to have good backpressure. Having a restricted or narrow windway will of course require the player to push harder to get a note than they might on a well made whistle with an open or free-blowing windway. So is the correct term for a Overton "hard blower" style whistle "backpressure", "push" or perhaps "resistance"? It is not "backpressure" in the manner that that term is used in flute design where it refers to the air pressure inside the flute "pushing back" or supporting the tone as we blow. Conical bore whistles might exhibit more of that type of phenomena. It is not "push" in the sense that you may have to push real hard to get enough velocity for a high B on a free-blowing whistle design with a bore that is somewhat too large. It seems to be more of a "resistance" or "restriction" at the windway thing. That seems to be how Peter has described it. That's how I think about it.

We sometimes seem to have different meanings when we use these terms.

Feadoggie

[Steve Pribyl]

I would suggest an Oz whistle. There are some video reviews on the website.
http://www.ozwhistles.com/shop/Sozwhistles.php

[Sirchronique]

You can have a free blowing whistle that is a bear to play at the top end, requiring lots of air at high velocity to sound the notes, and the notes will be loud when they do sound. I won'r pick on a particular whistle here. We've all played one or two of those, I am sure.

Indeed. I had a soft blowing Goldie low Eb that fit that description. I was also under the false impression that the much taller windway would have easier high notes. I think the medium blowing one that I owned prior the aforementioned Eb was actually more friendly up top for me.


I think it would be useful to use separate terms, such as "resistance" and "push", instead of blanketing them both under "backpressure".

[pancelticpiper]

You can have a free blowing whistle that is a bear to play at the top end, requiring lots of air at high velocity to sound the notes

Yes this is what I would expect, because that's what "freeblowing" is, less resistance and more air flowing through the thing.

"hard blower" "backpressure" "push" "resistance"

I've heard the term "acoustic impedance" which seems to say it pretty well.

As I've said I had never heard of "backpressure" regarding whistles until I joined this site. Being a Highland piper, all whistles have virtually zero impedance for me.

On a scale of 1-100 (100 being a very strong Highland pipe chanter reed) all whistles are below 2, in fact negligible.

What I do find differing noticeably with various makes of whistles is how easily the 2nd octave speaks. This seems to not necessarily correlate to how much impedance there is in the low octave.

So, my MK and Goldie Low Ds are rather similar in blowing the low octave, but the MK has a very light easy 2nd octave and the Goldie requires a strong push to get up there. I can compare two whistles easily by putting the two in my mouth and blowing them together, and see at what point each breaks to the 2nd octave.

[Tunborough]

I've heard the term "acoustic impedance" which seems to say it pretty well.

Alas, acoustic impedance is a different beast entirely. It relates to how a resonator affects the sound wave; the sound wave is the vibration of air, not the flow of air. As far as I can tell, "backpressure", "push", and the other terms all relate to the flow of air.

[Feadoggie]

I've heard the term "acoustic impedance" which seems to say it pretty well.

Alas, acoustic impedance is a different beast entirely. It relates to how a resonator affects the sound wave; the sound wave is the vibration of air, not the flow of air. As far as I can tell, "backpressure", "push", and the other terms all relate to the flow of air.

That's a useful explanation of acoustic impedance. Thanks for that.

Feadoggie

[Mack.Hoover]

Would finding such a whistle resolve WhOA?

[Feadoggie]

Would finding such a whistle resolve WhOA?

Or ... is looking for such a whistle the genesis of WhOA?

[ytliek]

Would finding such a whistle resolve WhOA?

Or ... is looking for such a whistle the genesis of WhOA?

Looking is as wrongful as doing the deed itself.

[luukzs]

I would suggest an Oz whistle. There are some video reviews on the website.
http://www.ozwhistles.com/shop/Sozwhistles.php

Can confirm, am in the posession of the Syn set, and have tried the Oz wooden ones (two of them)
For the one you're requestions, maybe try the Syn B or C, The rest are good, but not what you require.

The Oz. wooden ones are even better, and you can't go much wrong with them, although buying without trying is always a bit meh in my opinion, and expensive.
Although he does do returns I think. Nice back pressure, easy 2nd, soft but sweet in the low.