Different Chanter Cap - Different Sound!

leremarkable · Post by **leremarkable** » Mon May 08, 2006 9:23 am

Different sizes and materials of construction of chanter cap have a fairly significant effect on tuning and tone of chanter.

Based on an ever growing body of evidence, I believe this to be true.

As the exam papers say: Discuss (intelligently)

Douglas · Post by **Douglas** » Mon May 08, 2006 9:29 am

Hi David

What have you found to work best for your own chanters? I have wondered about the effect of a slightly wider chamber for the reed.

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon May 08, 2006 9:31 am

I had thought this topic had been argued to death here previously. Those who scream the loudest and are the most insulting have sworn up and down that the materials used for the cap make no difference. I suspect, however, that the interal size would have some effect.

djm

leremarkable · Post by **leremarkable** » Mon May 08, 2006 9:48 am

To get the ball rolling, I've noticed an improvement in timbre with a wooden cap over a metal one

I've also noticed a back D being flattened by a cap with a larger volume

I've been told by those who measure and know, that a larger diameter feed pipe from the bag to the chanter cap can sharpen the second octave G, a note which frequently presents itself slightly flat and could drive you to the nut-house

leremarkable · Post by **leremarkable** » Mon May 08, 2006 9:53 am

Addendum;

To be confident in the observation of these differences, I find the reed needs to be resistent to change under a certain range of blowing pressure

It also helps if the different caps fit the chanter easily without having to add or remove too much hemp, else the time lost between listenings makes it hard to do the comparision.

I wrap a piece of blotting paper of the appropriate length around the tenon for a quick change

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Mon May 08, 2006 10:02 am

djm wrote:I had thought this topic had been argued to death here previously. Those who scream the loudest and are the most insulting have sworn up and down that the materials used for the cap make no difference. I suspect, however, that the interal size would have some effect.

djm

I don't think it was argued... and I'm sure there wasn't any screaming, unless it came from your house.

There seemed to be agreement that windcaps of the same inside dimensions did not make a siginificant difference in sound from metal to wood. The wood probably offered more insulation with less transfer of heat while the pipes were sitting and also had greater aesthetic value.

David... was this difference noticed while playing or as a listener several feet away?
do you have any recording equiptment to make some AB comparisons?

maze · Post by **maze** » Mon May 08, 2006 10:06 am

hey David,

In regards to the improvement in timber, what tonal difference are you observing? I assume you are experimenting with your C chanter (doesn't matter either way I guess) but is the brightness of the chanter easing off, or increasing? I ask bc I am noticing that my BK chanter when recording is coming off rather nasally-bright to my ear... more so at least than it sounds ambiently (i.e. not recorded). As we are working on a CD, I am desperately hoping to find something to improve this tone w/o digital adjustments.

john
(florida john)

RomanPiper · Post by **RomanPiper** » Mon May 08, 2006 10:08 am

While we're on the topic of chanter wind caps, they can also be used to smoke rabbit tobacco, provided you put a screen on the tube that connects to the bag mount. You inhale from the part that connects to the chanter. The advantage wood has over brass is that it gets less hot after smoking a few bowls, but, of course, it is flammable, so one should be careful to keep it from getting too hot.

leremarkable · Post by **leremarkable** » Mon May 08, 2006 10:18 am

I was playing the C chanter when I observed the difference between the metal and wooden cap. I don't have any way of recording the sound difference.

By improvement in timbre, I mean an increase in richness of sound. The metal cap was definitely more bright by comparison, not in this case what I was looking for.

leremarkable · Post by **leremarkable** » Mon May 08, 2006 10:21 am

To answer your question Douglas, I'd be tending towards a larger sized feed-pipe to the chanter cap, and a larger diameter cap to give a wider head-space to the reed, on the D Froment chanter anyway. I've no doubt this is completely specific to your chanter design.

PJ · Post by PJ » Mon May 08, 2006 10:26 am

leremarkable wrote:I don't have any way of recording the sound difference.

Perhaps you could give a live demonstration. Let's say Montreal, next Sunday evening at about 7.30 pm.

simonknight · Post by **simonknight** » Mon May 08, 2006 10:40 am

leremarkable wrote:To answer your question Douglas, I'd be tending towards a larger sized feed-pipe to the chanter cap, and a larger diameter cap to give a wider head-space to the reed, on the D Froment chanter anyway. I've no doubt this is completely specific to your chanter design.

From experience with mouth blown reed instruments - the sax and bassoon - the shape of the the throat is widly observed to have an effect on tone production. especially on quiter, double reed instruments. The volume of the cavity up-stream of the reed does seem to influence tone. A constricted throat = poor tone.

tommykleen · Post by **tommykleen** » Mon May 08, 2006 11:11 am

Interesting. I had just switched nearly-identical brass windcaps on my D and C chanters. Playing the C this morning, I noticed a nice, subtle buzz. The only difference between the caps is the diameter of the connector pipe (the one that goes into the bag). It is possible that there is enough turbulance as a result of this constriction to set this buzz in motion. ?

I will look into this some more.

Ronan Browne brought up the topic of the curved bag neck (that goes directly into the top of the chanter) as also having an effect and the sound/tone/vibration. On his B set anyway.

t

tompipes · Post by **tompipes** » Mon May 08, 2006 1:31 pm

I've been told by those who measure and know, that a larger diameter feed pipe from the bag to the chanter cap can sharpen the second octave G, a note which frequently presents itself slightly flat and could drive you to the nut-house

That larger diameter feed, in my experience, will have effect the back D too.
I find on some chanters, it can give a weak tone and result in the back D cracking.
I have cured chanters with cracking back D's by inserting a rolled piece of card or paper into the chanter feed, thus reducing the diameter and voila,
stronger back D.
I think it was Kevin Thompson who told me about this.

tommy

Kearnybagpiper · Post by **Kearnybagpiper** » Mon May 08, 2006 8:15 pm

I agree with David. I switched from a brass cap to a wood cap on my Gallagher D last year and noticed an improvement in tone straight away.