Experimental validation of adjusting the resonances of a simplified bass clarinet through modal active control.

This paper reports the experimental results of modifying the resonances of wind instruments using modal active control. Resonances of a simplified bass clarinet (a cylindrical tube coupled to a bass clarinet mouthpiece including a reed) are adjusted either in frequency or in damping in order to modify its playing properties (pitch, strength of the harmonics of the sound, transient behavior). This is achieved using a control system made up of a collocated loudspeaker and microphone linked by an observer, which contains a model of the system, and a controller. Modifications of the transfer function, input impedance and radiated sound of the instrument are obtained.