FUTURE POSSIBILITIES
This experiment is just the beginning of countless new research that can be done.
In order to analyze the videos in more detail, it is necessary to obtain more stability in the setup and set it up not only as an instrument of observation, but also as an instrument of measurement. This is a very delicate and complex operation because when you must measure such small details and in conditions so difficult to stabilize any inaccuracy is amplified and can frustrate the data.
My setup was built considering a very small investment of funds. It is possible to increase the quality of the videos obtained simply by investing in the use of a high frequency video camera. This instrumentation would guarantee more defined images and the possibility to obtain a real slow-motion effect. It would be possible to see if there are micro-variations between one vibration cycle and another. It would be interesting to observe the first cycle of vibration and when the reed begins its vibration. It is possible that the first cycle is not complete, that the closed phase does not occur. This could be useful to understand, for example, how much one reed, compared to another, is effective in attack and staccato speed.
Another possible improvement to the setup would be to invest in a pressure reducer or compressor capable of adjusting the pressure with extreme precision from 0 to 200 mBar. This could allow for a better understanding of how the vibration of the reed varies with changing pressure. It would be possible to define exact values for the start of vibration, the end of vibration and the various changes in pitch as pressure changes.
It might be possible to build artificial lips to place on the reed in the box to more closely emulate the conditions under which the reed is normally played by a bassoonist. It would be interesting to compare the videos with those obtained without the artificial lips and see what impact they have on the vibration.
Experiment with variations inhumidity and/or temperature inside the box and repeat all the previous tests to see what influence these parameters can have.
It is also possible to connect the bassoon to the bocal of my setup and observe how the vibration of the reed changes with the variation of the note played on the bassoon.
The setup was created with the idea of being reusable and adaptable. You can, for example, perform all the above experiments for reeds of any other instrument with minimal adjustments.
My setup is based on the concept of forcing the airflow inside the reed to set it into vibration by increasing the pressure in the box. Another possibility would be to decrease the air pressure from the back of the reed so that the air is sucked into the reed bringing it into vibration anyway. This system would avoid all the problems with the box, as it would no longer be needed. A fundamental difference that this method would involve is that the reed in this situation is no longer vibrating at atmospheric pressure, but with a lower one. It would be interesting to see if and what effects this causes on the reed. It might clarify some of the differences that we bassoonists feel when we play the same reed at sea level or in the mountains. It might detect how much the change in atmospheric pressure, between a rainy day and a clear day, affects the vibration.