Our workshop makes whistles that can be played at different volume levels. Here on this recording, made WITHOUT COMPRESSION, you can listen to the dynamics of the same notes.
Listen
How does this happen? A little later, but first we will describe the problematics.
Existing ways to lower the volume
On the Internet, you can find a lot of tips on how to make a whistle or recorder quiet. Most of them are fakes.
For example, cover half of the windway with plasticine. Yes, the volume will drop, albeit slightly. But, at the same time, the system will sharply decrease. The hiss will also increase due to the fact that the air stream will be defocused. I wouldn't play such an instrument.
According to this principle, a whistle is also made, with a ring. The ring slides onto the window and does the same as the plasticine.
Someone advises to close the window altogether. In this case, the instrument stops playing, only the whistle of air is heard. Interesting, huh?
A task
When developing our solution, the following task was set:
Decrease the volume to a level that does not penetrate the walls of the building. This is comparable to the loudness of human speech.
Minimize accompanying hiss.
Stably play all notes, both the first and second octaves.
Play a note at different volumes, controlled by the musician in real time.
Our way of solving the problem
Windway is given a special shape that is optimal for reducing the volume.
Windway is divided into two parts in a certain proportion.
Both parts of the windway are molded to provide the musician with separate and shared access to them.
The whistle window is significantly improved for easy picking of notes of the second octave.
The holes are being finalized, which also affect the playing of notes.
A more effective condensate removal agent is added to the unit.
Features of the game on a quiet whistle
Low air consumption
Light pressure on the whistle
Less volume than a regular whistle
In quiet mode, the lower notes are at the border of audibility
Further improvement
In the future, it is planned to further increase the dynamics of the whistle by expanding the degrees of freedom. But this will also affect the increase in the complexity of management. Although this is more than compensated by the capabilities of a musical instrument for performing any music.
