SPAH  2010  COMB  TEST
THE COMB DEBATE REVISITED: Player & Spectrograph Test
Co-Conducted by Brendan Power & Vern Smith. Custom combs supplied by Chris Reynolds
1-3pm Wednesday August 18th in the Shoshone Room

The Player Perception Comb Test went ahead as planned. We completed the 60 tests (10 comb combinations with six players) in the 2 hours available, and recorded sound clips of the performances and test tones. There were six test players:

TONGUE BLOCKING: Dave Barrett, Brandon Bailey
PUCKER: Chris Michalek, Alex Paclin
U-BLOCK: Cara Cooke
MIXED TB & PUCKER: Jimi Lee

We were kindly assisted by Michelle le Free and Winslow Yerxa. Below are the relevant documents, sound clips and photos.

VERN'S TEST BRACKET

DOCUMENTS USED IN THE TEST (both were emailed to the test players in advance).

SCORE SHEET                       PLAYER INSTRUCTIONS

TEST REPORT, SOUND CLIPS and SPECTROGRAPH IMAGES

Here is the TEST REPORT with relevant data cards submitted by the test players.

2 second test tones (steady blow and draw notes on hole 4) were given by two players for each comb, one by a tongue blocker (Dave) and one by a pucker player (Chris). 

Here are the Music Clips. Unfortunately the recorded data for the first test (Bamboo) was lost. The players are listed in random order (not the order of play on the day).

TEST NUMBER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
COMB TYPE Bamboo Brass Brass Brass Brass Pear Corian Dymondwood Corian ABS Plastic
Draw 4 Tongue Block Lost Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test
Blow 4 Tongue Block Lost Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test
Draw 4 Pucker Lost Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test
Blow 4 Pucker Lost Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test
DAVE BARRETT Lost Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play
CARA COOKE Lost Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play
JIMI LEE Lost Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play
CHRIS MICHALEK Lost Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play
ALEX PACLIN Lost Play Play Play Lost Play Play Play Play Play
BRANDON BAILEY Lost Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play

Here are SPECTROGRAPH IMAGES of some of the short Test Tones. 

Download Free Spectrograph Software (Wavesurfer, the same as I used) to allow you to do your own further analysis.