How the sound adjustment process of cymbals affects their vibration and sound radiation characteristics

Abstract

Cymbals are percussion instruments. They vibrate and radiate sounds when hit with a drumstick or when used in pairs and the sounds depend on the vibration characteristics. Cymbals are made through spin forming, hammering and lathing. The spin forming creates the domed shape of the cymbal, determining its basic vibration characteristics. The hammering and lathing produce specific sound adjustments by changing the vibration characteristics. In this study, we focus on how the hammering affects the vibration and sound radiation characteristics. The hammering produces many shallow dents over the cymbal’s surface, generating residual stresses in it. These residual stresses change the vibration characteristics. We perform finite element analysis of the hammered cymbal to obtain its vibration and sound radiation characteristics. In the analysis, we use thermal stress analysis to reproduce the stress distribution and then with this stress distribution we perform vibration analysis. The results show that the effect of thermal load (i.e., hammering) depends on mode: an increase or decrease in the natural frequency. The difference between the modes changes the peak frequencies and their amplitudes in the frequency response. As a result, the deflection shapes and their sound radiation efficiencies at the peak frequencies are changed.