Which is better for a tenor mpc a perfect radial curve or a spline.  A 
friend who is an engeneer plotted some curve number for me and found 
them to produce a spline rather than a perfect radius...it was 
extremely close but one number in the plottings made the curves a 
spline rather than a perfect radial curve.

 From my many discussions with the late Santy Runyon over the many years 
that I knew him, the radial curve was best.  It allowed the reed to 
curve smoothly and easily, with no jerks or bumps along the way.  It 
allowed the instrument, whether saxophone or clarinet, to determine the 
overtone structure, rather than the reed.

He designed his facing machine to first cut the table, from the butt 
end, with the cutter moving along like a milling machine, then it hit a 
stop, and rotated, producing the facing curve.  Where the cutter stopped 
and pivoted was adjustable... thus controlling the facing length.  The 
radius of rotation was also adjustable, thus controlling the tip opening.

But there were other facing types, and he and others found they did not 
work as well.

I would refer you to his article on clarinet facings, which also apply 
to the saxophone, here on the Mouthpiece Work Group.  He discusses the 
various facing curves used, how they are produced, and the effect they 
have on the playing characteristics of the mouthpieces.

I have a very difficult to read zerox of the original article.  I can 
supply that if wanted, but the copy we have here is one I retyped, and 
redrew the diagrams.  Santy looked over the result and approved it, and 
gave permission for us to have it here on the Mouthpiece WorkGroup.  
Look in Files > Clarinet > Runyon Mpce Articles Web Rev 8-2-02.  The 
file just below that one, Santy Mpce, is the original copy.

Paul Coats


sigmund451 wrote:

> Which is better for a tenor mpc a perfect radial curve or a spline.  A
> friend who is an engeneer plotted some curve number for me and found
> them to produce a spline rather than a perfect radius...it was
> extremely close but one number in the plottings made the curves a
> spline rather than a perfect radial curve.
>
>
>
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A spline curve can be made to pass through virtually any sequence of data
points.  So it will pass through bad readings as well as good ones.  I
think it has too many degrees of freedom to be useful in mouthpiece work.



		
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