Buffet Crampon's - International Clarinet Association

finally developed temporarily modify
the curvature of the mouthpiece by 2 to
5 one-hundredths of a millimetre with a
degree of accuracy of plus or minus 2
microns. For the material, it was a really
difficult challenge. I was stacking up
thin aluminum strips to arrive at the de -
sired thickness but then the problem
be came finding non-toxic glue. Worse,
the patches were very fragile and had
to be replaced frequently. Finally, in
2003, an engineer named Serge Brin -
golf took up the problem on my behalf.
One of his suggestions was an extremely
dur able plastic used in aerospace
construction. Patches made of this ma -
terial are not only strong, stable and
very precise, but food compatible as
well. They also impart a superior musical
quality to the sound. This turned
out to be our solution.
Pierre-André Taillard, developer of Claripatch, with his invention.
Q: What claims do you make for Clari -
patch?
A: Claripatch will enable you to get the
most of your reeds as well as noticeably
prolong their life expectancy, all without
having to modify your mouthpiece
in any way. I’m not exaggerating when
I say that with Claripatch, you can ex -
pect every reed you choose to play its
best. During a concert you can have in -
creased confidence in your instrument
and your reed as Claripatch overcomes
the common problems encountered due
to weather conditions, changes in altitude,
and changing room/hall acoustics.
Simply by choosing the right patch, a
good reed remains a good reed, even in
the face of difficult conditions. What’s
more, Claripatch can help you personalize
your sound for each style of music.
For example, let’s say you want to re -
cre ate the sound of a period clarinet on
a modern instrument. Claripatch can
help you do that. The right patch or
combination of patches will enable you
to change the dimensions of your sound
in accordance with the room or hall
you are playing in: a strong and rich
sound for a large hall, a soft, so phis ti -
cated, colorful sound for use in cham -
ber music. And you can do all this with -
out having to change your reed or your
way of playing.
Q: Are you saying that Claripatch will
make every reed you select play like a
good reed?
A: No, that would be impossible. The
quality of the cane plays a major role,
as you know. But a judicious choice of
patch shifts significantly the sound
quality of almost every reed. You get
more concert reeds and fewer un play -
able ones. In the two years of research
that were necessary to bring the system
to fruition, we have come up with eight
profiles from among hundreds tested
that address problems commonly
encountered with reeds. The patches are
identified with letters, such as “N”, “S,”
“R” and “W.” There are patches that
improve the performance of a new or an
ageing reed, others for a reed that’s too
hard or too soft, others for a reed that
sounds too bright or too dull, another
for a reed that’s waterlogged, and still
another for a reed that has lost its support,
particularly for detached playing
or for the production of very soft sounds.
We provide a chart that ex plains what
each patch is designed to do. It’s a pretty
good guide. Some experimentation with
every reed is still necessary, though.
A simple technique to save time is to
write the patch recipe — NSR — on the
back of the reed for future reference.
With increased experience you need
only a few seconds to determine the
right patch.
Q: How many patches come in the Clari -
patch set?
A: In our pro set there are 16 patches, two
of each of the eight profiles. We also
make a junior set that includes four
patches. I should mention too that the
pro set comes with what we call a clar i -
mute. This simple device allows you to
blow into the instrument normally but
without making a sound. It’s great for
practicing or warming up without disturbing
anyone. And it’s an effective
tool for explaining embouchure and
tongu ing basics to beginners. After a
few minutes, the student can easily find
the optimal balance between lip and
blowing pressure to maximize the airflow
entering the instrument.
Q: Do you recommend using more than
one patch at a time?
A: In our instruction booklet we say that
placing two identical or two different
patches on top of each other will significantly
augment the effect of each patch.
That’s true. It all depends on your reed,
the style of music and the venue.
Q: How many possible combinations are
there?
A: With two patches you have 45 possible
combinations. With three you have 157.
With all 16 patches you would have
theoretically 6,561 possible combinations,
but we don’t recommend using
more than three patches together. If you
still have problems, it is better to reconsider
the choice of reed or mouthpiece.
Q: How do you attach the patches to the
mouthpiece?
March 2006 Page 25