dampen the horns (Orphean)

by Don Reid, Rural Northwest Georgia, USA, Sunday, May 31, 2015, 01:01 (3247 days ago) @ robert

Hi, Robert,

You probably thought I was all talk and no action when I was enthusiastic about trying dampening my Oris 150 horns and then never responded to you. I had a bit of a physical problem which has occupied me a great deal in recent weeks. I only have vision in one eye and the retina of that eye began growing a macula hole. This is the problem which already destroyed all the central vision in my bad eye. Since then I have had one surgery on my eye and another surgery is already scheduled. At present driving isn't feasible and I hate to impose on my wife to drive me across town to buy lead to lay on my horns.

I checked to see how the Mortite I mentioned above adhered to the ABS plastic horn and how neatly it peeled off and cleaned up. I applied two bands of Mortite about 7mm thick and 25 mm wide all the way around each Oris 150 horn, one perhaps 100 mm from the mouth of the horn and another about 150 mm back from the mouth of the horn. I pressed the putty like Mortite firmly onto the outside of the horn by repeatedly rolling it with a waxed roller.

After completing the application of the dampening material I listened. After numerous LPs and CDs I like the difference I hear. The improvement is not what I would call dramatic, but it is audible and pleasing. I won't even attempt a technical description of the difference, but it is most audible in the frequency range of upper female vocals, trumpet, alto saxophone, etc. Before the dampening of the horn there was sometimes a very very slight hardness or confusion of these sounds especially during very loud passages. The sound now has improved clarity and a more relaxing sound. I intend to keep dampening material on the Oris horns, but I will probably try a better and more attractive method later.