Yes. A number was measured: about 10 percent less energy for the same result. Measured in the lab. A better sound is not proven.
The short answer
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Does it sound better? | No. Listeners could not tell carbon from brass. |
| Does it take less energy? | Yes, about 10 percent, for the same result. |
| Is it lighter? | That is not the point. Carbon, not because it is lighter. |
| Does the same hold for a trombone? | Not tested. The study was about trumpets. |
| Will you feel it right away? | Not necessarily. An independent reviewer noticed only after a few days. |
What was measured
Vereecke and Kausel measured: Energy. About 10 percent less energy for the same result. Measured in the lab.
The study: Vereecke, H. and Kausel, W., "Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer, an Alternative to Brass?", International Trumpet Guild Journal, October 2012, pages 41 to 43.
And the sound?
Nobody hears the difference. In a blind test, listeners could not tell carbon from brass.
What that means for you
The bell stays still while you play. A brass bell vibrates. The daCarbo carbon bell stays still.
You have more left at the end of the night.
That is what this is about: energy. Not sound, not weight.
What the study does not show
Not weight. Carbon, not because it is lighter. Because the bell stays still, warms up in seconds and does not dent or corrode. The Unica weighs about 1.03 kilograms. "No dents" applies to the carbon bell. The metal parts can dent like on any trumpet. If low weight is what you need most, that is not the reason for a daCarbo.
Not the trombone. The study was about trumpets. Trombones are part of our line too, and the 10 percent is not proven there. Our trombone article says so too.
Not more about the sound. Nobody hears the difference.
Not day one. Will you feel it right away? The independent reviewer TrumpetScout felt nothing special on day one. After a few days, soft entries and high notes spoke more surely for him.
In short: about 10 percent less energy. Nothing else is proven.
Three things players say
"It is the player, not the horn." Correct. No horn makes you a better player. It changes what a note costs you. About 10 percent less energy for the same result. Measured in the lab.
"Does it sound dead, like plastic?" Nobody hears the difference. In a blind test, listeners could not tell carbon from brass. What you feel is in your hands, not in the room: the bell gives less feedback because it is not vibrating. Some players need a few days for that.
"Dealer videos make it sound different, so I am suspicious." Fair objection. A video with reverb proves nothing. The honest test: same passage, same player, same room, dry, brass then carbon. If you cannot tell them apart, that is the answer. Not a trick.
The next step
You do not have to decide today.
The daCarbo letter. Once a month. What is new, and where you can try an instrument. You can unsubscribe any time.
If you would rather talk it through: book thirty minutes on video. Andi hears how you play first. Then your instrument is chosen. He also says straight out if none of them suits you. The call is free and commits you to nothing.
Sources
- Vereecke, H. and Kausel, W.: "Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer, an Alternative to Brass?", International Trumpet Guild Journal, October 2012, pages 41 to 43
- Institut für musikalische Akustik (Wiener Klangstil), publication list of Wilfried Kausel
- TrumpetScout, independent review of the daCarbo Toni Maier and Unica (2017)
- daCarbo, instruments page (Unica weight, trumpet models)
- daCarbo, home page (the measured section, the blind test, the FAQ)
- daCarbo, carbon fiber trombones (the trombone limit on this study)