Hehe - you guys, I hate to point this out, but now that I've read everyone's reactions, it occured to me that the piece in question uses a very unusual range for the bassoon. I wonder how much these clicks would show up in the more manageable mid- and low-ranges. Hmmmmmm. [:O]

Of course, in a well EQ'd stereo setting, the bassoon would have a great deal more distance and reverb, so the clicks would simply be a nice touch or realism to an already-pleasing sound.

My 2 cents

Emlyn

Well the clicks are BETWEEN the notes, since the note has to be fingered before it's played. In legato there's the sound of the transition, but still most of the tone is after fingering.
I can't really imagine that range would effect it at all. Unless of course the mechanism for the normal range isn't as noisy. Also, the frequency range of metallic clicks is very high. Certainly way higher than the highest tone a bassoon can play.

Anthony

@tonylombardi said:

Well the clicks are BETWEEN the notes, since the note has to be fingered before it's played. In legato there's the sound of the transition, but still most of the tone is after fingering.
I can't really imagine that range would effect it at all. Unless of course the mechanism for the normal range isn't as noisy. Also, the frequency range of metallic clicks is very high. Certainly way higher than the highest tone a bassoon can play.
Anthony

Anthony,

1. The samples from the beginning of the Rite of spring are not the usual range of the Bassoon. Stravinsky did like to use the instruments in register which are not considered as "normal". He want it to sound difficult. In some ranges the frequencies of the clicks will be more covered then in others. I guess that in case of the bassoon, while playing low notes, for which the bassoon was originally, build [[[;)]]] the clicks may be less. Also it depends how close the listener, or mic, is and the room you record. Some acoustic have tendency to amplify the key noise. Also of course the player should put some oil on the keys from time to time, which most of us do not, in order that the instrument is silent, I mean click silent.... [[[;)]]]

In fast passages the clicks can be sometime used as replacement for percussion [:D]
Iwan

I'm perfectly aware of the high range of the bassoon at the beginning of the Rite of Spring. It's mentioned with every mention of the work actually, in connection with the "riot" at the premiere.
Anyway you have the patch and I'm pretty sure good ears as well. Are the clicks less noticable in the normal range when you play it?
If they are, I'd be a little surprised, but then again I'm certainly no expert on bassoon.
I'm just drawing from my own experience in school band and recordings I listen to.

Anthony

@Another User said:

Are the clicks less noticable in the normal range when you play it?
If they are, I'd be a little surprised, but then again I'm certainly no expert on bassoon.

Certain frequencies do cover up the clicks. I think Dietz could explain this thing better than I. Just a small example: I have a laptop for internet in my studio which does noise, if the air condition is on I do not hear the laptop anymore, because of air flow, which is more pleasant and much lower in level as the laptop. I think this is also how Dither in audio does work.

Iwan

Yep, this is a psycho-acoustical phenomenon called masking, which appears in the time-domain as well as in the frequency-domain. If you're interested in this topic, do a Google-search, I'm sure there is quite some information available online.

/Dietz - Vienna Symphonic Library

I know about masking, but don't you need a similar frequency range as the noise in order to mask it? That's why I mentioned that metallic clicks are very high frequency, way higher than the highest note a bassoon can play.
Anyway I'm all talked out on this topic!

The recordings of a basson itself can differ in percieved noise ,dependin gon the frequency, your room acoustics, and playback system. This can change the amount of percieved level of the clicks....I guess

Still the basson itself would generally have clicks on every note transition, and depending on how noisy that specific key is, the louder/quieter the click will be.


Now, Herbs right, add some ambient noise in, and use an impulse or tweak some reverb with some filtered out highs, and you lose alot of the "clickyness".

@Another User said:

Yep, this is a psycho-acoustical phenomenon called masking, which appears in the time-domain as well as in the frequency-domain. If you're interested in this topic, do a Google-search, I'm sure there is quite some information available online.

Absolutely. I recommend the (free) guide in pdf format at Izotope site on the subject of dithering. Although it comments from time to time about their mastering product (Ozone) there is an amazing amount of interesting info on the subject of dithering.
I was a real ignorant on anything related to this stuff and now I´m an ignorant who understands dithering [:D]

I've read a lot of "reasons" why the clicking is there, and how it can/should be masked, filtered, etc....

Perhaps it's simply too darn loud and it's bugging some people--for good reason. There is a balance between authenticity and making too much of the things that really aren't what the instrument is supposed to be about.

just lower the volume, put it "back" in reverb with less dry signal and some high frequency filtering, and add some natuaral "hall noise", the clicking should be minimal or not noticable then.