This thesis investigates the transient measurement and analysis of brass musical instruments. The experimental apparatus of Deane (1986) has been substantially revised and developed to allow accurate determination of the input impulse response of instruments up to 8kHz. The inverse problem of calculating the bore of an instrument from its impulse response has been studied with good success. The bores of trumpets have been accurately determined to within 0.1mm up to the bell section where the flare is too great for the algorithm to be valid. Further developments have been made to the application of transient measurements to the manufacturing environment. The apparatus has been shown to detect valve misalignments as small as 0.25mm. A modified apparatus has been developed to allow determination of the input impedance of instruments from transient measurements. The shape of the calculated impedance curves show good agreement with measurements made in the frequency domain although absolute calibration shows errors related to truncation of the transient responses. The internal field of a French Horn bell is studied with the results presented in a series of space-time and space-frequency diagrams. This technique allows detailed examination of the shape of an impulse travelling through the horn. Finally, the relationships between impedance, impulse response and bore have been analysed to form the foundations of a Computer Aided Design technique for brass instruments.

abstract: The C.G. Conn instrument manufacturing company is known as one of the most successful and innovative band instrument manufacturers in the history of the United States. Many of C.G. Conn's instrument product lines have undergone significant changes throughout the company's history, especially in the brass family. The C.G. Conn tuba product lines are no exception to this company's extraordinary success, and have been significantly redesigned since the company began manufacturing these instruments in circa 1880. This research project investigates the tuba product lines that C.G. Conn manufactured between 1880 and 1940. C.G. Conn designed six different tuba product lines during this timeframe, including an unnamed tuba product line with Stölzel valves, the Wonder Valve line, the New American line, the Wonder Model line, the 20-J, and the 22-J instrumental product lines. These tuba product lines have been investigated using extant publications and patent information because the majority of C.G. Conn's internal records prior to 1970 have been lost. In addition to investigating each of C.G. Conn's early tuba product lines, this project also explores the particularly anomalous design in the top-action valve apparatus of the Conn Wonder Model tuba product line. This anomalous design was implemented in the all of C.G. Conn's top-action tuba and tuba-like product lines from circa 1890-1940. This author's measurements of period instruments and analysis of data taken from these measurements indicates that this anomalous top-action valve apparatus design utilized interchangeable parts with other front-action C.G. Conn tuba product lines. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music 2014