Re: Does play with silent brass make sense?


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TubeNet BBS ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by John Swensen on June 10, 2000 at 18:06:14:

In Reply to: Does play with silent brass make sense? posted by Costantino Volpe on June 10, 2000 at 04:32:22:

I tried and almost immediately sent back the Silent Brass system for tuba.
It was extremely top-heavy and just plain heavy (turns a PT-6 into a 6/4 Holton, pain-wise). One of the elastic attachment straps slipped off the mute and dinged my bell flare.

It changed the intonation on my tuba quite a bit, and made all notes play very stuffy (not stuffy like the bottom notes on some F tubas; stuffy like rolling up a blanket and sticking it in your bell).

The electronics were mediocre, at best, and they audibly broke up at only moderate volume levels. Plugging in higher-quality headphones did not seem to help the sound of the electronics.

It does make the tuba quiet, but I can buzz as quietly without all the disadvantages or cost of the Silent Brass for tuba. In all fairness to Yamaha, the Silent Brass system for smaller, lower-airflow instruments, like French horn or trumpet, works reasonably well.


Follow Ups: