Re: Rotary vs. Piston


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Posted by Ed What the Heckman on March 24, 1999 at 13:51:50:

In Reply to: Rotary vs. Piston posted by Doug on March 23, 1999 at 18:11:24:

I personally prefer rotary valves for very specific reasons. But if I had not been able to find a rotary valve instrument with an excellent sound I would have gone with a piston valve instrument.

In my experience, piston valves tend to be more consistant from manufacturer to manufacturer than rotary valves do. I've played instruments with rotaries that are slower than pistons and ones that are faster than pistons. In my case, I chose a Miraphone 186 which not only has a sound I really like, but the valves are probably the fastest available on any horn.

I'm a computer programmer. I also play the piano. Those two activities mean that I'm a high risk for developing carpal tunnel syndrome. So when I was choosing a tuba, I needed to pay close attention to the effort required to depress the valves. Rotary valves got the nod in my case because they generally have a shorter throw (travel distance) than pistons. The distance between the paddles can also be adjusted to reduce how far apart my fingers are spread. My Miraphone's valves also have a pretty low effort. And finally, the rotary valves have a "snap" feeling to them that pretty well matches the feel of piano keys. All these factors add up to my personal preference.

Now that you know what *I* like, you'll need to make your own decision. You may not like the Miraphone sound. You may not have a CTS risk. You may just find that you like pistons better. Try out a bunch of horns and make your own choices.

Ed "What the" Heckman


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