Hi, which is from your experience the loudest polymer flute you can get, so I can at least hear myself in the session. Will it be as loud as my wooden Pratten flute( that cracked last weekend)? What's the sound like?
Rob
If you've heard about Sausato's...... a rep. for being quite LOUD, too lund. Maybe what you're looking for. The best polymer is probably the Water Weasel. Loud and pure.
There seem to be an awful lot of posts about how to 'hear yourself', either by increasing volume, or god forbid, changing the pitch you play at sessions. Why? If everyone tried that, sessions would sound appalling. I always went by the rule of thumb that if you couldn't hear yourself, you must be doing something right. If I was so good I thought other people might want to hear me (surely the only criteria for wanting to stand out) , I would choose a smaller Session or lead tunes that few people know.
Rob, are you concerned about hearing yourself because you don't have feedback about the quality of your own playing, or because you don't know if your instrument is being heard by *anyone*? In the first case, it is disconcerting, and is why electric musicians have a monitor facing them. In the second case however, perhaps a recording of a session would let you know if you're being heard, and/or blending as you would hope.
Chris
Funny, I had a flute lesson this past weekend down in Boston. I mentioned that I wanted to get more volume out of my flute. (Cuz one of my music buddies told me to play louder at the session last week) In my lesson I was told that consistency of tone and volume are what's important. I was told to stay loud and strong right after I take a breath and to stay loud and strong right before I take another breath. Keeping a good strong consistent volume throughout the entire phrase is the goal here. I hope I'm making sense. My new flute teacher is great and she explained it a lot more eloquently then I'm doing now.....
Thanks for the comments.I don't expect myself to be heard all over the place ( because I'm out of tune most of the time). It's just that I like to hear bits of myself once in a while, otherwise I could take a walking stick into the session and have the same amount of fun .
But your right, it doesn't make sense to play too loud or strong 'cause it will ruin the sound and the embouchure, people should quite down if they want to pick the tune.
Thanks,
Rob
I really like my M&E polymer flute, it's not the R&R model, but I can still be heard pretty well with a loud fiddle player, a mandolin player, a guitar beater (because thats what he does) and an accordian. I've heard great things about Michael Cronnolly's R&R model which has bigger holes, larger bore and thinner wall thickness, a louder flute. I'd suggest checking that out.
As for the loudest...well there have been some sound suggestions already...instead I will say this. It is most certainly NOT the black plastic Tony Dixon flute. I had the opportunity to play a new one and it was just awful. Poor tuning across two octaves, terrible volume production and an embouchure hole large enough to loose a pint glass in. I had thought about using it as a "camping flute" for backpacking trips and so forth but after a couple of minutes i said forget it!
just some thoughts i.m.h.o.
It sounds like you played a Dixon 2 piece or 1 piece cylindrical model. I have the 3 piece conical bore, and the embouchure hole is no bigger than a friends Dave Williams flute. I've heard the cylindrical ones, and they sound no better than the ones I make myself. My conical bore one is a totally different beast, and a lot more expensive than the cheaper ones. But, it's not the loudest, but it is loud enough to hold it's own with another flute, a fiddle, a bodhran and a piano accordion.
Well last night I made a low D flute out of plastic conduit.
Alas the result was far from wonderful, having a very weak lower octave bottom end particularly E hole, which for position reasons must be small.
I don't see how the weakness problem could be overcome, without using a larger bore, which would compromise the upper octave intonation.
I don't think the tolerances are a real problem, and PVC is not a good material to work with for me as it does not file or grind easily.
I'm looking at ABS pressure pipe next, which has good workability and very low toxicity.
I had a Dixon 3 piece plastic conical bore flute and it had plenty of problems -- tuning across 2 octaves and volume production being 2 of them. I don't recall the embrouchure hole being overly wide, but it was significantly enough different from other flutes that it took a heck of a lot of adjustment to switch back and forth. The tuning was helped by moving the cork and playing with both joints extended a little bit. One feature I liked, though, was that if I thought I was going to screw up a tune in a loud session, no one could hear it but me. When I got my real flute I thought I would use the Dixon as a camping flute (or a baseball bat), but a bad flute being better than no flute, it's now on extended loan to another player up here in Philadelphia.
Despite its problems, it wasn't terrible as a beginner's flute... it was actually easier to play the low notes that are often tough for beginners, and I played the heck out of that thing for several years. If I got a do-over, I'd buy an Olwell Bamboo in D for my starter flute though. I never had any complaints about my Olwell Bamboo Eb, except that it wasn't in D.
loudest polymer flute
loudest polymer flute
Hi, which is from your experience the loudest polymer flute you can get, so I can at least hear myself in the session. Will it be as loud as my wooden Pratten flute( that cracked last weekend)? What's the sound like?
Rob
# Posted on August 17th 2003 by gagorob
Re: loudest polymer flute
Desi Seery makes a boosey/pratten styled polymer flute. Check out Danu to see what it sounds like
# Posted on August 17th 2003 by B Rad
Re: loudest polymer flute
ps Not that I know it's the loudest, I only suggested it 'cause I know it's based on a pratten. I heard good things about M&E's Rudall model as well.
# Posted on August 18th 2003 by B Rad
Re: loudest polymer flute
If you've heard about Sausato's...... a rep. for being quite LOUD, too lund. Maybe what you're looking for. The best polymer is probably the Water Weasel. Loud and pure.
# Posted on August 18th 2003 by irish ruff
Re: loudest polymer flute
Those are whistles though
# Posted on August 18th 2003 by B Rad
Re: loudest polymer flute
There seem to be an awful lot of posts about how to 'hear yourself', either by increasing volume, or god forbid, changing the pitch you play at sessions. Why? If everyone tried that, sessions would sound appalling. I always went by the rule of thumb that if you couldn't hear yourself, you must be doing something right. If I was so good I thought other people might want to hear me (surely the only criteria for wanting to stand out) , I would choose a smaller Session or lead tunes that few people know.
# Posted on August 18th 2003 by Ottery
Re: loudest polymer flute
Rob, are you concerned about hearing yourself because you don't have feedback about the quality of your own playing, or because you don't know if your instrument is being heard by *anyone*? In the first case, it is disconcerting, and is why electric musicians have a monitor facing them. In the second case however, perhaps a recording of a session would let you know if you're being heard, and/or blending as you would hope.
Chris
# Posted on August 18th 2003 by unique
Re: loudest polymer flute
Funny, I had a flute lesson this past weekend down in Boston. I mentioned that I wanted to get more volume out of my flute. (Cuz one of my music buddies told me to play louder at the session last week) In my lesson I was told that consistency of tone and volume are what's important. I was told to stay loud and strong right after I take a breath and to stay loud and strong right before I take another breath. Keeping a good strong consistent volume throughout the entire phrase is the goal here. I hope I'm making sense. My new flute teacher is great and she explained it a lot more eloquently then I'm doing now.....
Well that's just my 1 pound....
Joyce
# Posted on August 18th 2003 by JMH
Re: loudest polymer flute
Thanks for the comments.I don't expect myself to be heard all over the place ( because I'm out of tune most of the time). It's just that I like to hear bits of myself once in a while, otherwise I could take a walking stick into the session and have the same amount of fun
.
But your right, it doesn't make sense to play too loud or strong 'cause it will ruin the sound and the embouchure, people should quite down if they want to pick the tune.
Thanks,
Rob
# Posted on August 18th 2003 by gagorob
Re: loudest polymer flute
I've just made a flute out of plastic Electrical conduit. It
# Posted on August 18th 2003 by Pied Piper
Re: loudest polymer flute
I really like my M&E polymer flute, it's not the R&R model, but I can still be heard pretty well with a loud fiddle player, a mandolin player, a guitar beater (because thats what he does) and an accordian. I've heard great things about Michael Cronnolly's R&R model which has bigger holes, larger bore and thinner wall thickness, a louder flute. I'd suggest checking that out.
# Posted on August 19th 2003 by michael_coleman
Re: loudest polymer flute
As for the loudest...well there have been some sound suggestions already...instead I will say this. It is most certainly NOT the black plastic Tony Dixon flute. I had the opportunity to play a new one and it was just awful. Poor tuning across two octaves, terrible volume production and an embouchure hole large enough to loose a pint glass in. I had thought about using it as a "camping flute" for backpacking trips and so forth but after a couple of minutes i said forget it!
just some thoughts i.m.h.o.
# Posted on August 19th 2003 by farquharson whistler
Re: loudest polymer flute
It sounds like you played a Dixon 2 piece or 1 piece cylindrical model. I have the 3 piece conical bore, and the embouchure hole is no bigger than a friends Dave Williams flute. I've heard the cylindrical ones, and they sound no better than the ones I make myself. My conical bore one is a totally different beast, and a lot more expensive than the cheaper ones. But, it's not the loudest, but it is loud enough to hold it's own with another flute, a fiddle, a bodhran and a piano accordion.
Eric
# Posted on August 19th 2003 by Jayhawk
Re: loudest polymer flute
Well last night I made a low D flute out of plastic conduit.
Alas the result was far from wonderful, having a very weak lower octave bottom end particularly E hole, which for position reasons must be small.
I don't see how the weakness problem could be overcome, without using a larger bore, which would compromise the upper octave intonation.
ATB
PP
# Posted on August 20th 2003 by Pied Piper
Re: loudest polymer flute
Use sched 80 pvc pipe, the tolerances on the ID are far more consistant.
# Posted on August 20th 2003 by B Rad
Re: loudest polymer flute
I don't think the tolerances are a real problem, and PVC is not a good material to work with for me as it does not file or grind easily.
I'm looking at ABS pressure pipe next, which has good workability and very low toxicity.
All the best
PP
# Posted on August 20th 2003 by Pied Piper
Re: loudest polymer flute
I had a Dixon 3 piece plastic conical bore flute and it had plenty of problems -- tuning across 2 octaves and volume production being 2 of them. I don't recall the embrouchure hole being overly wide, but it was significantly enough different from other flutes that it took a heck of a lot of adjustment to switch back and forth. The tuning was helped by moving the cork and playing with both joints extended a little bit. One feature I liked, though, was that if I thought I was going to screw up a tune in a loud session, no one could hear it but me. When I got my real flute I thought I would use the Dixon as a camping flute (or a baseball bat), but a bad flute being better than no flute, it's now on extended loan to another player up here in Philadelphia.
Despite its problems, it wasn't terrible as a beginner's flute... it was actually easier to play the low notes that are often tough for beginners, and I played the heck out of that thing for several years. If I got a do-over, I'd buy an Olwell Bamboo in D for my starter flute though. I never had any complaints about my Olwell Bamboo Eb, except that it wasn't in D.
# Posted on August 21st 2003 by Fsnockhart