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New Silent Brass SB7X Review


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Turkle
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Joined: 29 Apr 2008
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Location: New York City

PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2014 6:02 pm    Post subject: New Silent Brass SB7X Review Reply with quote

Hi, all. After reading another player's review here on TH, I purchased the new Silent Brass SB7X. They're retailing for a little over $200, but I found one on Ebay brand new for $170, and I think some may have found them cheaper. I've had it for a week or two now.

Quick summary: this mute is amazing. Buy one immediately.

Some background: I live in NYC. While I am lucky enough to have access to some free practice rooms, I do work a full-time job and it's not always feasible for me to get out to the practice rooms every day. So, like many musicians here in the City, I am forced to do a certain amount of practicing in my apartment. This poses problems - my building has rather thin walls so I need to practice quietly.

Now, I never liked the old Silent Brass. The mute was heavy and unbalanced and always fell out of the horn. The sound was abominable, and the reverb was cheesy. And the pitch was horrendous. No thanks.

Let me say this - the new Silent Brass is light-years ahead of the old one. The mute is extremely small and light and fits snugly in the bell of my horn (8310z). The small amplifier easily hooks up to my phone/computer for metronome/iRealBook/Abersold accompaniment. All the cables are included. (I never tried the included earbuds - I have better headphones than that.)

The sound is amazing. It really sounds like you're playing for real. It is even quieter than playing with my Bremmer SHHH Mute, but it sounds like you're honking away. Great!

The amplifier is extremely easy to use.

The pitch, OK, the pitch gets sharp in the low register and flat in the upper register. But it's comparable to a harmon, I'd say. It's easy not to overblow, however, because of the amplifier.

I would really not recommend doing lip slurs or sustained practice on this thing. The back pressure does get to you even when you're playing quietly. But it's GREAT for blowing through scales / jazz licks / Clarke. It feels really good to be able to spend an hour before bed just jamming along to an Abersold / iRealBook jazz tune or drilling some scales. Sure beats watching TV!

In sum: every NYC player needs to buy one of these immediately. If you have to do any quiet practicing in your apartment, you need this now. Do it.
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trumpethead
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PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2014 7:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the review.

I've been on the edge with buying this new one for a couple of weeks, read everything I could find on it yet still undecided - I had the old system a long time ago and sold it off, so I mustn't have been too thrilled with it.

Was also thinking the Wallace Studio practice mute which is a lot cheaper.

I think the Yamaha system might be the way to go...
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JonathanM
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Joined: 25 Aug 2007
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PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2014 9:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great review; thank you. I'd made a Youtube vid of the old one - which was (at least) quiet. I've heard the new one is better but your review is quite thorough and very informative.
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Secco
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PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2014 10:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I bought the new SB, thinking it would be better than the old one, which I already had. The new one is much smaller, and was reported to play with less back pressure.

I found the back pressure was about the same. Intonation in high and low range about the same. The mute and the box are both a lot smaller.

The big problem that led me to send the new one back is that it only has two reverb settings: one with lots of reverb and the other with more. You can't listen to yourself without reverb! With the old SB you have a rheostat dial controlling the reverb to whatever level you want, and that includes zero reverb.
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Brad361
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PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2014 4:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

While I recognize the need for a practice mute or Silent Brass, and have used the older SB, I HATED the old one. Sounds like the new model is a big improvement.
Lucky for me, I no longer need to use one (single family house), but I realize many people do.

Brad361
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Bill Dishman
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PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2014 6:01 am    Post subject: Silent Brass etc. Reply with quote

I will be adding the new Silent Brass, the new Best Brass version and the new Bremmner "on stage" model to my survey very soon.

Bill Dishman
Gainesville, Florida
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markp
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PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2014 8:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I want to make sure I buy the best, most up-to-date model. That's the SB7X for sure? I seem to remember seeing one labeled the SB9X.

I also have seen some on ebay with other letters on the end. Like SB7XC and SB7X EMS F/S.

Do some have different, or more features than others?
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tclement
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Location: Austin, Tx

PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2014 10:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I recently purchased a SB7X. I travel frequently and take a CarolBrass pocket trumpet with me. The SB7X and CarolBrass combo works well for me. Make sure you have a good set of earphone or ear monitors. I use M-Audio IE-30 ear monitors. The iPhone earbuds distort at relatively low volume levels when used with the SB7X.

I've been using a Trumcor practice mute. The Trumcor is a fantastic practice mute, however I don't enjoy practicing with a practice mute for more than a few days. My trips can be as long as 3 weeks. The SB7X provides a nice trumpet sound.

I owned an original silent brass before replacing it with the Trumcor. The original SB was ok.

There is a good review of practice mutes at:
http://www.dallasmusic.org/gearhead/Practice%20Mutes.html
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ghelbig
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PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2014 10:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

markp wrote:
I want to make sure I buy the best, most up-to-date model. That's the SB7X for sure? I seem to remember seeing one labeled the SB9X.

I also have seen some on ebay with other letters on the end. Like SB7XC and SB7X EMS F/S.

Do some have different, or more features than others?


The SB7X is the trumpet system - it has the PM7X mute and the STX personal studio.

The SB6X is the flugelhorn system - it has the PM6X mute and the STX personal studio.

The SB7-9 is the old style, I did not find any mention of a SB9X.

Yes, the SB7X is the latest (and greatest) Yamaha practice mute system for trumpet.

Gary.


Last edited by ghelbig on Wed May 21, 2014 11:11 am; edited 1 time in total
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markp
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PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2014 10:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks!

Has anyone tried the flugelhorn model?
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Turkle
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PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2014 11:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Obviously, if I didn't have to find a way to practice silently, there would be no need for the Silent Brass - it will always, far and away, be better to practice open! But I see so many posts in here about people worried about apartment practicing, and I myself have tried literally every possible method. The SBX7 is the first time I felt like I was getting a REAL practice session in.

Practicing too often on it will probably lead to problems with pitch, articulation, spread chops, and a host of other ills. But if used as an intelligent supplement to honest, sustained, open practice, I figure it can only help us. That's why I plan to use it more for drilling scales, arpeggios, Clarke Studies, and jamming along with Abersold rather than chop workouts like lip-slurs, long tones, etudes, and learning classical repertoire.
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chasesanborn
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Joined: 24 Jan 2005
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Location: Toronto

PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2014 1:57 pm    Post subject: Silent Brass Review Reply with quote

Silent Brass ST9 (old)

vs.

Silent Brass STX (new)

POWERING UP
For this test, I had to remove the nine volt battery from my smoke detector to power the ST9. Even assuming my house does not catch fire during the test, this scores one for STX which operates on AA batteries. I always have a supply of those.

COMPATIBILITY
The STX mute works when plugged into the ST9 box, but it sounds loud and distorted, so it must be overdriving the input. The ST9 mute does not work when plugged into the STX box. So the two systems are not compatible.

SOUND QUALITY
The difference in sound quality is obvious. The STX is much smoother and the reverb is longer and more natural. By comparison, the ST9 sounds more like you are playing in a box, even with the reverb switched on. Yamaha calls the new electronics Brass Resonance Modeling, which is supposed to make a muted horn sound like an open horn. I would not say that is fully achieved, however the STX is definitely a major step up in sound quality.

MUTE ALONE
Used as a mute alone, without the electronics, the sonic differences are less obvious. The STX mute seems a bit quieter and a bit stuffier. The STX mute responds a little better at the bottom of the horn, the ST9 responds a little better at the top of the horn, above high E. Both are excellent practice mutes, albeit expensive if you do not intend to utilize the electronics.

CONVENIENCE
The STX mute is nearly half the size and weight, does not tend to fall out and packs fully inside of the bell. Mind you, that means you can’t carry a trumpet stand there. But in any case it is much more convenient to transport and use. The wire connects to the end of the mute rather than the side. This is a small point, but I find it more convenient.

CONTROL BOX
The STX control box is a bit larger than the ST9, but it has a handy belt clip built in rather than a strap that seems forever in the way. The ST9 volume control is easier to use, but realistically I tend to keep the volume full up; it’s not all that loud.

As noted, the STX runs on AA instead of 9 volt. That’s a big plus in my book.

CONCLUSION
There is no contest; the STX wins hands down. If you already own the ST9, the decision whether to upgrade will depend on how important the advantages are to you. I feel that the STX is so much more convenient and sounds so much better that it will get used more often. That’s justification enough in my book, not that I ever need that much justification to spend money.

Note: in a quick comparison to the ST5, which I also own, the sonic improvements on the STX are less obvious. However the ST5 was a very expensive unit that included all sorts of bells and whistles including various EQ, effects, loop recording, pitch change etc. They were fun to play with for the first couple of weeks. As the ST5 is discontinued, the comparison is somewhat moot.
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Voltrane
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PostPosted: Fri May 23, 2014 10:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, I bought one and here is my experience:

1- Sound is good and it is far more enjoyable to pratice with the SB X than with my standard pratice mute.
2- Sound is good but sounds more like "amplified mute playing" than open horn playing. So nice,acceptable but not "HiFi".
3- The quality of sound and intonation are closely related to the shape and size of the bell: at their best with my C Bach 239, acceptable with my Bb Besson10-10 (a special kind of bell) or my Sovereign cornet, bad with my Eb, ridiculous with a piccolo.

4- It is a piece of Junk regarding the manufacturing quality of the amplier: here is the result of 2 days of a light practice (and I am not a brute) :

[/URL]

So: Could be a good product that really improve praticing with a silent mute but wasted by a poor manufacturing quality

Marc
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horntooter
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PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2014 8:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great review! I still have to pull the headphones off on a regular basis to make sure no sound is coming out of the bell. It's always surprising!
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lmaraya
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PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2014 9:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The problem I have with practice mutes of any kind is that my embouchure feels very weird when I come back to play open, this caused by the increased resistance I think. Does this new model have less resistance? Would it create the same problems?
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chasesanborn
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Joined: 24 Jan 2005
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PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2014 10:16 am    Post subject: New Silent Brass Reply with quote

Any practice mute will add resistance, and will never feel or sound the same as playing an open horn. Played acoustically, the urge is to overblow with a practice mute to compensate for the diminished sound. The Silent Brass amplifier and reverb help a lot to combat that tendency, but you have to work with the resistance, not fight it, by easing off. That in itself is a good lesson.

A practice mute cannot replace the importance of hearing the true sound of the instrument, but it can provide additional practice opportunities.
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lmaraya
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PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2014 10:20 am    Post subject: Re: New Silent Brass Reply with quote

chasesanborn wrote:
Any practice mute will add resistance, and will never feel or sound the same as playing an open horn. Played acoustically, the urge is to overblow with a practice mute to compensate for the diminished sound. The Silent Brass amplifier and reverb help a lot to combat that tendency, but you have to work with the resistance, not fight it, by easing off. That in itself is a good lesson.

A practice mute cannot replace the importance of hearing the true sound of the instrument, but it can provide additional practice opportunities.


You are right, and I always make sure I don't overblow, with or without the mute, but I still feel bad after using the practice mute.
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Turkle
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 2:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just wanted to give this a bump because I'm practicing right now with my Silent Brass! I've had it for a year, and I still love this darned thing. And this is for real - because it allows me an extra half hour to an hour of additional practicing each evening before bed, my playing has improved by leaps and bounds. Extra scales help!!

Once you get used to it, it's easy to avoid overblowing. A tip: I find that the heavier the instrument, the better the mute responds and the easier it is not to overblow. So my Connstellation or Bach trumpets perform very well with it, while my lightweight Yamaha does not.

I again strongly urge all apartment-dwellers to purchase one of these. When you plug in your phone, stocked with Abersolds and iRealbook, it's like having your own personal rhythm section in your apartment with you. Cheers!
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orchestraltrpt
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PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2015 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just purchased one of these from amazon, now ~$160 USD.

Here are some unboxing pics:

http://imgur.com/a/ug3Im

I am able to practice and feel like I did a real practice session with this silent brass.

With other practice mutes, I feel like I could never really do much other than quick warm-ups and so forth.

Resistance-wise it feels similar to the shh mute.
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jungledoc
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PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2015 4:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can't find the difference between SB7X and SB7XC. Can anyone help? I'm going to buy one this week.
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