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Oddeyez Regular Member
Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 21 Location: Sweden
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Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 12:49 am Post subject: Experiences regarding the new Lotus mouthpieces? |
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Hi everyone,
Since the Lotus line of mouthpieces recently have been released in Sweden,
I am curious to know about the experiences you guys and gals out there have regarding these mouthpiecers so far?
Considering Mr Rapa's pitch in the videos, my first reaction is along the lines "If something seems to good to be true, it probably is..."
I am only interested in objective feedback.
Thank you in advance,
Cheers,
Michael in Sweden _________________ Black lacquered Jupiter Pocket Trumpet
Silver plated Calicchio 3/9 trumpet from the mid 80's
Blessing Valve Trombone |
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Oddeyez Regular Member
Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 21 Location: Sweden
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Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 1:05 am Post subject: |
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Seeing that no one so far has answered my post,
I feel the need to reprase it:
Have anyone of you out there tried Lotus mouthpieces, and is there any validity to Mr Rapa's claim that they are so fantastic, or is this most smoke and mirrors, so to speak?
I am interested since I am considering buying one. Although they are expensive and I doubt that they come with a trial period.
Sincerely,
Michael in Sweden _________________ Black lacquered Jupiter Pocket Trumpet
Silver plated Calicchio 3/9 trumpet from the mid 80's
Blessing Valve Trombone |
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LSOfanboy Veteran Member
Joined: 08 Jul 2018 Posts: 347
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Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 1:46 am Post subject: |
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I don't think many people have had a chance to try them yet. A colleague of mine sent an email asking to buy a couple and, although they replied to his initial response he hasn't heard back from them since.
Personally I am also interested in trying the mouthpieces too, but had banked on waiting for my colleague to receive his and have a go on those. So he is not the only one waiting impatiently... |
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dstpt Heavyweight Member
Joined: 14 Dec 2005 Posts: 1286
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Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 8:15 am Post subject: |
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I have a local friend that will be getting a couple Lotus mpcs with a new Lotus 140 B-flat trumpet, which should arrive this week. As soon as they do and I get a chance, I'll try to post here. He already owns one Lotus B-flat and plans to try his hand as a distributor. A few other horns should arrive within 2-3 months, including a 4-valve B-flat. With each I think they are sending mpcs, but I'm not sure how he has that set up with Lotus. |
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O00Joe Veteran Member
Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 364 Location: Houston & Austin, Texas
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Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 10:18 am Post subject: |
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So they supposedly have "equal tempered" octaves. The only point of real difference from other mouthpieces as far as I can discern from the available info is something with the backbore, no specifics however.
Off topic but the info videos are reeeeally hard to watch. Knee slapping between every sentence, lotsa hand waving, explosive nose breathing, superfluous superlatives, and #stimulants _________________ 1981 Bb Bach Stradivarius 37/25 ML raw - Laskey 60C
2003 C Bach Stradivarius 239/25A L silver - Stork Vacchiano 4C25C
2006 Bb/A Schilke Piccolo P5-4 silver - Reeves A adaptor - Stork SM SP6
Akai MPC Live II
Roland JD-Xi
Casio MT-68 |
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PW-Factor Heavyweight Member
Joined: 19 Mar 2009 Posts: 909 Location: Joliet, IL
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Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2019 5:58 pm Post subject: |
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I have a feeling that they won't work for everyone. Anytime somebody says their equipment is "the easiest to play", to me that says that the player has to be supremely efficient in their playing approach to maximize the benefit. I use a lot more lip intrusion and chop energy than many, and likely more than I should. I took a long lesson around New Year trying to focus on diaphragm compression and soft chops (the Bergeron / Ingram model, I guess), but after 20 years of playing, trying to learn a completely new way to play a reliable forte High C is just so daunting when you have a busy playing schedule.
I have tried a handful of Monettes, and never got them to work for me. They preach about things like "less energy" and "even octaves" and such, so I imagine that personally, the Lotus wouldn't work for me, either. _________________ Ska/Reggae - The Selectones
New Orleans Funk - The Big Lagniappe
Raw Brass HB2 - Hammond PW
Gen II ACB Doubler Flugel - Curry 5FL |
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BraeGrimes Veteran Member
Joined: 14 Apr 2011 Posts: 269 Location: Australia
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Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2019 9:44 pm Post subject: Re: Experiences regarding the new Lotus mouthpieces? |
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Oddeyez wrote: | "If something seems to good to be true, it probably is..."
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Nailed it. No mouthpiece will fix everything like the claims.
Plus model:
"Truly Equal-Tempered Octaves, for people who want the most effortless playing experience possible" - why would you offer anything other than that???
Look, they may be good, but for 200 Euros???? Pfffffffffttttt... |
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TrptSTP Veteran Member
Joined: 25 Apr 2008 Posts: 378 Location: Toledo, OH
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2019 10:10 am Post subject: |
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O00Joe wrote: | So they supposedly have "equal tempered" octaves. The only point of real difference from other mouthpieces as far as I can discern from the available info is something with the backbore, no specifics however.
Off topic but the info videos are reeeeally hard to watch. Knee slapping between every sentence, lotsa hand waving, explosive nose breathing, superfluous superlatives, and #stimulants |
I thought that you were exaggerating until I watched a few of those videos and checked out the website. I hope that he is ok. Yikes. |
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O00Joe Veteran Member
Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 364 Location: Houston & Austin, Texas
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2019 10:30 am Post subject: |
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Yea, I appreciate excitement but holy moly! Taking a page out of Bernstein's book perhaps?
And hey, I'm not saying I'm some sort of saint, I've "been around the block". It's just kinda funny. (Yet grating...) _________________ 1981 Bb Bach Stradivarius 37/25 ML raw - Laskey 60C
2003 C Bach Stradivarius 239/25A L silver - Stork Vacchiano 4C25C
2006 Bb/A Schilke Piccolo P5-4 silver - Reeves A adaptor - Stork SM SP6
Akai MPC Live II
Roland JD-Xi
Casio MT-68 |
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JayKosta Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Dec 2018 Posts: 3309 Location: Endwell NY USA
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2019 11:21 am Post subject: |
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Is having "equal tempered" octaves something new for wind instruments?
From the Lotus website, it seems this means the octaves are somewhat larger (stretched) as the pitch gets higher - which I think is the standard for 'piano tuning'.
I understand that making it easier to 'play in tune' in the upper register is desirable, and a good selling point. But is equal tempered octaves the real answer?
Are other brands/types of mouthpieces known for their ability (or lack) for this?
Jay _________________ Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'. |
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mm55 Heavyweight Member
Joined: 01 Jul 2013 Posts: 1412
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:53 pm Post subject: |
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JayKosta wrote: | Is having "equal tempered" octaves something new for wind instruments? |
"Equal tempered octaves" would appear to be meaningless marketing hype. Temperament, as used to describe tuning systems, does not apply to octaves. Piano tunings are "stretched" because of the inherent inharmonicity of vibrating strings. That's not relevant to trumpets, nor is it considered "temperament." _________________ '75 Bach Strad 180ML/37
'79 King Silver Flair
'07 Flip Oakes Wild Thing
'42 Selmer US
'90 Yamaha YTR6450S(C)
'12 Eastman ETR-540S (D/Eb)
'10 Carol CPT-300LR pkt
'89 Yamaha YCR2330S crnt
'13 CarolBrass CFL-6200-GSS-BG flg
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yctrumpet Regular Member
Joined: 21 Mar 2018 Posts: 12
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2019 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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I've heard some good things about the mouthpiece. Last week, I had the chance to talk to Mr. Huw Morgan when he was on tour in the states. (his recital is a must-go, top-notch playing). He said the mouthpiece Lotus makes is excellent, it may or may not be your cup of tea, but he said it definitely worths to try out if there is a chance. |
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Oddeyez Regular Member
Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 21 Location: Sweden
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2019 1:28 am Post subject: |
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I've decide to try out a mouthpiece made by the Swiss maker Michael Brand.
Expecting one in the mail right now.
/Michael
Well, I was not satisfied with the Michael Brand mouthpiece. Someting with having plastic against my lips felt strange to me.
I think I'll skip venturing out on mouthpiece safaris for the time being. I play a Laskey 60S together with a Denis Wick booster, wich is a set-up that I am happy with. If it ain't broke, don't fix it...
/Michael _________________ Black lacquered Jupiter Pocket Trumpet
Silver plated Calicchio 3/9 trumpet from the mid 80's
Blessing Valve Trombone
Last edited by Oddeyez on Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:49 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Brad361 Heavyweight Member
Joined: 16 Dec 2007 Posts: 7080 Location: Houston, TX.
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 10:37 am Post subject: |
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Deleted. _________________ When asked if he always sounds great:
"I always try, but not always, because the horn is merciless, unpredictable and traitorous." - Arturo Sandoval
Last edited by Brad361 on Wed Feb 06, 2019 8:10 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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LSOfanboy Veteran Member
Joined: 08 Jul 2018 Posts: 347
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 10:57 am Post subject: |
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I wonder if someone who has actually TRIED these new mouthpieces might comment?
As much as I agree with many people's sentiment regarding the marketing; the thread is about how these mouthpieces play, not our collective opinions on the ad campaign. If you haven't blown them, then I don't totally understand the need to post replies in the thread.
All the best |
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wiemelen Veteran Member
Joined: 08 Aug 2007 Posts: 455 Location: Belgium
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 3:30 am Post subject: |
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LSOfanboy wrote: | I wonder if someone who has actually TRIED these new mouthpieces might comment?
As much as I agree with many people's sentiment regarding the marketing; the thread is about how these mouthpieces play, not our collective opinions on the ad campaign. If you haven't blown them, then I don't totally understand the need to post replies in the thread.
All the best |
Can only agree with this post
There was a Workshop with Adam Rapa in The Netherlands last weekend.
So people had the chance to try them out.
A Dutch professional is currently trying them out on several trumpets (b,c,d,e and piccolo). He indicated he will be posting his review, including some sound samples, soon. I'll keep an eye out for it and post a link when it comes available. _________________ Trumpet : Yamaha YTR-9335CHS + Yamaha YTR-6335H
Trumpet mouthpieces : Lotus 2L (main) + Lotus 2L2
Flugelhorn : Kanstul 1525 with Curry 1,5FL
Cornet : Conn 80a (1919) with Curry 1,5 BBC + Curry 1,5 VC + GR L66,9 #6 |
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scottfsmith Veteran Member
Joined: 27 Jun 2015 Posts: 474 Location: Maryland
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 9:43 am Post subject: |
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I would be very curious what the throats and backbores look like on these. My at-a-distance impression is both Lotus and Donat are new mouthpiece makers using Monette-style backbores: wide throat, highly conical backbore and shorter overall length. I watched one of the Lotus videos and it even sounded like the same talking points as Monette's. They also have two models, Plus and Standard, which sounds analogous to Prana and non-Prana.
Note I'm not dissing either of these makers -- "good artists copy, great artists steal" _________________ Thane Standard Large Bb / Monette Unity B6-7M mpc
Lots of vintage trumpets and mouthpieces |
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TaylorBarnett80 Veteran Member
Joined: 11 Jul 2004 Posts: 188
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Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2019 7:44 am Post subject: |
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I ordered a Lotus 2M+ in annealed brass, a couple of days after their announcement back in January. My sense from the ordering process is that they are a very small (2 person, or so) operation. I had an initial question that I submitted through the website and I received a helpful answer within a day. I then ordered the mouthpiece on their website and got an automatic confirmation email that my order had gone through and would be processed.
Then I didn't hear anything else from them for a week, about shipping, so I emailed them and got a reply that they were shipping it out that day (a week after the order). It shipped from Switzerland and took two weeks to arrive (3 weeks after ordering), which was expected.
The mouthpiece is very well-made. The throat and shank are perfectly centered and round, and the design is quite attractive. I have been playing a Monette Silver 4, which is in their LT blank, and the Lotus mouthpiece is shaped very similarly, but is slightly lighter in weight (mostly due to less mass on the rim).
I have not measured it, but the throat looks to be slightly larger than a standard 27, but not as big as my Monette Silver 4, which is a 22. I'd ballpark it at a 24 or 25.
The mouthpiece plays very well. I like the intonation on my Monette, and this feels very similar. The articulation is a little crisper and cleaner on the Lotus. The tone is hard to compare between the two, as the Lotus is a little bit shallower (which is why I wanted it), so it is obviously a little brighter.
Regarding the sizing, I find the rim to feel slightly larger than the measurement they provide on their website would lead me to expect. I realize that the contour has a lot to do with that, and not all makers measure their rims at the same point. They list the 2 rim as being 0.460", which would make it the same as a Warburton 4, however it feels larger than that, by about half a "size." I kind of wish I'd gotten the 3 rim instead, but alas...
The M cup is exactly what they describe it as. I'd compare it to the Warburton M cup or the Bach D cup, or the Monette LDS1 cup.
One thing I like better about the Lotus 2M versus the Monette B4LDS1 is that the alpha angle, or under cut, is a little steeper on the Lotus, making the articulation a little cleaner, and less prone to bottoming out. The Monette B4LDS1 feels more like a Schilke 14A4 in how the rim enters the cup, which I don't prefer.
I hope this info helps! |
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wohlrab Veteran Member
Joined: 30 Mar 2015 Posts: 131 Location: California
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Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 11:00 pm Post subject: |
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Has anyone else had any experiences on these pieces yet? |
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ianmcarey New Member
Joined: 18 Sep 2002 Posts: 8 Location: Richmond, CA
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2019 5:47 pm Post subject: |
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In case anyone's still paying attention here: I bought a 2L+ in brass (was using a Monette B3FS7, the Rapa model, previously)--the 2 rim is slightly narrower than the comparable Monette pieces (according to the Lotus comparison chart)--actually between a Bach 1.5 and 2 width. Maybe because of this the mouthpiece felt a little "tight" in the upper register for me. (The bore is also smaller than the Prana mouthpieces--thankfully!--but the thickness of the metal at the end of the shank sort of splits the difference between standard Monette and Prana.) After giving it a month or so I decided to keep the same rim diameter but go for the next deeper cup, the XL. They suggested trying the Nickel silver variety to compensate for the depth a little (the nickel ones are supposed to be slightly more focused sound-wise). I ended up loving the 2XL+N--cup is super-comfortable, sound was richer AND more open in the upper register. I don't see changing anything for the foreseeable future! (Famous last words.) I do wish they offered gold plate, though.
(Oh, and my understanding is they'll do returns as long as you keep it pristine.) |
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