Mute Tube Review

[jakepainter]

Hi everyone. About six months ago I bought a Mute Tube practice box tool for Trumpet and thought I should give it a review.

You can see it here:

http://www.mute-tube.com/en/

I'll hopefully make some playing videos soon too, but here's the text version.

Previously I was hiring a practice studio but I moved apartment in June and the new apartment was a little too far from the studio so I wanted an at-home solution. I have small kids and neighbours that do not like trumpet so I needed something that would allow me to practise and record at home without trouble.

Mute Tube offer a return option within 2 weeks of purchase so I got the security of knowing I could send it back, which is what made me go for it

The product itself is sturdy and well made, you can sit it on a stand or have it on a desk. I have it on a stand in a sitting position. The most important thing is of course the sound reduction / playability and for me it works really great, I'm extremely satisfied with it. There is no back pressure at all and the feel of the instrument is great, no intonation or blowing issues and a lot nicer than practicing with a mute.

In terms of sound reduction it reduces the volume by enough to practice in the daytime but for me not at night with total silence around. My building is very quiet at night and no ambient noise at all so even a practice mute would likely be too loud.

Using the Mute Tube my trumpet is about the same level as someone talking at a moderate volume (conversation level) Of course this is neighbour / building dependant but i think for most apartments it would work well.

The feature i like the most though is that there is a mike clip and port at the end and you can use it for recording. I have used this a lot and the sound is absolutely fantastic. I've recorded for professional TV / Soundtrack type stuff through it using an AKG 414 and an Apollo twin interface. Great sound, and not boxy at all. I've had home studios for a long time and it's actually the best sound I've ever had. Of course it isolates sound from outside too so you get a really clean sound. I also practice sometimes with the mike in and headphones on when I'm practicing Jazz, with backing tracks etc and it works well, plus i can record my practice sessions and listen back.

The only annoying feature is the clip on music stand is hard to use if you wear glasses as you have to look up at a weird angle. I actually put a music stand to the side and this works well for me.

At 400 Euros it's not cheap but it's a lot cheaper than a full isolation practice room and you have no negative playing effects that you do with a mute. I think it's a good solution for those of us with at home practice issues. I also think if you made a small area of a room and curtained it off with heavy fabric it would be useable at night too. I'm considering doing this to get more practice time in!

I hope this is helpful to people, I'd been looking for reviews and not found much online as it's pretty new. Just to mention I paid for the Mute Tube in full and am not in any way associated with the company.

Ps Edit - I forgot I'm playing lead trumpet and a solo on this lockdown video using Mute Tube, You can see it clearly at 2:22

https://youtu.be/-8B4M0Tif-8?t=142

Just a little disclaimer the sound on that recording had been made to sound a bit roomy by the person making that video so to blend in with the other people at home, it's usually a much cleaner sound, ill post some of my own recordings soon.


Happy practising and stay well!

Jake
_________________
www.thefullfathorns.co.uk

[arthurtwoshedsjackson]

Thanks for posting your review! Any chance you could provide a real-world measurement of the sound reduction (the web site claims -25dB or more) near your ears with/without the mute tube? Even measurements using a phone app (e.g., dB Meter) for an approximation would be great. I’m considering purchasing one as a means to reduce discomfort while playing due to hearing damage.

[jakepainter]

Just downloaded a DB app on my phone and it was about 23 Decibels less inside the MuteTube -
_________________
www.thefullfathorns.co.uk

[arthurtwoshedsjackson]

That was very nice of you, thank you. Do recall the reading while the trumpet was in the tube?

[jakepainter]

[Didymus]

Thank you for taking the time to review the Mute-Tube.

I considered investing in a similar device. Unfortunately, the manufacturer did not have any American brick & mortar distributors where I could try one before buying.
_________________
Enjoy the journey.

[arthurtwoshedsjackson]