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multiphonic
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Joined: 14 Oct 2019
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 Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 9:15 am Post subject: Silent Brass with other electronics |
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Hi,
I have asymmetrical hearing damage (hyperacusis; tinnitus) from years of playing bell-up euphonium and tuba. I've attempted comebacks using a variety different horns: bell-front, oval, marching baritone etc. and I can't play them softly enough to be comfortable. Euphoniums mutes are cumbersome as well as expensive and don't work well for me.
Weston / Etymotic custom earplugs are no longer adequate and I gave up playing with people quite a while ago. I play at home for fun and to help keep busy (recent retiree), so if I never play an unmuted horn again it doesn't matter.
I've recently switched to trumpet/cornet and have been making pretty good progress playing with practice mutes: Sshhhmute, Pampet and I have a Wallace Studio on the way. There is a much wider variety of trumpet gear, relative to the euphonium world, and it's far less expensive to experiment. It's also been fun to finally become proficient reading and playing in treble clef.
I'm interested in purchasing the current version of the Yamaha Silent brass for trumpet with an eye (or ear) toward using it to hear myself through loudspeakers, which would allow me to control the volume as well as place the sound source where it's comfortable.
So...
Does Silent Brass work well with other electronic equipment: preamps, analog inputs on digital interfaces and the like?
Can the pick-up be plugged directly into effects or a pre-amp or is the personal studio required?
Has anyone used it with guitar effects units / boxes?
Any other advice would also be appreciated.
Thanks,
multiphonic
Last edited by multiphonic on Sun Oct 20, 2019 9:34 am; edited 3 times in total |
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OldHorn
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 9:18 am Post subject: |
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| To add to this question, can the volume of the Silent Brass unit be lowered so it's softer than the real volume of the horn? |
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multiphonic
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Joined: 14 Oct 2019
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 9:19 am Post subject: |
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| OldHorn wrote: | | To add to this question, can the volume of the Silent Brass unit be lowered so it's softer than the real volume of the horn? |
Excellent question. Thanks! |
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theslawdawg
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Joined: 13 Oct 2008
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Location: Waikiki, Hawaii
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 9:47 am Post subject: |
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| multiphonic wrote: | | OldHorn wrote: | | To add to this question, can the volume of the Silent Brass unit be lowered so it's softer than the real volume of the horn? |
Excellent question. Thanks! |
Yes. But you are basically turning the mute all the way down, and using it as a practice mute.
_________________
My go-to Trumpet and Flugel: Thane.
Greg Black MPs |
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Bwat
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Joined: 20 Sep 2019
Posts: 47
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 10:39 am Post subject: |
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Youtube has plenty of videos demonstrating what you’re looking for. One example is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0pXSsncnlw
I could hook up mine to my oscilloscope and send you a ’print screen’ but then again if the scope output of me blowing a fortissimo concert Bb helps you then you’re the sort of person who could hook up the silent brass outpt signals (mute output, or, box output) to any device input you wanted.
I use my silent brass every day (cornet and ipad playing backing tracks as inputs) and it works a treat, a bit more resistance than my practice mute but manageable. |
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OldHorn
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 11:08 am Post subject: |
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| Like the OP, I have some hearing loss. I don't like to use headphones for anything loud, trying to prevent further hearing loss. That's why I was wondering if the Silent Brass system can be used with a lower than real life volume output. |
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theslawdawg
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Joined: 13 Oct 2008
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Location: Waikiki, Hawaii
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 11:11 am Post subject: |
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| Bwat wrote: | Youtube has plenty of videos demonstrating what you’re looking for. One example is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0pXSsncnlw
I could hook up mine to my oscilloscope and send you a ’print screen’ but then again if the scope output of me blowing a fortissimo concert Bb helps you then you’re the sort of person who could hook up the silent brass outpt signals (mute output, or, box output) to any device input you wanted.
I use my silent brass every day (cornet and ipad playing backing tracks as inputs) and it works a treat, a bit more resistance than my practice mute but manageable. |
Thank you for the video. I used to have that M9 for my guitar rig!
_________________
My go-to Trumpet and Flugel: Thane.
Greg Black MPs |
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multiphonic
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| Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 5:30 am Post subject: |
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| Thanks everyone! I'm going to give it a go and report back. |
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mrhappy
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Location: Port Jackson, NY
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| Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 5:37 am Post subject: Re: Silent Brass with other electronics |
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| multiphonic wrote: |
Does Silent Brass work well with other electronic equipment: preamps, analog inputs on digital interfaces and the like?
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Yes, if you use the line out/headphone out plugged into a mixer/ pre/ etc.
| multiphonic wrote: |
Can the pick-up be plugged directly into effects or a pre-amp or is the personal studio required?
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I believe the 'personal studio' supplies a voltage to the 'mute mic' so it would be required. ( although I haven't actually experimented with mute only)
| multiphonic wrote: |
Has anyone used it with guitar effects units / boxes?
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Yes it works with effects boxes. (I mostly plug a 'Personal Studio' into a mixer which sends to a effects pedalboard)
| multiphonic wrote: |
Any other advice would also be appreciated.
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A few things to consider using a loudspeaker system: REVERB! 
Depending on the speakers/volume used... there's usually a resonance in the lower lower frequency range that become more annoying/difficult to deal with as the volume gets louder... (maybe not an issue for your lower volume usage).
The original (large) version of the 'Personal Studio' has a separate control for 'reverb level' which is missing on the later versions. The most recent version, for example allows you to change reverb 'type' but you can't turn it off!
Using headphones this is fine, but if you plan on using your rig through effects pedals, speaker system, etc. this can become a problem.
I have the latest version PS which works great using headphones for practicing, etc. but I had to buy an 'original' (large) PS to use into my PA/ pedalboard rig due to the reverb issue.
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multiphonic
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| Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 6:08 am Post subject: |
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Re: verb
That's good to know MH. Thanks! |
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theslawdawg
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Joined: 13 Oct 2008
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Location: Waikiki, Hawaii
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| Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 10:30 am Post subject: Re: Silent Brass with other electronics |
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| mrhappy wrote: | | multiphonic wrote: |
Does Silent Brass work well with other electronic equipment: preamps, analog inputs on digital interfaces and the like?
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Yes, if you use the line out/headphone out plugged into a mixer/ pre/ etc.
| multiphonic wrote: |
Can the pick-up be plugged directly into effects or a pre-amp or is the personal studio required?
|
I believe the 'personal studio' supplies a voltage to the 'mute mic' so it would be required. ( although I haven't actually experimented with mute only)
| multiphonic wrote: |
Has anyone used it with guitar effects units / boxes?
|
Yes it works with effects boxes. (I mostly plug a 'Personal Studio' into a mixer which sends to a effects pedalboard)
| multiphonic wrote: |
Any other advice would also be appreciated.
|
A few things to consider using a loudspeaker system: REVERB!
Depending on the speakers/volume used... there's usually a resonance in the lower lower frequency range that become more annoying/difficult to deal with as the volume gets louder... (maybe not an issue for your lower volume usage).
The original (large) version of the 'Personal Studio' has a separate control for 'reverb level' which is missing on the later versions. The most recent version, for example allows you to change reverb 'type' but you can't turn it off!
Using headphones this is fine, but if you plan on using your rig through effects pedals, speaker system, etc. this can become a problem.
I have the latest version PS which works great using headphones for practicing, etc. but I had to buy an 'original' (large) PS to use into my PA/ pedalboard rig due to the reverb issue.
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TOTALLY did not consider the REV 1 and REV 2 issues with the new SB Model if I'm going to use a pedalboard. Can you still plug into the new mute with the older model, or do you need the whole setup if you want to use the old version?
_________________
My go-to Trumpet and Flugel: Thane.
Greg Black MPs |
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multiphonic
Veteran Member
Joined: 14 Oct 2019
Posts: 139
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| Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:04 am Post subject: |
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My Wallace Studio practice mute arrived and I really like it. Playing with it is just as quiet as with the Sshhmute and Pampet, but the sound is far more pleasing, if not cornetish. Intonation is better across my range than with the other mutes. The Wallace also works well with my natural trumpets. It's good enough for my needs and certainly less complicated than having wires, speakers etc.
I can also recommend Pro Winds as a vendor.
Thanks, everyone, for your replies. I may check out Silent Brass someday, but I'm all set for now.
multiphonic |
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theslawdawg
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Joined: 13 Oct 2008
Posts: 843
Location: Waikiki, Hawaii
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| Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2019 11:27 am Post subject: |
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| multiphonic wrote: | My Wallace Studio practice mute arrived and I really like it. Playing with it is just as quiet as with the Sshhmute and Pampet, but the sound is far more pleasing, if not cornetish. Intonation is better across my range than with the other mutes. The Wallace also works well with my natural trumpets. It's good enough for my needs and certainly less complicated than having wires, speakers etc.
I can also recommend Pro Winds as a vendor.
Thanks, everyone, for your replies. I may check out Silent Brass someday, but I'm all set for now.
multiphonic |
Glad to hear, my friend. I just bought one myself (Wallace Mute). Always wanted to try one.
_________________
My go-to Trumpet and Flugel: Thane.
Greg Black MPs |
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mrhappy
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Joined: 03 Dec 2018
Posts: 371
Location: Port Jackson, NY
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| Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2019 5:44 pm Post subject: Re: Silent Brass with other electronics |
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| theslawdawg wrote: | | Can you still plug into the new mute with the older model, or do you need the whole setup if you want to use the old version? |
Newer mute/mic works with older PS just fine.
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MH |
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theslawdawg
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Joined: 13 Oct 2008
Posts: 843
Location: Waikiki, Hawaii
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| Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2019 7:05 pm Post subject: Re: Silent Brass with other electronics |
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| mrhappy wrote: | | theslawdawg wrote: | | Can you still plug into the new mute with the older model, or do you need the whole setup if you want to use the old version? |
Newer mute/mic works with older PS just fine. |
Awesome.
_________________
My go-to Trumpet and Flugel: Thane.
Greg Black MPs |
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