Tone Intensifiers

[Blaringbrass]

Tone Intensifiers/ sound sleves: I've noticed a lot of corps members using these things and do they really make a difference?

[mrshowfan]

I dunno about those sound intensifiers. Personally I dont buy it. I think its a mind game. If you think your sound will improve, then it will. I've never used one, so I cant speak to that, then again I dont think I would ever use one. I'm happy thinking my tone is good where its at.

If you want to change your tone, buy a different sized moutpiece, with a deeper or shallower cup. It will definately change your overall sound.

(:-D

[brassguymike]

Tone Intensifiers/ sound sleves: I've noticed a lot of corps members using these things and do they really make a difference?

Tone intensifiers work on the same principle as a heavy weight mouthpiece (like a Bach Megatone).  The theory with

the tone intensifiers, and heavy mouthpieces, is that the added mass will absorb some of the vibrations.  Fewer vibrations result in fewer overtones, which results in a less bright sound.  It also allows more slotted notes, but that results in less flexibility.  I also believe that you lose your color palette with these heavier mouthpieces b/c your ability to change your tone is reduced.

A heavier mouthpiece isn't the only way to reduce vibrations.  Adding braces will also do the trick.  I remember a couple of years ago Regiment added some braces to all of their sopranos.  Look at Wynton's Monette horn...you think there's many vibrations happening there with all 24 of those braces and the integral mouthpiece?

Then again, I'm just a tuba player and not a trumpet player.  There are 2 different approaches to tubas and mouthpieces.  The German approach is to add mass and take away overtones, resulting in a darker sound.  Whereas the American approach is to take away mass and add overtones, resulting in a brighter sound, that usually has much more color and blends easier.

The trumpet tone intensifiers are relatively cheap, so why not do some experimenting for yourself and see if you find a change.  Or if you're lucky, you can find someone to make one for you.  At the Crossmen, we're lucky enough to have a dad that is a brass repairman.  Using heavy nuts (as in a nut and bolt), he funneled the inside so that these nuts fit a trumpet mpc shank.

My 2¢...

[Blaringbrass]

So basically you can spend 3 cents on brass bolts and make one yourself?

brassguymike: just a question, what are the sop/trumpet mouthpieces used at x-men? Do they tell you what to play on or are you allowed to pick your weapon?

[brassguymike]

So basically you can spend 3 cents on brass bolts and make one yourself?

brassguymike: just a question, what are the sop/trumpet mouthpieces used at x-men? Do they tell you what to play on or are you allowed to pick your weapon?

3 cents on the bolt, yes...  but I don't think many have the machinery to funnel out the inside of the bolt.  The mpc shank has a taper to it, so the inside of the bolt must also taper in order for it to fit tug up against the shank.  Cause if you don't taper the inside of the bolt, than the bolt is really only making contact at one single point and therefore not going to absorb many vibrations.

At XMen, we have many older high school and college age members who take private lessons at school and have found a mouthpiece to their own liking.  As long as the member can produce a good sound on the mouthpiece, I haven't heard any other brass staffer complain about mouthpieces.  So basically, your allowed to pick your weapon as long as you're not using hollow-point ammo.

[Blaringbrass]

Thanks! :)

[madisonmello]

I used to play on an intensifier and it helped out.  When I asked my trumpet teacher if I should invest in one he told me to do it, but to do it with a different approach.

I would play with the sleeve on my mouthpiece for the first half of my lesson and record my playing.  He was also in charge of the recording sutdio at the university, so I was able to make a ton of tapes.

Anyway, we would listen to the sound that was made from my playing on the tapes, then I woudl try to mimick that sound without the sleeve.  I thought it worked out pretty well.

Of course then I dropped music as a major, didn't play NEARLY as much anymore, then the sleeve became a permanent addition whenever I would play.......

Andy Smith

Railmen 93-94

Madison Scouts 96,98-99

[brassguymike]

Mental imagery of good sound is much more valuable than any piece of hardware...

If the sound sleeve allowed you to produce the sound you wanted, then it worked.  Once you got that sound into your head, you were able to produce it w/o the extra hardware.

Your testimony helps prove that the added mass does work, but it not a cureall.

[DevsBari02]

Mike wrote

Tone intensifiers work on the same principle as a heavy weight mouthpiece (like a Bach Megatone).  The theory with

the tone intensifiers, and heavy mouthpieces, is that the added mass will absorb some of the vibrations.  Fewer vibrations result in fewer overtones, which results in a less bright sound.  It also allows more slotted notes, but that results in less flexibility.  I also believe that you lose your color palette with these heavier mouthpieces b/c your ability to change your tone is reduced.

Then again, I'm just a tuba player and not a trumpet player.  There are 2 different approaches to tubas and mouthpieces.  The German approach is to add mass and take away overtones, resulting in a darker sound.  Whereas the American approach is to take away mass and add overtones, resulting in a brighter sound, that usually has much more color and blends easier.

[/i]

I think you make some great points, and because of those concepts, it is all about preference.

Let's talk about that German approach: Adding mass, and taking away overtones resulting in more 'slotting' of notes and less natural flexibility. When I think about a hornline that fits that description, I think of Phantom Regiment's 1996 hornline as the epitome of that concept. Dark, less colors/timbres, very centered sound. I might even put Glassmen, and Southwind in this category.

As for the American approach as you say: Taking away mass creating more overtones, slightly brighter, less 'slotted', and much more possible color/timbre change. I think that when most people think bright, they automatically associate bright with ugly, but bright can be a good thing, in moderation of course. (Also, when I say 'brighter', I am speaking more about timbre than tone). A perfect example of this slightly brighter, but very colorful sound is The first chords of Star of Indiana's 1990 show. So lush. Brighter than Phantom 96, but so colorful. I would venture to say that those first chords of that that played by the hornline are some of the most colorful chords I have heard on the field. Madison Scouts would definitely be on this side of the timbre spectrum.

To the question about tone intensifiers: From a staff perspective it would be about preference. Personally, I dont think they are anything special. Trumpet players are definitely more about them than anyone else.

Just my opinion.

[brassguymike]

Louis,

Good use of past hornline sounds to exemplify what I was talking about.  I agree with what you said.  

Yeah, the tone intensifiers are basically a trumpet thing, but most of our brass instruments have heavy mouthpieces.  Trombones have megatones and sound sleeves, heck there are even heavy tuba mouthpieces.  There is a heavy Helleberg mpc.  From the outer rim, the mouthiece simple goes straight down until the shank.  It weighs a couple pounds.  Basically looks like someone took a solid brass tube, cut out of cup, but didn't bother cutting the outside.  Kind looks like someone blowing into a muffler.