Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Post
  • Reply
I. M. Gei
Jun 26, 2005

CHIEFS

BITCH



Please tell me someone here knows something about brass instruments. For some reason there’s not a Wind Instrument megathread in Musician’s Lounge, or I’d go ask there instead.

I am going to be in the market for a new trumpet as soon as I have enough money for one, which will hopefully be later this year, and I could use some help deciding what to get. I thiiiiink I’m leaning toward some flavor of the silver reverse-slide Yamaha Xeno, as those seem to consistently be one of the best-rated options out there that isn’t a Bach Strat. I’ve heard that Bach Strats have been going downhill in quality for at least the last 2 or 3 decades and that the ones being made now are kinda poo poo; the pros seem to all be going for Yamaha Xenos now, from what I’ve seen.

So right now I’m looking at a silver Xeno YTR-8335IIRS, or possibly throwing down a bit more cash to import a silver Xeno YTR-8335RGS, which is the same thing with a gold brass bell instead of yellow brass. The RGS appears to only be available in Europe, but google tells me there are several places that’ll import one to the US, if I decide to go that way. I am a little bothered by the bore size, though... the smallest available bore on a Xeno is 0.459”, which is pretty standard for most trumpets, but I think I’d kinda like a slightly smaller bore than that. My current trumpet has a 0.464” bore, which is bigger than average... which, don’t get me wrong, bigger bores are fine, and a lot of pro players love them and play amazing on them... but bigger bores also make it harder to play upper registers and quick note changes, and those just happen to be the two areas I’ve struggled with the most since I got this particular horn (especially the former... I dream about being able to play higher than above-the-staff C without butchering my face through super-strenuous practice seshes for 3 straight days first (and even then I can’t always seem to do it :smith:)). I don’t know if more and/or better practicing would help me there (much more than it has already) or not, although that’s a whole other topic for a whole other effortpost for a whole other day. Long story short, I want a smaller bore, and I’d kinda like one smaller than 0.459” if I can swing it.

One option I’m considering for the bore size issue... — ...... this is gonna sound dumb, and it probably is dumb, but just hear me out... — ... I’m kiiiiiiiiiinda thinking about electroplating my new horn a few times to shrink the bore diameter down another 2 or 3 thousandths of an inch. If I do that (if it ends up not being a COMPLETELY stupid idea), then I’m gonna plate it with some sort of silver alloy like what Yamaha uses to plate their silver horns, and if I remember right, silver brightens a trumpet’s sound, so I’ll probably want to import that gold-brass-belled 8335RGS since the gold brass will help to balance out any increase in sound brightness caused by the added silver. It’s gonna weigh a loving fuckton, but I need to lift more anyway so :getin:

...... oh, and valves! I want a trumpet with good, responsive valves that don’t stick a lot, even if I don’t always press down on them completely straight like you’re supposed to. The valves on the trumpet I play on now have been worn out for more than a decade and act sticky all the drat time, no matter how much oil they have, and I can’t easily replace any of the parts because the company that made the trumpet doesn’t exist anymore (and they stopped making my particular horn more than 15 years ago anyway).

So uhh... I guess my question is, what trumpets do y’all like? Xenos? Reverse-slide Xenos? Reverse-slide gold-brass Xenos? Bach Strats for some reason? Any others I may not have considered yet? And just HOW STUPID is it to add more plating layers to a horn? Like on a scale of “extremely unbelievably loving stupid” to “Donald Trump on his smartest day”?

I. M. Gei fucked around with this message at 04:11 on Aug 5, 2020

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

The Muppets On PCP
Nov 13, 2016

by Fluffdaddy

I. M. Gei posted:

but bigger bores also make it harder to play upper registers and quick note changes, and those just happen to be the two areas I’ve struggled with the most since I got this particular horn (especially the former... I dream about being able to play higher than above-the-staff C without butchering my face through super-strenuous practice seshes for 3 straight days first (and even then I can’t always seem to do it :smith:)). I don’t know if more and/or better practicing would help me there (much more than it has already) or not, although that’s a whole other topic for a whole other effortpost for a whole other day.

have you tried a different size mouthpiece?

my trumpet experience is limited to high school band 25 years ago, but i wound up developing sinusitis from straining while playing upper register stuff until the band director suggested i switch to a 2b mouthpiece and it really helped. i guess it forces a change in embochure or something

Jazz Marimba
Jan 4, 2012

I Am Not A Trumpet Player (thankfully), but there are some brass people on the ML discord who could help you out: https://discord.gg/z9ugUrd

I. M. Gei
Jun 26, 2005

CHIEFS

BITCH



The Muppets On PCP posted:

have you tried a different size mouthpiece?

my trumpet experience is limited to high school band 25 years ago, but i wound up developing sinusitis from straining while playing upper register stuff until the band director suggested i switch to a 2b mouthpiece and it really helped. i guess it forces a change in embochure or something

Yes, I have. Multiple times. I have a bunch of mouthpieces I never use now.

It might help me to try one that isn’t a Vincent Bach, although most of my trumpet friends play on a Bach 3C (like me) and they still have way less trouble playing high notes than me (and they kinda look at me funny whenever I talk about trying new mouthpieces). So... yeah I’d like to be able to do that stuff on a 3C too.

Jazz Marimba posted:

I Am Not A Trumpet Player (thankfully), but there are some brass people on the ML discord who could help you out: https://discord.gg/z9ugUrd

Thanks, I went ahead and joined. I’m not really much of a Discord poster though... if I don’t get a ton of answers in this thread then I’ll deffo try there next.

Brawnfire
Jul 13, 2004

🎧Listen to Cylindricule!🎵
https://linktr.ee/Cylindricule

I. M. Gei posted:

Thanks, I went ahead and joined. I’m not really much of a Discord poster though... if I don’t get a ton of answers in this thread then I’ll deffo try there next.

Are you Dr. Money? Check out #misc-instruments, our resident brasshole Hawkperson touched on your question--you may have to scroll up a smidgen tho.

I. M. Gei
Jun 26, 2005

CHIEFS

BITCH



Does Schilke make good trumpets?

I mostly know of them for their mouthpieces, but all of my trumpet friends seem to love those. I’m noticing that they have several horns in their Custom and HD serieses that have the smaller bore diameter I want.

Maybe I put together some extra money and buy myself a Schilke AND a Yamaha Xeno?

Brawnfire posted:

Are you Dr. Money? Check out #misc-instruments, our resident brasshole Hawkperson touched on your question--you may have to scroll up a smidgen tho.

I saw this. Thanks!

I. M. Gei
Jun 26, 2005

CHIEFS

BITCH




I am totally going to make a Brass megathread now

it will be titled “BRASSHOLES MEGATHREAD” and it will have a gang tag

the gang tag will be goatse but he’s gaping a brass instrument bell instead of his rear end and it will read “BRASS HOLES” along the top and bottom of the bell

excellent bird guy
Jan 1, 2020

by Cyrano4747
I found a sitar from craiglist for $450. Bhargava & Co. I would love a sitar but, I bet this brand is low quality. Is a sitar like playing a guitar or do you have to use a plectrum for volume?
*edit wow my typing sucks on a phone

excellent bird guy fucked around with this message at 03:46 on Aug 9, 2020

Chip McFuck
Jul 24, 2007

We droppin' like a comet and this Vulcan tried to Spock it/These Martians tried to do it, but knew they couldn't cop it

The skills on guitar don't really transfer to a sitar. They're very demanding instruments that are notoriously difficult to play well and keep in tune.

I. M. Gei
Jun 26, 2005

CHIEFS

BITCH



Can I trust a music store in Poland not to rip me off on a horn purchase?

Asking for a friend.

The friend is me.

Ruffian Price
Sep 17, 2016

Of course! Thomann ships to Poland.

Drink-Mix Man
Mar 4, 2003

You are an odd fellow, but I must say... you throw a swell shindig.

I just got an old reel-to-reel deck that only has RCA in/outputs and wanted to use it with my interface. How would I go about connecting them? Should I just get an RCA-to-1/4" cable? Are there any other considerations going into/out from an unbalanced analog device like this?

Flipperwaldt
Nov 11, 2011

Won't somebody think of the starving hamsters in China?



The only consideration is not to connect a trs jack that does stereo to a trs input that expects a balanced signal. What goes into your interface should be two ts jacks, one for left, one for right. Buy your adapter cables accordingly. Other than that you should be good.

Valtaherra
Feb 23, 2007

It's a personal pineapple
Here's a really loving dumb question I spent way too much time looking up, only to find no answer to at all whatsoever:

My amp has two XLR line outs on the back: left & right. If I'm connecting my amp to an audio interface, do I need to use both? Can I just use one? What is the purpose of having both of those line outs, and what does "left" and "right" even mean in this context? I found a splitter that would allow me to connect both into a single XLR cable into my interface, but I have no idea if that's necessary. I just want to be sure I'm hooking this all up properly and I genuinely feel like an idiot for not being able to find the answer to this.

Flipperwaldt
Nov 11, 2011

Won't somebody think of the starving hamsters in China?



What amp

Drink-Mix Man
Mar 4, 2003

You are an odd fellow, but I must say... you throw a swell shindig.

Valtaherra posted:

Here's a really loving dumb question I spent way too much time looking up, only to find no answer to at all whatsoever:

My amp has two XLR line outs on the back: left & right. If I'm connecting my amp to an audio interface, do I need to use both? Can I just use one? What is the purpose of having both of those line outs, and what does "left" and "right" even mean in this context? I found a splitter that would allow me to connect both into a single XLR cable into my interface, but I have no idea if that's necessary. I just want to be sure I'm hooking this all up properly and I genuinely feel like an idiot for not being able to find the answer to this.

I'd have to imagine that the two outputs are for if you are running stereo effects and want to preserve that, but if everything you're running through the amp is mono then you'd be cool just sending it all through one channel (usually the left is the default mono output on devices).

Drink-Mix Man fucked around with this message at 18:14 on Aug 16, 2020

Valtaherra
Feb 23, 2007

It's a personal pineapple

Fender Mustang III V2

Valtaherra
Feb 23, 2007

It's a personal pineapple

Drink-Mix Man posted:

I'd have to imagine that the two outputs are for if you are running stereo effects and want to preserve that, but if everything you're running through the amp is mono then you'd be cool just sending it all through one channel (usually the left is the default mono output on devices).

I figured this was the case and I'd seen mentioned that left was the default for mono output in a lot of cases, I was just confused about the terminology. I saw a video of a guy from Fender demoing a GTX100 amp and he not only had both left and right line outs sending to his interface but specifically mentioned it, but didn't explain why.

I. M. Gei
Jun 26, 2005

CHIEFS

BITCH



Ruffian Price posted:

Of course! Thomann ships to Poland.

Awesome!

That just leaves me with one more question... How do I ship something from Poland to the US?

I need to buy something from a store in Katowice, and it looks like they don’t ship internationally, so I’ll have to have it shipped to a middle-man address somewhere in Poland that can then ship it to the US.

I. M. Gei fucked around with this message at 03:20 on Aug 18, 2020

Ruffian Price
Sep 17, 2016

...Jarmuła Music? They don't have international shipping in their pricing chart but they do mention VAT exemptions for clients outside the EU, maybe try reaching out?

I. M. Gei
Jun 26, 2005

CHIEFS

BITCH



Ruffian Price posted:

...Jarmuła Music? They don't have international shipping in their pricing chart but they do mention VAT exemptions for clients outside the EU, maybe try reaching out?

Yeah, that’s the place.

This might be a stupid question, but what’s a VAT exemption?

Chip McFuck
Jul 24, 2007

We droppin' like a comet and this Vulcan tried to Spock it/These Martians tried to do it, but knew they couldn't cop it

VAT (value-added tax) is a consumption tax that most European countries pay on top of the purchase price of an item. It's similar to a sales tax but it's added whenever value is added to the item (such as when components are being added, assembly, shipping, etc.) rather than just on the end product. Exports are mostly exempt from VAT, so any item coming from the EU to the US will usually not include it or will be removed from the price.

edit: Eh, the above can be boiled down to 'you won't have to pay an extra tax if it's exempt'. Check with the seller first as not all exporters offer exemptions.

Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 04:41 on Aug 18, 2020

Jazz Marimba
Jan 4, 2012

I just picked up a used Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 and it works great, except there's a quiet clicking through my headphones now that's tied to audio playing, through both headphone outputs. Any idea what it is and how I can fix it?

Ruffian Price
Sep 17, 2016

Is it there if you keep the interface on 100% direct monitoring? I have this on my U-Phoria when it's in any sample rate other than 44.1k but I wouldn't expect the same issue here, try resetting the ASIO driver or experimenting with buffer sizes?

Jazz Marimba
Jan 4, 2012

update:

another problem i realized while my mics were fine, youtube audio was an octave down

followed this: https://support.focusrite.com/hc/en-gb/articles/115001661729-Focusrite-Control-is-showing-No-Hardware-Connected-

nada

followed this: https://support.focusrite.com/hc/en-gb/articles/115005086925,

nada

tried a diff usb cable

nada

reinstalled focusrite software (recced in a yt vid as a possible fix)

nada

went into midi settings, changed format from 20ch 24-bit integer 48khz to 16ch (recced in a yt vid as a possible fix)

fixed the octave displacement and half the clicking!

changed back to 20ch
fixed clicking entirely?!

why are the solutions to my problems always dumb af?? v glad i don't have to unplug/plug in my interface's usb cable from the usb b side in the interface anymore a.k.a. throw a virgin to the volcano every time i plug it in

edit: and it passed a restart :woop:

downside is focusrite control app still isn't recognizing the interface, but :shrug:

Jazz Marimba fucked around with this message at 05:42 on Aug 23, 2020

CaptainViolence
Apr 19, 2006

I'M GONNA GET YOU DUCK

i think that's just the nature of audio. i was a TA for the department's studio my last year of college and partway through the semester i had to develop a whole checklist process for fixing a specific situation of broken monitor routing out of the interface. it read like an arcane ritual because the steps/solutions seemed completely disconnected from each other aside from fixing the same symptom. even now i'll have days where zoom stops recognizing my poo poo right before a work meeting and i have to scramble to restart everything in the right order because if i don't i have to start over.

come to think of it, my experiences both involve focusrite interfaces too :thunk:

Papa Was A Video Toaster
Jan 9, 2011





Anyone one here truck with the MPC software/hardware a lot?
I'm trying to use an MPC One in standalone mode to route/record and playback MIDI CC from my MIDI Mix. I've got it like 80% of the way there. I can set up a track to either send MIDI to the MPC hardware MIDI out or to Akai remote MIDI port, but I can't keep my signal from each device sending on only on or the other. The MPC wants to send its data over whatever track I'm currently in and I can't seem to have a track that just listens for the MIDI Mix and send it over Remote no matter what.

excellent bird guy
Jan 1, 2020

by Cyrano4747
I have a Made in Germany Hohner diatonic button accordion, Corona 2 I believe that I bought at an accordion store last year, but it just bamboozles me, I don't know how to play it. I can do anything with strings but this this is hard for me to wrap my head around. How can I get better? I like traditional Russian/Easter European folk type music. The sort of sad minor waltzy kind of tunes.

Preggo My Eggo!
Jun 17, 2010
You familiar with the band Beirut?

Jazz Marimba
Jan 4, 2012

excellent bird guy posted:

I have a Made in Germany Hohner diatonic button accordion, Corona 2 I believe that I bought at an accordion store last year, but it just bamboozles me, I don't know how to play it. I can do anything with strings but this this is hard for me to wrap my head around. How can I get better? I like traditional Russian/Easter European folk type music. The sort of sad minor waltzy kind of tunes.

I just looked up a layout guide and yikes, it’s the kind where pushing and pulling gets different notes, and the change isn’t even consistent—sometimes it’s a whole step, sometimes a minor third, a major third, a fifth...

I like a good challenge, but that’s too much. personally I’d get a piano accordion cuz they don’t do that

sticking with it though, I think the easiest way to learn it would be to google folk song sheet music and learn by rote until your brain just knows where notes are

Papa Was A Video Toaster
Jan 9, 2011





TVsVeryOwn posted:

Anyone one here truck with the MPC software/hardware a lot?
I'm trying to use an MPC One in standalone mode to route/record and playback MIDI CC from my MIDI Mix. I've got it like 80% of the way there. I can set up a track to either send MIDI to the MPC hardware MIDI out or to Akai remote MIDI port, but I can't keep my signal from each device sending on only on or the other. The MPC wants to send its data over whatever track I'm currently in and I can't seem to have a track that just listens for the MIDI Mix and send it over Remote no matter what.

Got this one figured. MIDI Mix is going to PC, routing in there, sending and receiving from the MPC over USB to MIDI. I knew there was a reason I bought that thing. I looks a mess in Bome MIDI Translator, but it works.

Wile E. Toyota
Jul 18, 2008

Under no circumstances should you be proud of someone for wearing flip-flops.
Hi, I am a baby learning to play my first musical instrument, the kalimba. Which thread might be appropriate for kalimba talk? I don't even know how to classify it.

Preggo My Eggo!
Jun 17, 2010
World Drum Club on youtube would be helpful I think. Have fun making music!

excellent bird guy
Jan 1, 2020

by Cyrano4747

Jazz Marimba posted:

I just looked up a layout guide and yikes, it’s the kind where pushing and pulling gets different notes, and the change isn’t even consistent—sometimes it’s a whole step, sometimes a minor third, a major third, a fifth...

I like a good challenge, but that’s too much. personally I’d get a piano accordion cuz they don’t do that

sticking with it though, I think the easiest way to learn it would be to google folk song sheet music and learn by rote until your brain just knows where notes are

Yea it's nuts! The probelm with it is, as with any instrument, in the beginning you have to spend a lot of time actually playing the thing, playing it all night long. I'm living in a hotel or with room mates or some crazy living situation that I can't predict, there would be a lot of pissed off people to listen to me play like poo poo at 2 am. But I look at it this way: I have the rest of my life to get better. It's a collector's piece so I'm glad to have it. Hohner isn't made in Germany anymore.

excellent bird guy
Jan 1, 2020

by Cyrano4747

Wile E. Toyota posted:

Hi, I am a baby learning to play my first musical instrument, the kalimba. Which thread might be appropriate for kalimba talk? I don't even know how to classify it.

I bought one at a garage sale, didn't know the name of it except a Thumb Piano. With one of your thumbs play one of the lowest bass notes and play it over and over. That's a drone. Then with your other thumb play melodies. Another trick is to play rhythmically like a drum. Bum with bass note hand, Dit-ty with a trebel cliff hand. That way you'll get a rhythm going. That's a super basic rhythm that can transfer to any instrument. Just keep doing it until you can fast and you'll have a funky rhythm which will sound good. just playing like 'boop boop boop boop' is not going to be interesting.

hexwren
Feb 27, 2008

just got a midi controller keyboard, and I have basically no keys experience. the learning how to play will come in time, but for right now I mostly just wanna bang around on it while I learn the controls and daw stuff

the thing is, and I assume this'll get fixed to some extent in time with proper technique, but a thing that extremely bothers me coming from drums and guitar is that these plastic keys are very slick, and I constantly find my fingers slipping in ways that they don't on frets and drumsticks. I can't get a grip. I'm tempted to put on some kind of keyboard equivalent of grip tape just so I can get some friction and keep my fingertips where I want them.

is this normal, or am I a garbage person with garbage hands

Papa Was A Video Toaster
Jan 9, 2011





hexwren posted:

just got a midi controller keyboard, and I have basically no keys experience. the learning how to play will come in time, but for right now I mostly just wanna bang around on it while I learn the controls and daw stuff

the thing is, and I assume this'll get fixed to some extent in time with proper technique, but a thing that extremely bothers me coming from drums and guitar is that these plastic keys are very slick, and I constantly find my fingers slipping in ways that they don't on frets and drumsticks. I can't get a grip. I'm tempted to put on some kind of keyboard equivalent of grip tape just so I can get some friction and keep my fingertips where I want them.

is this normal, or am I a garbage person with garbage hands

Could just be a cheap keyboard. What did you get?

hexwren
Feb 27, 2008

TVsVeryOwn posted:

Could just be a cheap keyboard. What did you get?

novation launchkey 37

Urethane
Dec 21, 2004

are your fingernails trimmed down? If mine are even a little too long then they make my fingers slide around the keys

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

hexwren
Feb 27, 2008

Booyah- posted:

are your fingernails trimmed down? If mine are even a little too long then they make my fingers slide around the keys

Yeah, 'cos my day job involves a lot of typing, if I let them go at all, it's horrible, can't get anything done.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Post
  • Reply