Review concerning Alba Low D (Chiff&Fipple):
“The tone is dangerously close to the famed “cosmic drainpipe” Overton
sound. The low end booms. The high end is clear and fluent. It’s made very,
very well and is clog-resistant. It is reasonably light weight. The air
requirements are moderate. Tuning is precise”
Do you agree with these remarks?
Thanks,
NB: this review is about the newer models, and I generally agree.
Comparing to Overton may be far-fetched, though 'tis true the low end booming overtones bring them together. Now the back-pressure separates them: strong on the Overton, absent on the Alba. This is a question of taste, and experience: beginners tend to prefer less pressure. The Alba is quieter, too. There’s also some breathiness, esp. in lower tones, which I like in the Alba.
One could also ad the looks and finish are lovely, and the fingering pretty easy for a Low D. If you intend to play it alone, the non-tunable model is slicker, lighter, and IMHO a tad more brilliant sounding. Anyway it will be in concert tuning once warm.
Edited to ad the following after Bloom’s remark:
Stefpat, it’s time now you dive and get one low whistle. Any one: Alba, Overton, or Kerry, Howard for a cheaper starter.
Think of the summer spent without practice on this low D 
then remember this Zen* saying
“The fool who walks forward is further on the way than the wise man sitting on his arse”
Generally agree. The new Alba is a wonderful whistle and fun to play. The bottom end is very strong and I love the rich, booming sound. I have been playing mine a lot recently because my Overton had absconded for a bit. The sound is not Overton, but it is a great sound. Because of the lack of backpressure, the Alba is perhaps not quite as nimble as the Overton (at least in my fumbling fingers). It is easier to get a good sound of as a beginner I think, but it is harder to play because you will find yourself huffing and puffing if you are not used to the air requirements. But the air requirements are by no means a problem.
The other day I was playing a slow air as the session wound down, and I reached for the Alba rather than the Overton.
Stefpat, haven’t we been through this, though? I remember you announced after a statistical and scientific process that you would by an Alba.
Stefpat, I just saw that you sent me a private message. Hope you don’t mind if I answer it here.
My favorite low D is the Colin Goldie Overton. By far.
I love about the Overton: the special sound of the “cosmos draining through it;” the backpressure; the easy hole spacing; the crispness and speed; the “plop”; and the fact that they are hand-made by a wonderful guy who will play it for you over the phone before it ships.
My next favorite are Alba and Copeland, tied. Copelands are amazing, great whistles, very very different in sound from the Overton. The Copelands are terrific but (to my mind) they are overpriced, and I don’t own one as a consequence. Albas are closer to Overtons (and a bit cheaper than Overtons). The main difference between Overtons and Albas is that Albas have no backpressure.
I don’t know how useful my preferences are going to be beyond this. I’ll say though that if you want an easy finger reach, I would stay away from the Susatos (and you already have a Dixon which is similar).
I’ll concur with Bloomfield on most points: I have an Alba and a Goldie Overton and love them both, for different reasons. If price is an issue, go with the Alba. But realize that if you stick with the Low D, eventually you WILL get an Overton.
While I was reading the initial quote of the Alba Low D I thought I was reading about our Alba High D. Right now that is my wifes favorite high whistle. There is definately a difference in back pressure between that and the Goldie High D that was so graciously loaned to us for a couple of weeks. I would imagine the difference would carry over to the low whistles but have no experience with that.
I have a Goldie Low D. I do not find the back pressure to be a factor. I have not gotten to full speed Reels or the like, but I am able to play most songs I have attempted without trouble or “huffing.”
The high Alba is sweet. Just enough brashness to the sound and is nearly spot on with the Goldie. Renee and I are working on a duet for our SF get together in Nov and if it turns out good we will record and post it.
Considering the requirements you posted I would suggest the Alba at this point. I may even get one as some point.
If I understand well, the main difference between Alba and Overton is the backpressure.
What does it mean “backpressure”? I don’t undertand that…
and Plop=???
Thanks,
Little backpressure:
Take a paper bag; squeeze the opening and and blow in it to make a ball.
You experienced some limited backpressure.
Now, you may hit so it bangs like a cracker, but is has nothing to do with our matter. Or backfiring.
high backpressure
Take a bicycle tyre tube (Fr: chambre à air) ; try to blow and inflate it. Now that’s HIGH backpressure.
This is an extreme example: no whistle has so much backpressure. Or it’s badly clogged.
Okay, this is “la contre pression” in French language, Cheers,
Really Low back pressure:
Blow through a piece of 1/2" tubing
Low back pressure:
Blow through a drinking straw
Higher back pressure:
Blow through a pen tube with the insides removed
Sorry, I don’t know the names of those things in French, or any other language for that matter.
Generally, the smaller the windway, the higher the back pressure will be. This can come from shorter, narrower (or both) windway dimentions.
This is true 
Really Low back pressure:
Blow through a piece of 1/2" tubing
Low back pressure:
Blow through a drinking straw
Higher back pressure:
But it would make for higher pressure if the tube is longer too.
1’ of 1/2" tube and 6’ or 1/2" tube 
Stefpat, if you have two cheap whistles, like Generations, lying around you can test the backpressure thing. Take a thin guitar pic, or other bit of plastic approx. .5 mm thick and cut a little piece the width of the windway of the Generation and glue it in there.
Then compare how the two whistles play: The one with backpressure will be a little softer, a little sweeter, and a more demanding in terms of breath control. In some respects it will be more expressive, in others less forgiving.
I used to like the only whistles with high backpressure, but I am changing my mind about that. The Alba low D is the main reason for it. Stacey actually gave me the Alba low D, after it had been lost & presumed dead. I’ve been playing the low D a lot lately, and especially the Alba, there is a great woosh and verve to playing a whistle with little or no backpressure, especially since I have gotten the knack of taking breaths more frequently. Very fun & satisfying. That’s why I say the low backpressure is a matter of preference and style.
About the “plop”: Overtons make this little plop-sound when you finger fast. Hard to describe, but lovely.
Also, and of course I may be wrong…
Easy does it, too…
High back-pressure whistles force you into being “bold”, i.e. loud in the first place, while lower back-pressure whistles allow you to practice quietly, or get loud at will. It does all-in-all take a few more breaths, but also allows for different articulation, playing between soft and loud…
For the second octave, you gotta learn it’s a matter of speed of air, not blowing harder. To me, it’s harder to spot and/or control with high back-pressure. Just another form of breath control: high speed, low quantity. The whistles’ embouchure, one could say. And then them free-blowers don’t get you gasping that much.
Of course, it takes a balanced whistle, but happily such are my favourites in low D: the Le Coant in wood, the Alba in metal. Not to mention the latter in C, the top-of-the-line to me.
Btw, I don’t know of any high back-pressure wood low whistles. May be a reason why some just don’t like them generally… but may be a reason, too, that you never hear flautists talk of back pressure
The term they use is “resistance”. You’ll hear things like “thick walled flutes have more resistance” or “wooden flutes have more resistance”. Same difference.