I have been working on getting my regulators set up and finally have them in tune but the baritone is louder than the tenor and bass. Playing pressure is more or less where I want it so what would be the best way to get them balance, given that almost anything I do to fix volume will shift something else…
Ian
You could try quietening the baritone reed by applying a layer of Masking Tape to each ‘scrape’ face. Cut a trapezoid shaped piece of tape that will cover most of the scrape and stick it on keeping the tape just a little back from the reed tips. Do this to each side of the reed and test for loudness. If the muting effect is insufficient use a second layer or thicker tape.
I find this works well and hardly affects tuning at all. Of course as a long term measure one might consider using softer cane for the regulator reeds… this has a similar outcome.
Good luck with getting a final balance.
Geoff.
Great idea, Geoff! I have to try that at once!
I got this idea from Ronan Brown . He had used bicycle handlebar tape , the cloth type that has an adhesive backing. This is very heavy duty damping indeed.
Other materials that people have tried ; ‘Blu Tack’ ( poster putty in the USA), PTFE tape wrapped around the head, insulating tape… etc etc.
Masking tape can be found at different grades of thickness too.
PS; of course the other, more traditional, methods like closing the reed which will raise the pitch overall and then using more rushing to bring the pitches back down again will have a distinct effect on loudness and it should be possible to get faily close to a balance this way first.
Thanks Geoff, I’ll try this later today. I had already tried closing the reed but this had the effect of making the D want to jump the octave.
Ian
I’ve had good success using PTFE tape. You can adjust how tightly/loosely you wrap it so as to avoid inadvertently closing the reed lips. Also you can vary how many times you wrap it around the reed to have some control of the degree you muffle the volume.
Rick
[quote=“geoff wooff”]…Other materials that people have tried ; ‘Blu Tack’ ( poster putty in the USA), …
Be aware: “blu-tak” (and the like) sold in North America appears to have different properties than that sold elsewhere. It’s stickier (as in, it can adhere to the bore of your chanter or regulators)..almost greasy…and it can stain. I recommend rope calk, the kind of stuff used to keep out drafts around windows. I have never known it to adhere to the innards of my pipes.
It’s stickier (as in, it can adhere to the bore of your chanter or regulators)
I think they sell that type in France as well
. Seriously though, I have had the small reg of the D set gunked up with the stuff they sell here as well and it was quite the job to get it out again, so you may as well be careful anyway (I have gone to using other stuff in the narrowest bores now for tuning).
Had bluetack on the reg reeds for years (although not at the moment) but never had much of a problem there.