Hello
I wondering if anyone has already one of thouse Syn Low Ds tunable with delrin head and anodised aluminium body, if yes I would really appreciate if you share some impressions about this whistle ,
thank’s in advance
Manuel
Hello
I wondering if anyone has already one of thouse Syn Low Ds tunable with delrin head and anodised aluminium body, if yes I would really appreciate if you share some impressions about this whistle ,
thank’s in advance
Manuel
Hi Manuel,
I’d like to hear some impressions too, but I don’t know if there are that many in circulation yet. I’ve sent a dozen out to those fine retailers who stock them for me, but we’re not up to the re-order stage yet. What I’ve tried to do is make a low whistle that plays with breath requirements more like a high whistle. There is enough back pressure built in them to enable playing passages of standard tunes as if you were playing a high whistle without running out of puff.
The only feature I can mention that will take some player attention is that the big block of delrin in the plug takes a long while to warm up in cold conditions. It is certainly a case of carrying the head in your pocket to keep it warm. Summer is fine, but winter needs some pre-warming. Does anyone remember the book “How to Keep Your Volkswagwen Alive”? Sort of like the advice on warming up the engine for a few minutes. We can’t get that Dupunol stuff here, but I suspect it may go a long way towards the answer.
I know there are a few players who have played the first few whistles off the production line and have been very encouraging, but I would like to see a few unsolicited opinions too. Please post if you have played one!
I need to get my hands on one of those! I just simply have to.
Too bad I’m broke
Ah well, later. I’ll put it on top of my -to buy- list.
Erle, how’s the volume on those low D’s? If they don’t take more air than a high D, it makes me believe that they are not very loud. I would really like a low D with as good a sound as your high whistles but with enough volume to play moderate sessions with it. Is that impossible?[/b]
Hi Erle ( if you let me call you so )
thank’s for the informations about your Low D .
It is interesting what you say about the breath requirements more similar to the high whistle .
Well for me it gonna be difficult to try one as I’m living in China , around here no whistles , I guess the only place where you can find some whistle is Hong Kong !
And I’m not certanly the right person for a low whistle’s review as I’ve never owned one , I have just high Ds , Cs and one Bb .
That’s why I have in mind the desire to buy a low D , so let’s see if in the future I can get one of yours , I guess it could be a very good whistle also for someone not used to a low D .
I’ll try to post some comments in case I get the Low D .
Best
Manuel
Hi Henke,
While I might say I’m happy with the volume, it’s true that I’m too close to these whistles and you should really get someone else’s opinion for a fairer representation. Give it some time, I’m sure some reviews will turn up.
Cheers!
I’d be really interested to hear what others think about the SYN low D too. How does it compare to the Kerry low D with the plastic head? That’s the alternative purchase for me. Anyone?
The Kerry Low D with plastic head is a nice whistle, but meant to be an easy-blower too, so keep that in mind. It is also somewhat loud, but probably average for low Ds. Check out the Kerry Whistles website for a video.
I am curious about the Syn Low D as well. There haven’t been too many recordings around yet of them either, but I guess they are new…
-Casey
I think Mitch could help us out, he is a retailer of them. I am pretty curious too, but suffer from the same situation as Henke.
I’m also probably a little too close for objective evaluation. Keeping that in mind:
Erle first handed me a low D SYN at a particularly boistrous noisy session on a freezing cold night. As a total noob at anything lower than Bb i can say -
it is Beautifully made, the matt burgundy anodized finish is silky to the touch and not at all slippery,
The tone-hole spread is similar to an MK - slightly longer than a Susato, but this has ensured the tuning is good (F# is a bit flat - same as most other whistles I have tested) my noobish piper’s grip does as well as any other low D I’ve tried
it’s tuneable - the delrin/brass head slides easily and firmly - it has a kind of clunk if you push the head all the way in as the thread-wrapped part of the tenon goes over the edge inside - no great problem unless you really need to go that sharp (on my one - 50 cents max sharp 20 cents max flat), (This looks like some kind of wax on the tenon thread - Erle?)
it was loud enough in the second register for me to be heard over the noise if I wished to push it, so I’d say the volume is average, Compared to Kerry plastic-head it’s not quite as loud in the lower notes,
the backpressure is quite noticable and makes the air requirement considerably less,
As Erle said - cold will cause it to clog, since the weather warmed up here I’m not getting the problem.
The sound is different - this is the hard one to explain. I have 2 samples on my website - one sounds a bit like a recorder, one sounds a bit like a flute - I have heard other players make it sound like a shakuhache. This has a lot to do with the way the tone responds to pressure in the upper octave and will be as individual as the player.
My own impression of the sound is “velvetty”.
I find it very pleasant in look, feel and sound. It’s not a Chieftain or Overton. Just what it is? We’ll have to wait and see what place it takes as a few players try them and more reviews are posted.
How about a tour Erle?
Yeah, alright. Send me an email if you’re interested.
Hello
As a Syn-fanatic it was a must for me to own a low-D from Erle Bartlett’s “Syn-family”, and I can highly recommend the low-D. It is a very attractive whistle, and I really enjoy playing it.
The sound is great, and strong in both octaves, and very well-defined and distinctive. It has its own unique sound, not in family with the “standard” Overtons and Cheftain’s more mellow sound.
It is a hyper-sensitive, quick responding whistle, very lively, at it reacts on every little push and move, and has the necessary amount of backpressure so you can work with the single notes. Ornamentation comes out crisp, and defined.
This is NOT a beginner whistle, because your breathe control is very important. Small mistakes in your playing-style will be punishing. Of course it take some time to learn a new instrument (the hole-distance between the A and G-hole is quite big for a low-D), but I am sure that this whistle reward the advanced whistle-player. There is high potential in this Syn low-D.
Always remember to warm it up very carefully (blow warm air in it before playing for at least 30 seconds). I had supposed that the delrin-head doesn’t need any warm-up, but the inside of the head is brass-metal, and needs warm up.
The high octaves (the notes G, A, B) is not so easy to play as the high SYN-whistles, you really need to warm up the whistle – more than one time. Otherwise it sounds forced, “strained” ( or perhaps it is just the cold Danish climate ??? )
Aesthetic I love the deep reed anodised colour, and this whistle attract attention! But the anodizing make the whistle smooth, and you won’t have the same grip on the whistle as the normal ALU - at least not until you have used it for a while! But this is only a little thing.
Well, I really enjoy the whole “Syn-family”, and had some while ago bought the MEGA-Syn-Set( all 8 keys from A to E ), and particularly the Mezzo-soprano key’s A, Bb, B, C, Db are pure “gold-whistles”.
Even the key-A is very, very useful as a practice-whistle, because it is so nice quiet, and you can play the very high notes in the high octaves without any problems. I use it when I am learning new tunes, and don’t want to disturb neighbours.
All best from Copenhagen
Bent Anker
Thank you for all the helpfull informations about the Syn Low D ,
and welcome to the forum Bent Anker!
Manuel
Erle was kind enough to send me a low d to try on my request,
I have nothing but praise and admiration for this man, Erle is an absolute gem to deal with, a gentleman in conversation and as those who have read my opinions of the syn sets, i just love his talent as a whistlesmith.
I also purchased a black diamond d, its a ripper.
anyways back to the topic the low D,
On opening the package i felt like a kid who had just gotten everything he had ever asked for,
the low d was visually…well… wow.
Now keep in mind my only low D experience has been with a howard and my dixons ( yes 2 of them) and a brief encounter with a overton. Other then that its just what i have heard before
The sound that emitted fron the syn was unlike i had ever heard, it had its own personality, now thats not good or bad just different.
The finger spacing was challenging for me, more of a finger stretch then what i was used to with the Dixons, remember i am not a huge fan of pipers grip, can do it, but dont like it.
Like all syns it is clear throughout the range low to high, In my opinion it would take me a while to tame this beast, With breath control, and proper technique this whistle will impress.
the workmanship was flawless, breath requirements were more then the dixon but it rose to the occaision when pushed, i am sure an agressive player would love to push this beauty,
The larger holes suit those who love to bend notes, to suit those lovely slow aires,
alas the syn low D was not for me, It was more then I was prepared to commit to a whistle,
If you love a low D with both looks and personality dont let me frighten you,
But remember this whistle is unlike any i have played or hear before,
Its solid, well constructed, and a great effort on the part of its maker,
If you have any concerns
Talk to erle, i did, he doesnt even bite!!!
My opinion for what its worth
Regards
David
Hi
Just some few remarks further, after I had used my SYN low-D for around a month.
I am glad that Erle himself mentioned the importance of very, very careful warm up:
“The only feature I can mention that will take some player attention is that the big block of delrin in the plug takes a long while to warm up in cold conditions. It is certainly a case of carrying the head in your pocket to keep it warm. Summer is fine, but winter needs some pre-warming.”
When you had learn this, and when your breathe-control is correct (especially in the high octave), you really can play this whistle with breathe requirements more like a high whistle. You don’t need much air to “make it sing”!
As regards the sound, I hope other players will contribute …with their experience ???
I will say: bright, defined and distinctive, pure but with a jazzy sound, pure but with a tough little sand-dust (Australian …of course), Velvety
Because of the very lively and quick responding whistle, I now prefer this Low-D before my other high-quality Low-D’s.
All best from Copenhagen
Bent Anker