What’s the loudest low D?
I’m interested in volume, here!
I just bought a chieftain and
it’s louder than the Howard
and Copeland; as I recall it’s
louder than the Overton.
Is there something louder?
I’ve tried playing low Ds
on the street and been
defeated by lack of volume, you see.
Susato’s louder than my chieftain as I recall (though I did sell mine last year and can’t do a side-by-side comparison to say for sure). But I think the the cheiftain’s tone has Susato beat hands down.
Greg
[ This Message was edited by: Wandering_Whistler on 2002-10-03 20:34 ]
I must agree w/ WW. My Susato is about 1/4 again as loud as my Cheiftan, but I still won’t play it unless prodded w/ a hot iron.
The Cheiftan’s tone is much nicer.
try a microphone, the lower the tone of a whistle or flute the softer the sound.
Jim,
I’m impressed by your persistance, but I’m curious: Do you figure you’ll get radically different answers each time you ask this question? Just wondering 
Loren
P.S. Why are you still looking for a loud Low D when you now have the Copley flute? That flute is a good bit more powerful than any Low D you’re going to find.
I swear, my Olwell is twice as loud as my loudest Low D. And my Copley wasn’t too far behind the Olwell in Volume.
Loren
I couldn’t recall anybody answering
the question the first time!
It makes sense that the Susato
low D might be louder–as noted
the tone of the chieftain is
much better. The chieftain
might be loud
enough for the street.
But I’ll check out a susato again
when I get the chance.
I can’t play the Copley well
enough to play on the street,
also I’m afraid of what will
happen to it; also I don’t know
how it will go with the
other components of the
Bate’s Street Folk and Blues
Band. Finally it’s in St. Louis
and I’m in LA!
But it did occur to me
that an Olwell bamboo low D flute
might do pretty well and
you could take it to the
street…
I was, in fact, looking for a bamboo
low flute when I went to McCabe’s
last night, but the only one
they had was a low C, and I
couldn’t play it. That was
when the Devil made me buy
the Chieftain, you know.
I like the Chieftain very well,
in fact. It sounds like alloy,
but not like the cosmic drainpipe,
which I didn’t like (this reflects
entirely on me,of course). It’s
loud, in tune. The holes are rough
and a bit sharp to the touch, but I’m easily
getting used to that. A rough, robust
low D that sounds more like
a whistle and less like a flute
than does the Copeland (which
I love but it’s hopeless on the street).
I’ve always found soprano chieftains
a bit too shrill upstairs, but
there seems to be something
very good about Chieftain lower whistles.
I was pleasantly surprised by
an A that I played at The Whistle
Shop, and what I liked about
it is there in the low D, too.
One difficulty I’m having is getting
the e in the third octave. Any advice?
Oh, yes–I don’t know how my compadres
in the Bates Street Bunch would
like me amplified. Also I’m a little
nervous about the police. Also
amplification costs money. So
something acoustic that’s loud
and fits with the other instruments
would be best, but maybe ampification
is the a good idea…Or an Olwell… Thanks,
[ This Message was edited by: jim stone on 2002-10-03 21:13 ]
Do note the fact that just because it doesn’t sound “loud” to you, it might be carrying very well. I’ve played pieces on my Dixon Low-D (very quiet) that I could barely hear myself playing. Yet, folks quite a distance from me heard it clearly.
My Chieftain Gold Low-D doesn’t seem really loud to me when playing solo, but when playing with other instruments, I have to be careful not to walk all over them.
Try finding a quieter street!
To make money I need people, lots
of em. And those tend to be
less quiet venues–so the trick
is to find a place where
a) there’s lots of people
in a reasonably festive mood,
who have money
b) it’s not too noisy
and
c) I can play without getting
busted or run off.
Such venues are hard to find. There are
two places that work in St. Louis.
And one of them doesn’t really.
But it’s true, maybe I’ve become
obsessed with volume. Still it’s
been plain when I played low
whistle with my string playing colleagues
on the street,
I was having trouble being heard.
As the probate lawyer said, where there’s
a will, there’s a way! Best
On 2002-10-03 21:40, msheldon wrote:
Do note the fact that just because it doesn’t sound “loud” to you, it might be carrying very well. I’ve played pieces on my Dixon Low-D (very quiet) that I could barely hear myself playing. Yet, folks quite a distance from me heard it clearly.
That is so very true - I had a microphone and was still worried my dixon low d wouldn’t carry well. Found out it did carry well enough for the mic to pick it up, somehow, after playing there was applause. So they DID hear me.
One difficulty I’m having is getting
the e in the third octave. Any advice?
[ This Message was edited by: jim stone on 2002-10-03 21:13 ]
[/quote]
Have you tried playing e in the 3rd octave like this : xx0xx0
cheers
Jim,
Shame on you for leaving your Copley behind. Well, that being the case, a Bamboo Olwell would be the next best thing, or you could try the 3pc. Dixon Polymer flute, if you need something you don’t have to worry about getting wet.
In the end, I’ve never heard a Low D whistle that could produce as much volume as a decent flute - especially if you need a bottom end that won’t get so easily lost. Besides, using the flute, you should be able to get a the bottom half of the 3rd octave with little problem.
Oh year, the Olwell bamboo might work best for you anyway as it’s (mostly) a cylinder bore flute, and so has larger holes which make for better slides and halfholing - which I imagine you’re doing a good bit of.
Loren
Thanks, Sweetone, that works fine!
We drove to LA in our little HOnda
civic hatchback, taking everything
we took
with us in the back. It was often
very hot, etc, and we stayed in
motels in LA, etc.
Blackwood…
Loren, I have to run now,
but I’ll send you my
crony Charles’s telephone number.
He’s a great guy. You can
play with him on the street,
too. Just bring your
electric underwear.