Re: Miraphone 1824


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Posted by Tony E on October 13, 2003 at 20:31:23:

In Reply to: Miraphone 1824 posted by David on October 13, 2003 at 09:04:45:

David,

I'm assuming you're asking about the BBb 182 with 4 rotary valves. If so....

It's an excellent horn for many applications. My experience is that the sound is very "tight and bright". It can produce plenty of volume, but the sound doesn't have much "bloom" to it. The low register speaks very easily, and while lean, it is not diminutive. Physically, the instrument may feel somewhat dead until you get used to it because it doesn't give the player any vibration/feedback. Perhaps that's a result of heavy brass, small body, and lots of bracing. Fast and smooth valves. I've found the horn's bright character can be further exploited with a small mouthpiece, giving it a horn-like sound that's really pretty. The way it plays and sounds may be as close to an F Tuba as you can get from a BBb. That could be good or bad, depending on what you want your BBb tuba to play and sound like!

I think it's an excellent choice for quintets and other small ensembles where one may prefer a tight and bright sound quality. It's also excellent for solo work. I would be reluctant to recomend it as one's sole tuba, since there are many applications, such as marches in a community band, where the lack of "heft" could be frustrating. I would highly recomend a trial period that is long enough to give you the opportunity to adjust to its sound and playing attributes, and to play it in the ensembles where it will be used.

Just my experience. Hope it helps.

Tony E


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