Similar or Different? Bass and Contrabass Sound Concepts

[tubeast]

As part of a large tuba section of 5-7 tubas of different pitches, I want my contrabass tuba to provide a "sea of sound".
Based on this foundation, I´d want my bass tuba to work like a whale jumping out of that sea, occasionally.
To use a different picture, maybe more to the point: Imagine a large forest of trees growing to 30 m of height. They may all be of the same species. Then, imagine ONE tree growing in that forest that is of a different species, growing to 50 m.

Our director prefers ALL tubas to contribute to this sea of sound. No whales, here.
He makes a point of having super-large BBb and EEb tubas in the section.
Which is why the only f-tubist, playing a Viennese-valved small F, is getting strange looks occasionally.

On the other hand, when the music called for a vituous bass tuba acting as a whale in this concept, our 1st chair tubist switched from his Besson 3+1 EEb comper to a Miraphone Norwegian Star Eb 5 valver.

[jeopardymaster]

Last Sunday I used my 184 and 983 on a quintet concert - switching back and forth for what I perceived to be maximum suitability for each piece, and concluding on the Eb for Stars and Stripes to facilitate the piccolo trills. Only after we were done and we were "tearing down," the 2nd trumpet guy noticed I was packing up 2 horns and expressed surprise. "I didn't know you brought 2 horns. Which one did you play?" sez he.

I think he was serious.