TubeNet

I also have both sizes of Balu tuba mutes. The experiences of the OP are not foreign to me, but experiments have helped bringing the potentials of these mutes to work.

I tended to set the mutes very far into the bells, which made the low ranges very hard to play and the top ranges less stable. More or less by accident I tried the smaller mute on a larger tuba, which freed up the low register.

The problems apparently arise, when the opening/lower-tip of the mute closes off the lower bell stack too tightly. Some tubas are quite narrow down there compared to their wide flares. I moved the cork blocks so that the bottom of the resonance chamber is maybe 4" over the rim of the bell. Sound is very good as is response. The slots of the upper register become narrower and the playing there needs much attention, but that is to be expected from any messing with the acoustics of the critical throat area.

The buzzing may come from a cork block coming partially loose from the velcro and hence not sitting tightly against the wall of the bell over the full contact area.

Klaus

I ordered a mute from him back on March 9th. It still hasn't arrived. He keeps making up excuses and every week he says "it will go out monday". He says that overwork has caused him to become ill- and a change on his website also says the same thing. I was about to cancel the order- but it sounds like it's worth waiting for? anyone know him and want to harass him for me?