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I am playing around with making an electric tuba. Now what I have to work with are a tuba, a couple of mutes, and a bunch of electronic equipment. I have a few ideas but I wondered if any of you had some briliant ideas to add to the mix.

By the way, I know that it has already been done but I want to try to create something new and different out of an old idea. And yes, I am out of my mind.

Sousie

What a waste of good electricity.
Save it for the vibraphones.

Nothing done for a tuba is ever wasted. Except for maybe trying to convince the conductor that the tuba isn't just there to look purdy.


Sousie

schlepporello wrote:Electric tuba?!
That's Blasphemy!!
Repent and turn from your wicked ways!

Repent? Never evil is so much fun.

Thanks for the support,
Sousie

Miah wrote:I think you should look into running it through Gituar pedals and stuff like use a WaWa pedal, I have always thought that would be cool.

Yup -- fuzz & octave boxes (that'll take care of the masonry and the glazing! )

Kevin Hendrick wrote:

Miah wrote:I think you should look into running it through Gituar pedals and stuff like use a WaWa pedal, I have always thought that would be cool.

Yup -- fuzz & octave boxes (that'll take care of the masonry and the glazing! )

Oh, you guys are so unhip. Jay Rozen was doing this when he played with the Creative Opportunity Jazz Orchestra in Austin Texas--about 20 years ago.

Rick "yawn" Denney

Rick, I'm surprised at you! Saying that those guys "are so unhip" may be true, but don't you realize you may also be damaging their self-esteem?

Serious, I doubt ANYONE could claim to have gone as far in that direction as Jay has. Although I am much more a traditionalist, I find the creative things he does to be both interesting, and often amusing.

How about something for "prepared tuba"? As in:

Take a handfull of thumbtacks, half a can of beer (with or without the can) and a live nest of wasps and toss 'em all down the bell...

Oh wait, it's been done--I believe it's called "High School Marching Band" isn't it?

You guys want to hear about tuba blasphemy? I do it all the time. In the cartoons I score I use a sampled tuba from the Vienna Symphonic Library. It is so much easier to play in the notes on the piano than to get my mics out and record tuba live. With the deadlines we get here in Hollywood, it is sometimes impossible to play live. Even when the composer is an accomplished tuba player himself.

Doc, I think someone needs to tell Bloke that he doesn't need to get PERSONAL, here.

bloke wrote:It's fun to clip a mini phantom power wireless mic to the bell, and run the sound through one of these, when playing a "ride" on the changes:

So bloke, do you simply plug your mic into the box and then wire the box to the sound system?

sounds cool I will have to check it out.

ken k

When the band would get up occasionally and "stroll", I would usually pour someone's just-bought entire pitcher of beer down the bell of my tuba...and then drink some of it. ...I would always look for that pitcher of "dark" beer - ' tasted better , and cost the poor sap more $$ to replace it up at the bar.
_____________________________
[so would that taste better in a silver plated CC horn with rotary valves or a raw brass BBb or maybe a lacquered EEb with pistons?

k-

ThomasDodd wrote:What a waste of good electricity.

It's not a waste at all... there are LOTS of tuba players out there that play electrified in some sort or another... out of necessity.

There is a VERY good reason for it too (other than the gimmicky side of it)

In reality, physically, the Tuba is actually NOT a very loud/efficient instrument -- not loud enough to play with a drumset player (while still keeping a good sound) Playing electrified allows me to play amongst types of instruments and in performance situations where the tuba is not normally found. It allows me to play quietly, subtly and for long phrases without having to honk and sound rough -- the louder you have to play acoustically, the less dexterity you have, playing amplified lets me keep that dexterity.
-- and, it works INFINITELY better than mic'ing in the conventional way and allows me to have control of the timbre (rather than some stoned sound guy) Positive response to it has been overwhelming.

Drummers for some reason understand a sound more when it comes out of a speaker too....


peace

joe
NYC

(ps -- why is this "off topic"??)

Doc wrote:I played miked and/or through a PA all the time, albeit without any effects. Works great, and I can attest that dexterity is not compromised.
Doc

Some random thoughts on the subject...

Playing miked can work just fine -- that is if the mic/pa/sound person are all satisfactory -- but so often that's not the case -- and I've found so much that the sound guy is usually to blame --- as just like most, they don’t understand the tuba or have any idea what it should sound like... even many recording manuals are incorrect with their approach to the tuba.

For instance a few years back I was doing a studio session for a jingle for a CBS affiliate in one of the bigger studios in Chicago -- and the engineer put a big fat diaphragm mic DOWN my bell like at least 12 inches. I trusted him and figured he knew better than I (and I was young and in awe because there was CSO players all around me too...) The final result (even though I played very soft) sounded like a big bass trombone.
I was not happy with the result (and did not know any better at the time)

Since then (and other similar experiences), when recording conventional sounding stuff, I take a bit more control when in the studio -- and most engineers ask how/where I want the mic. Sometimes I will go as far as asking them to change the mic if there is soloistic or exposed parts in the music (like when one recently insisted on recording me with a bass drum mic)
After it all, they are usually very happy with the result.

My point is that even some of the most experienced engineers have NO friggin idea how to deal with a tuba -- and a BIG secret for me has been learning how to deal with and control MY own setup, therefore my own timbre. Having an "electric tuba" setup allows me this luxury for live situations (not always for studio, as it is pretty temperamental)

I have heard rumors that Tommy Johnson always uses a specific mic with a specific EQ setting whenever recorded -- again, the studio situation is different than playing live, but the point being, he takes control over what the situation is, as most engineers have no idea how to record/amplify/eq a tuba.

Maybe Dylan can chime in on this...

With the tuba, our lucious "timbre" is our finest asset -- and using equipment in a way that "preserves" and wont comprimise that sound is important.

peace
joe

tubajoe wrote:

ThomasDodd wrote:What a waste of good electricity.

It's not a waste at all... there are LOTS of tuba players out there that play electrified in some sort or another... out of necessity.

Electrifing a tuba implies something much different tha miking one. Just as an electric guitar is very different from a miked accoustic guitar.

I agree with everything said about miking, especially when performing with electric stuff. I won't start on "sound guys" other than agree that most are clueless, be it tuba or anything else. When was the last time you heard a band mixed well live? In a small venue?

And I agree, creating a good mike setup, with your own eq before the sound board is a good idea. Add a monitor for the back of the room so you can real time adjust for the idiot on the bopard too

ThomasDodd wrote: Electrifing a tuba implies something much different tha miking one. Just as an electric guitar is very different from a miked accoustic guitar.

Maybe electrifying a tuba isn't such a good idea, at least if viewed from the same aspect as electrifyng a fence.

schlepporello wrote: Just make certain your aim is true when nature calls.

Is this the voice of experience? Have you electrocuted your thingy too?

Hee, hee,

Sousie

When nature's callin'
Don't be stallin'
Use your common sense
Before you let it flow
Find a place to go
Just don't whiz on the electric fence

If you're gonna explode
You can use the commode
Of igloos, cave dwellings or tents
No need to explain when you gotta drain
Just don't whiz on the electric fence

You can swizzle on the sofa
Piddle in the air
Tinkle in the toilet
That's why it is there
(Toilet flushing)

You can let it rain
In the breakdown lane
While waving at ladies and gents
Just don't whiz on...
Don't whiz on
Don't whiz on the electric fence.


And they said watching Ren & Stimpy as a kid would never yield me anything positive....[/img]

TMurphy wrote:And they said watching Ren & Stimpy as a kid would never yield me anything positive....

It is good to be "well-grounded" ... well, maybe not always ...