Miraphone 191

[SplatterTone]

Four rotors. Tuning slide is to your left. Third slide is behind the first slide. Fourth slide is two piece on the back side. The picture is kind of big, so I'll let interested parties click to download it rather than make it an image.

http://t-recs.net/pics/tubenet/mira191_2.jpg

[SplatterTone]

All 3 191's I played really broke up way-too-easy on 4th valve C.

The acoustic experts can maybe explain what the deal is with the C, C#, D here. Standing wave, maybe? But you do get a little uncooperative feedback to your lips in this area of the horn.

With a little getting used to it, you adjust, and learn to deal with it effectively. It's a quirk of the horn, but not a difficult one to handle.

[Tom Mason]

I know about the arguements that go around the Allora instruments, but their 191 compares really favorably to the Mirafone 191, IMHO.

I have spent hours on both, and ended up buying the Allora based on the lower price as compared to the sound differences.

The differences in construction are in the rotation of the my 3rd and 4th valves, the bell ring, and a bore difference of .008 in the advertised measurements.

Watch out for the receiver is the only gripe that I have had to date. My received neede a little work to accept my mouthpiece.

Tom Mason

[SplatterTone]

I wasn't able to get any false tones out of the 191. Anyone else have success with that?

You have a REAL tone 1234 32-foot C.

I heard a horror story from someone who picked his up one time and it turned out he was holding a slide

The "compact" design does put things close together. So one must pay attention to what one is grabbing hold of.

And to help you pine away for one, here is another recording. Rather than struttin' the big sound, If your headphones and sound system are good, listen to quiet brass parts when some sweet and low sounds emerge. Aye matey, that be the 191 soundin' fine. And the intonation ain't too shabby either.
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/04_15_07/beauty.mp3
My ears were seriously plugged up (still are) with whatever crud has been going around. I was playing almost entirely from feel.

[jmerring]

I had the pleasure of several hours on a new student model 191, today. I am used to a 186 and can control it's few quirks. The sound on the 191 was incredible! Such a full, dark sound with strong core. I was replacing my 186 and looking seriously at the 191. The deal breaker for me, was that I could not get it to slot cleanly (or anywhere near it) on several notes; not the least of which was C under the staff and a couple of others that I am too tired to remember. I finally bought another 186, but am still in awe of the projection and strength of sound from the 191. I only had the chance to play the one, but I think that, had I been able to play at least two more, the right horn would have found me. The unusual two part 4th tuning slide was actually and asset, bearing in mind that it allows much greater range of tuning for that dreaded C and the F below it. EEb played cleanly with very little effort and DD, CC#, CC and CCb were pretty much on the money. The horn roars a bit in the middle register, but that's controllable, quite easily. The upper register was clear and clean.

Alright, all of you can shoot me down, now. I may deserve it!

The 191 should be on the short list of BBb's, IMHO.

[John Caves]

Make sure your rotors are alighned properly. My new student 191 played MUCH better after they were properly set up.

[SplatterTone]

Here is the last few seconds of an mp3 of a hymn we did Sunday. I lathered a little extra lusciousness on that last note. Moufpeefs is a Kelly 18.
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/tubenet/hymn2_end.mp3

Mics are Audio Technica 3035. Recording deck is Fostex MR8HD (hard drive). Processed and re-encoded to mp3 with Audacity 1.3 beta and lame 3.97.

[SplatterTone]

You NEED a 191. It's calling to you ...
Buy me Buy me Buy me Buy me

[SplatterTone]

And the Miraphone 191 rises to the surface again!

If you have a high speed Internet connection and want to do some listening to the Miraphone 191 in a real concert environment, then start downloading. This is the July 8 concert we did at First Baptist, Tulsa. Since WWBW was running a sale on Miraphone mouthpieces, I snagged a few. I tried using the TU33 on this. Although it is well suited to making the 191 shake, rattle, and roll, I have since backed off to a smaller mouthpiece. I had to admit that the TU33 was at the limits of what I can handle when it was obvious I was having reliability problems on stuff like Bordogni.

The orchestra was 24 instruments plus percussion, organ, and piano. The strings were hired pros since we got no strings; the low brass (yea!), flutes, and clarinets are all FBC; the rest is about half and half FBC and hired hands. The choir was about 80 people; and the soloists are from the FBC choir. We had ONE rehearsal the day before the performance. But things still came out quite nicely. By the way, we could really use some high brass players.

I made the recording with mics (AT3035) stuck in the back balcony -- certainly not the ideal location; so I recommend using good headphones to listen for the tuba. The room is rather large but acoustically dead (typical Baptist).

If you are casting about for new church music, I think you will find the program to be of interest.

The Lord Reigns by Bruce Greer
(the early entrance was NOT the tuba ... organ I think)
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/concert/lord_reigns.wma

The Mind of Christ by Mark Hayes
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/concert/mind_of_christ.wma

Grace by Mark Hayes
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/concert/grace.wma

Joshua fit de Battle arr. Howard Helvey for piano four hands (no orchestra)
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/concert/joshua.wma

My Eternal King by Jane Marshall
(a couple of tuba-do-your-thing A-flats right at the end)
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/concert/eternal_king.wma

Te Deum by Mark Hayes (the "big piece" of the evening)
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/concert/te_deum.wma

And for you organ buffs, the Aeolian-Skinner in action
Allegro Vivo by Paul Benoit
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/concert/allegro_vivo.wma