The Recording Bell Conundrum

[Z-Tuba Dude]

When I was a young tuba player, I thought to myself that recording bells were dorky. As I got older, I learned the error in my thinking.

For outdoor concerts, there is nothing better, and even some indoor venues are better served with a recording bell (when there is a big fly space above the stage, for instance). However, I have been surprised by a number of conductors that I have found to have distain for recording bells, in general. It does seem that, in some cases, it is more of a "fashion" issue, than a musical one.

• 1) For those of you who own recording bell tubas, what percentage of your ensembles enthusiastically welcome recording bells?
  2)What kind of groups are they?

Any other observations?

[b.williams]

I play in community bands, so naturally, I haven't ever heard any complaints.

[bort]

Come to think of it... I have never played in (or attended) a band concert that used recording-bell tubas. I've heard a few stories (one from a professional player) of having their recording bell turned away from the conductor, for fear of being too direct or too much sound.

The only time I remember seeing one is in a dixieland group that always played in my hometown fourth of July parade.

I've got no problem with recording bells, as long as it's being played by a capable player. With a bell that big and in your face, there's no room to hide things like wrong notes, poor articulations, etc.

[Dan Schultz]

I own and play tubas with recording bells and upright bells. I also play sousaphones and helicons... depending on my mood and what the venue is like.

Whether a recording bell is liked or disliked depends A LOT on the style of the player. A player who is too loud or edgy will be MUCH MORE noticeable to the director if they are playing a recording bell or a sousa. THOSE players are the ones who give the forward-facing bell a bad name.

[iiipopes]

I have a particular semi-annual gig indoors on a stage with heavy sets and draping, and the recording bell is a must.

When I sit in with the various community bands in the area, I usually match the majority of the other players, usually upright, even outdoors.

I have both bells for my tuba and because they have different geometries, I have two different tuning slides as well.

And since the bells have different geometries, they sound completely different tonally, with the upright 16 1/2 St Pete bell being darker and rounder, and the 22 inch recording bell having more projection and definition, with different mouthpieces to match each.

I am fortunate that all the groups I play in leave the choice of bell to my discretion as to what will support the ensemble properly for the given gig.

[J.c. Sherman]

I've only be welcomed into early jazz ensembles with a recording bell; I've insisted on recording bell for some outdoor/unshelled venues. But I've rarely been welcomed to bring one except for one band where - due the personnel manager - I still wouldn't think of it.

Sadly, this meant the sale of my beloved King Monster BBb.

[pdonoh]

My main horn for years has been a recording bell Conn. I purchased it when I lived in Southern California where 80-90% of the time I played outdoors. Ten years ago I moved to the Midwest (for the climate) and the horn has been generally accepted everywhere except in a college/community orchestra. The conductor never banned it outright, but strongly suggested I use a school owned 4 rotary valve upright BBb when rehearsing and performing. I don't mind, this means I walk in and out with a mouthpiece and music carrying as much stuff as a piccolo player.

[brassbow]

I once asked my conductor for the community badn I play with, which her prefers. An up right concert Eb or a sousaphone. He chose the sousaphone. Yet he plays an upright CC.Needless to say he HATES the Eb

[eupher61]

The Martin upright bell (well, the Kanstul reproduction) sounds amazing. It also makes for a totally different feel to the horn. I use the recording bell for jazz-related things only, aside from my ragtime band. I'll use the top bell for everything else, most likely. It helps to have an amazing instrument to start with.

[roughrider]

I have played my recording bell tuba for 35 years and have yet to have had a complaint about it. Dan Schultz is correct, an edgy player will make the horn and its player stand out much more than they would probably like. Our community band now has three tubas and we are happy about the number of players and somewhat less concerned about the type of horn that each player has at their disposal.

[Bill Troiano]

Back in my Guy Lombardo days, he insisted I use a recording bell tuba. For a recording session, I once brought my Miraphone 186, thinking it might record better. Guy wasn't happy. Luckily, I also had the recording bell tuba with me.

[J.c. Sherman]

In the current iteration of the Guy Lombardo Orchestra, Al always smiles at me when I play with them, because I always bring a bell front tuba

J.c.S.

[modelerdc]

This whole thing about the people assuming the bell upright is always the better instrument without regard to the actual acoustic circumstances just shows how people hear with their eyes. While I like the bell up euphonuim for concert use, most schools were better off in the old days with bell forward baritones, which imho were better instruments than todays bell forward core style baritiones, so now schools often have to have two sets of instruments, instead of one that will serve both concert and marching well, a boone for manufacturers, but not for schools and players. And wasn't the sousaphone invented becuase Sousa wanted bells up for concert, and not as most peoples bias leads them to assume that the sousa was invented for bell forward marching? Most forget that the first sousas were raincatchers for concert use.

[jstrother123]

My Marzan has both an upright and recording bell. In my 9 piece jazz group, they always want me playing the recording bell, indoors or out. In my community band, the request is recording bell outside, upright inside. But that was also changed when we played on a stage with a huge catwalk above us where the tuba sound got trapped and/or lost. Luckily I had put the recording bell in the trunk of my car and I was able to swap it out before we played. My sound was the only one that made it past the stage, the other 3 tuba players were really only window dressing that night.

Jim

[Z-Tuba Dude]

bloke "Though probably true, I really don't find that factoid to be particularly significant or important, but (mostly) wanted to counter your offering of 'conundrum' into the TubeNet lexicon with 'predilection'."

[pjv]

Usually when the bell-up/-front discussion shows up its usually quite polar; up vs front. And it seems that if you want the both of best worlds you got to carry 2 bells around.

I don't get it? The bell can be turned around 360 degrees. This gives the tubist a plethora of directions to choose from for his/her sound.

We all know what its like to have your bell pointed towards a dead spot in the hall (curtain, sound absorber, etc) or towards a low point in the ceiling, projecting our sound in an undesirable direction. Turning your chair a bit might solve this but maybe you can't see the conductor anymore. Or maybe your bells blasting into the bass section. They love that.

A front bell gives a wide variety of options in order to find the best sound possible because its multidirectional.

Upright bell; many players hold their axe at an 80 degree angle (just like the TubeNet Smiley). In this instance the bells not upright but pointing at an upright angle. I also hold my bell-front tuba at an 80 degree angle. And when I turn the bell 90 degrees (to the side) tah dah!!! my bell also points at an upright 80 degree angle.

My 2 cents.
Pat

[Dan Schultz]

.... I don't get it? The bell can be turned around 360 degrees. This gives the tubist a plethora of directions to choose from for his/her sound....

180 degrees would be just 'payback' for the timpanist! Maybe you could even pull your main slide out a couple of inches to drive him/her crazy for a change!

[Dan Schultz]

Why not make all of the valves interchangeable on piston tubas (like the 1970's Olds "Pinto" trumpet) ?

Most tuba players (I know I'm not) are really not smart enough to keep track of all of those valves and holes.

That's a nice thing about the Yamaha YBB-103. It's just not possible to mix up the pistons!

[J.c. Sherman]

Why not make all of the valves interchangeable on piston tubas (like the 1970's Olds "Pinto" trumpet) ?

Most tuba players (I know I'm not) are really not smart enough to keep track of all of those valves and holes.

Same with the Yamaha YBB-103

(actually not a bad idea...)