Denis Wick Travel Mute

[tonewheeler]

http://www.euphoniumstore.net/store/product=460/

It looks like the only place you can get one is on Steven Meads website.

Any feedback?

[JoCologne]

Hello,

I'd ordered on DW Mead mute and I've received it a week ago. First, short review:

It fits perfectly into my 280mm bell of my B&H Imperial. It is completely hidden and is now always in my Euphonium's bell. It looks very nice.

Sound: Very quite, in the break of my rehearsal only a few people noticed that I was playing. Compared with my Best brass mute for trombone there's passing a lot more air. Low range is very good, high range was more difficult. I had a little personal problem after this break, i.e. difficulties to play without the mute. But this should be tested in silence at home. Until now I had only the DW straight, this is my first practise mute for Euph.

Unfortunately I had not yet the time to make a comprehensive test at home, because I have upcoming concerts with Cello (Bach's Christmas oratorio) and trombone (big band). I promise to make a check in the next days.

Until now, thumbs up!

[tonewheeler]

had a little personal problem after this break, i.e. difficulties to play without the mute. But this should be tested in silence at home. Until now I had only the DW straight, this is my first practise mute for Euph.

Jochen, what exactly do you mean by "difficulties to play without the mute."? (see above sentences).

[JoCologne]

Hello Dan,

that seemed to be a personal problem. After the break, when I play-tested the mute, we started to rehearse a fully orchestrated piece directly. I removed my mute and played with all the others. When I tried to play mid-range notes (concert D or D flat in the middle of the BC staff) I had the feeling to have a leakage in my machine or a valve half-pressed. Note that there was a lot of noise around me and perhaps I had the wrong tune. After a half movement, looking around my Euph and searching a reason for my bad sound I recognized, that nothing is wrong and the the sound improved step by step.

After the band rehearsal I had my Euh quartet rehearsal and all was in best order again (I've avoided to play the mute between both rehearsals ).

I'll make a comprehensive test (perhaps today) and tell you my impressions.

[tonewheeler]

Thanks, I'm looking forward to the results of your tests.

[pam]

Originally posted by: JoCologne
that seemed to be a personal problem. After the break, when I play-tested the mute, we started to rehearse a fully orchestrated piece directly. I removed my mute and played with all the others. When I tried to play mid-range notes (concert D or D flat in the middle of the BC staff) I had the feeling to have a leakage in my machine or a valve half-pressed. Note that there was a lot of noise around me and perhaps I had the wrong tune. After a half movement, looking around my Euph and searching a reason for my bad sound I recognized, that nothing is wrong and the the sound improved step by step.

I rarely use with a practice mute these days, but when I was using one fairly regularly, I experienced this sort of problem if I switched from playing mute in to mute out.

My suspicion is that I was adjusting the volume and shape of my air and the firmness of my embouchure in response to the differences in back pressure and pitch between mute in and mute out, and that it took a few minutes to re-calibrate my "soft machine," to borrow a phrase from Sam Burtis, when the mute came out, and that the differences were most apparent in the "meat" of the euph range.

[JoCologne]

Hello all,

a short update. I'm now a littlie bit more familiar with the Mead Travel Mute. Intonation is still ok, it's not louder than a hushed radio - and the transition to playing without mute became better. I appreciate practising without time restrictions. Greetings from Germany!

[tonewheeler]

Thanks Jochen for your follow-up response.

[JoCologne]

I've found some other reactions for the DW Travel Mute on Steven's homepage. I'm still convinced and satisfied, my problems at the beginning disappeared. To point out some issues, especially the low range is very good. I can't say much about the very high range due to a lack of skils in my individual playing, but high range seems to be also very good

[tonewheeler]

I attended Winter NAMM in Anaheim today. I went to the Wick booth and spoke with Stephen Wick. He showed me the euph travel mute. It seems like a well made product. I was unable to try it because there were no horns avaliable at this booth.

He told me the travel mute will be avaliable in 6 weeks via Dansr Distribution (www.dansr.com). Dansr has the price marked down from $179 to 134. They show avaliable on this site. Maybe he meant they were on back order?