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2005-05-23

Date: Mon, 23 May 2005 00:02:54 +0200
From: Terje Lerstad
Subject: Re: [CB] Octocontrabass Clarinet

Sorry! I'm left-handed, but that is an advantage playing ordinary ("right-handed")  instruments.  But I have no left-handed instruments. This is a scan program error. The page is now corrected:

http://kunst.no/lerstad/bassett.html

I have a lot of information concerning my investigation in the destiny of the OCTOS, but they sound rather dissappointing: stolen, dissapeared or burne  (or rather -  destroyed) in the terrible fire at the factory 2 years ago. I will write more about this later.

Terje


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Date: Mon, 23 May 2005 06:16:24 -0500
From: "Gregg Bailey"
Subject: [CB] Re-creating the octo sound using software

I sent part of this on Saturday, but I never saw it in my inbox.  So let's try it again, with additions:

Anyway, wow--I thought that both of the re-pitchings sounded believable. However, I thought that the first re-pitching--the one WITH the harmonic corrector turned on--sounded more realistic, mostly because it was brighter, I think.

Of course, the last note which is sustained on the contra is the 2nd (written) D (assuming it's a BBb contra that has at least a low D), which when transposed down an octave becomes the low D of a regular BBb contra (or the 2nd D of an octo).  Actually, the recording sounds like it might actually be a contra-alto.  Do you know which it is?
 
It would be nice to hear a similar comparison of re-pitchings with a recording snippet featuring lower notes that, when pitched down, only an octocontra would possess.  Could you do the same thing again but with a contra recording that features low notes played slowly?  Do you have such a track?

I recorded an etude on BBb contra years ago that features the full (normal) range of the instrument to low D.  I will experiment with patching that through my dad's re-pitching software.  Hopefully I will end up with something wonderful that I can post to a website.  I'm sure there are many on this list that would love to hear an approximation of what an octocontrabass clarinet would sound like.

-Gregg

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Date: Mon, 23 May 2005 05:35:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: Ethan Stoller
Subject: Re: [CB] Re-creating the octo sound using software

Oops!  I guess my ignorance is showing!  I just assumed that it was a cbcl.  I'd love to hear a recording like the ones you're describing. Not just for this experiment, but to hear the originals as well.

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Date: Mon, 23 May 2005 08:07:25 -0500
From: "Gregg Bailey"
Subject: [CB] contrabass vs. contra-alto

Well, it may very well be a BBb contra on your recording.  The timbre difference between a BBb contra and an EEb contra is not that great, from my experience.  However, there was some slight subtlety in the sound in that clip that reminded me of the sound I produce when I play a Selmer rosewood EEb contra-alto.  The only way to know for sure is to listen to where the upper notes change to "clarion" tone, or if you hear notes below what a contra-alto could produce.

Also, since the bore and mouthpiece of a Leblanc EEb contra and BBb contra are evidently the same, that would suggest to me that the chalumeau notes that are shared between the two would have identical tone.

Does anyone have any comments on that?

I will eventually post both my original BBb recording and the re-pitching to a website once my dad and I get together to do this.

-Gregg


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