Ocarina silencers and loud ocarinas

[Cliff]

Spatolo mentioned in another thread the issue of practicing but not wanting to disturb those around you.

http://www.ocarinaboard.com/bb/index.php?topic=35.0

Karl will be addressing "silencers" and how to practice with ocarinas that were designed to be played loud in a video some time soon.

Karl designed the Mountain Ocarinas to have good playing volume. They can be played quietly with practice but they don't get their best sound, certainly at low volumes. The reason Karl wanted loud was so he could play outdoors and with other musical instruments without microphone amplification.

So loud is a plus in some situations, but the downside of course is there are times when you would rather have a quiet instrument... like in a dorm room, or in close living situations. When you don't want other people to hear you. These are issues shared with other loud instruments... trumpets, drums, violin, etc.

One thing that he has found to work well is to take a piece of putty from an art or stationary store (Staples here in the US) and put it on the fipple edge. It allows practice, and hearing some tone, but really makes it quite silent. This is mainly for practicing fingering and not to learn new songs since you can't hear it very well since it's silenced so much.

I think this is what he uses:

http://www.elmers.com/products/product/product_page.asp?pCode=E625

I've tried it and it silences it quite a bit. It is useful for practice, not for auditory enjoyment.

Once again, this is a video on our growing list of helpful videos to produce.

[Spatolo]

I tought at the same, but I didn't wanted to try because I don't want to touch the fipple anyway. That's the most delicate and critic part of the instrument, and I don't want to have problems with it (say: stick stuff on it, have problems to remove it; then need to use a stick or something hard to detach it... and scratching it, no way).

I was thinking about putting a slice of an erasers'gum into the windway. Something more solid, so that can be removed without leaving no traces of "stuff" in the windway.

I'll experiment and I'll let you know if I'll be successful.

Also, I was thinkin' about putting an thick elastic around the ocarina, close, if not over, the fipple. I have a whistle with a mute mechanism which works in a similar fashion and it's very good in muting it.

[rweagle]

I tried different methods to quiet my ocarinas while practicing without much luck.  I am looking forward to Karl's info on this.

Rob W.

[Secretagentdan]

Just go in the restroom and close the door...accoustics are awesome! (I used to record on my 4 track in the bathroom, has a nice sound) 

[Cliff]

OK. OK. There is an emergency situation!

One of our faithful, unnamed forum members is stuck in a hotel room and can't practice his ocarina.

Karl is working on an in-depth video explaining how to practice in situations "library quiet" type environments or other places where we wouldn't want to disturb others around us with our practice.

Since we obviously can't wait for Karl to finish the video, I've gone ahead and taken some really quick photos to illustrate the concept. You need a plastic drinking straw and a pair of scissors.


Given the nature of this emergency, I didn't have time to drive to McDonalds... it was the only straw I could find in the house. Don't ask me where I found it 





I moved the piece of fruit into the picture, spatolo, to make you hungry 





Cut the straw long enough so it won't get pushed into the chamber of the ocarina. My photo shows a cut too short. Do you think I should become a "hand model"?





The notch is cut into the straw to make the amount of "silencing" variable.





Play around with different cuts, and moving the straw to achieve different levels of silence.




The nice thing about this method is the silencing is variable, and if you cut and turn the straw right you will have feedback to know if you are hitting the right notes, etc.


We should have a much better explanation video by Karl very soon, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

[Spatolo]

Wowowow great!
I managed to put some paper into the oc and I succeded in silencing it almost at all. It could only emit a breathy sound. Too bad it was out of tune and difficult to play with!

I write this, that can look so obvious, because I own this whistle from carey parks which, by using it's "tone ring", can be reduced to play only a windy, breathy sound, but... in tune with itself, so that one can still have fun while not disturbing really nobody even at night.

Here's what I talk about, I think it's ok: http://www.parkswhistles.com/Whistles/EveryWalkabout/Default.aspx

I can't wait to try the straw method with various different levels of silencing and see. Thank you very much cliff for doing this. If today I'll find the straw I'll try this very evening. Hell, I also need scissor... there's more chance that I'll try at home, but it will be good for the next time!

Thanx!