Drummer Cafe Community Forum

besides the MalletKat / Xylosynth guys

who makes 4 octave vibes ?

(sorry thought I asked this before, but cant find the thread)

TIA

Yamaha makes a 3.5 octave vibraphone.

A vibraphone is typically only 3 octaves. Frankly, I don't think a 4 octave vibraphone would even sound good. Going higher would start sounding like bells ... even though bells sound 2 octaves higher than written. Going lower with the pitches would start to sound rather clangy or gongish.

I can see adding a few notes on the top and bottom, but to offer 4 complete octaves just would sound right ... the timbre would be off and not sound like vibes ... which is more than likely why you don't see them. If they are made, they are not very popular.

Try using www.Google.com (http://www.Google.com) and see what you come up with.

Bergerault supposedly made the first 4 octave vibe, but I personally haven't been impressed with the Bergerault instruments I have played on.

Yamaha now makes one, and I believe Doug DeMorrow makes one, but I'm not sure of that.

Be careful to condemn instruments you haven't played yet, Bart.

I've played a 3.5 octave Yamaha, which sounds fabulous down to the low C# - the lowest C is good, but you have to be careful in terms of striking spot and mallet choice, at least on this one instrument.  Down to the C#, tho, it's luscious, and fits perfectly with the timbre of the rest of the instrument.  Admittedly, I haven't yet played a vibraphone with the extended upper range, but FWIW, the tuners I've discussed this with tell me that the higher-range bars are far less of a challenge to craft and tune than the lower-range bars are, in terms of the extended range.

Bergerault, DeMorrow, and vanderPlas all offer four-octave vibraphones.  I know Yamaha has made one (I belive the New York Philharmonic has it, but don't quote me on that), but I don't know that it's part of its standard catalog.

FWIW, a friend of mine wrote up a review following PASIC 2002, regarding extended range vibraphone on display at that year's convention:  http://www.malletjazz.com/database/pasic2002.html (http://www.malletjazz.com/database/pasic2002.html)

Who's condemning? I never said anything of the sort.

I don't think they would sound very good. I've played on vibraphones with lower pitched bars ... I personally don't like them. Having the low E was nice, especially when playing guitar transcriptions.

If you like them, great! The lower bars start sounding an awful lot like the lower register of a marimba. My ears loose the metalic sound of the metal bars in the low register ... sounds a lot like the wood bars ... to me.

Making them is one thing. Selling them and having musicians use them is another.  ;)

I think Musser(A partner with Ludwig I believe) makes a 3.5 octave vibraphone.

We have one at my school, and I will have to check into it, but I am pretty sure it is more than 3 octaves.

Maybe I misunderstood, Bart, but IMHO saying that an instrument wouldn't or doesn't sound good is a condemnation of that instrument.  Who wants to play an instrument that doesn't sound good?  


Please do - the last I heard, Musser didn't want to go anywhere near extended-range vibraphones.  I'd be very interested to hear if they have indeed taken the plunge.

Darn it :'(

It isn't a 4 octave. Here is a pic:

http://img.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/47/470168.jpg


Assuming that first key on the left is A, that is a little more than 3 octaves, with a few sharp and flat keys in between.

Mexican Folk Art, anybody?  

(http://www.milagrosseattle.com/marimba-m.jpg)

<attempt at humor--has nothing to do with 4 octave vibes>

Nope.  It's a three-octave.  Looks like a Musser M48.

When Musser started prototyping the 4 1/2 octave M350 marimba, they had all kinds of resonator pipe configurations lying around.  Some were pretty interesting.  They looked like something the Tuetels would do with elaborate exhaust pipes on American Chopper.  

Musser ended up with res tubes the size of rain gutters on the low end of the 350.  I can't imagine what it would be like on a set of vibes.  But I'd love to see it and hear it if it's been done!

The first key on the left is an "F".  The few sharp and flat keys you see are laid out in sets of three, then two, then three. . . just like piano keys.

If that's what it means ... then everyone on this board has condemned just about every percussion instrument ever made.  8) It's just my opinion based on what I've played, which I've stated.

I assumed, incorrectly, that the Full 4-Octaves was going lower. I see that it's from C2 up to C7. I thought it was going lower than C2, but I see that they split the difference. I haven't played the upper register, but I didn't think it would sound good going up a Perfect 5^th above F6. I'm curious to hear those upper notes. The F6 is already on the edge of pushing it for my ears ... maintaining the timbre of the rest of the instrument.

I've always been surprised that a low E hasn't been added as standard equipment on vibes. The addition of that single note would make it SO much easier to adapt classical guitar music to vibraphone.

Fall Creek makes a 4 octave vibe.  I don't have any idea on price, but know that Weiss sells Fall Creek products.

Yakseller,

the 4 octaves offered by Fall Creek is the 4 octaves LW40 made by vanderPlas percussion.
Fall Creek is my exclusive agent in the US.

My most sold model is the 3.5 octaves, after that it's the 4 octaves.
3 octaves are hardly sold, it's even better to go for the 3.2 octaves (Eb3-F6) ISO the 3 octaves.

As Jim Walker mentioned, the lower range C3-E3 is more difficult to produce than any of the higher bars: you need to tune more overtones. That's (partly) why extended range vibes are so much higher in price than the normal 3 octaves.

A mistake often is made when designing an extended range vibe is to use an already existing 3 octaves model and just add the extra notes.
This really isn't doing the trick. The extra bars and resonators, plus the additional length ask for a more rigid frame/keybed.  
Extended range vibes can only be taken serious when being designed as an extended range.

Nico

thanks Nico !

nice to have you on the site

Can you give us your impression of the E-Vibe ?

I've made the new eVibe such that it is easy to use anywhere where you need volume, and want to be up and running within minutes.

Altho it is the most lightweight vibe currently available, it still has its weight. This is because I chose to use the regular size bars, and keep them on when transporting.  And ofcourse have the whole instrument in only one hardcase.

In sound it is inbetween an acoustic vibe and a K&K pickup-ed vibe.
I've heard some very nice comments from sound engineers who found the instrument much easier to amplify than a regular vibe.
I prefer using the eVibe in our bigband, in favour of my usual 3.5 octaves (which BTW is also equipped with pickups) acoustic.
Eventho the evibe feels and sounds little differend from the acoustic, it still does the job better with respect to soundquality on high volumes and ofcourse ease in transport. AND it is up and running in less than 5 minutes.

My personal (and all standard) eVibe(s) is equipped with the Behringer DSP 2024 effects processor, but as an alternative I offer the LExicon MPX550 installed. This particular processor is cleaner in sound AND has a compressor continuesly running along.

You have to get used to playing the eVIbe tho:
1. you need a few hours playing to get used to the blue color. First time playing it is weird.
2. because there are no resonators underneath, just a solid sheetmaterial, the bars feel differend.

Nico

thanks again for the info

just curious

was there any particular reason for the blue color ?

I tried several colors:
gold was too classic, silver satin made the vibe look dull,
red was too dark, blue matched perfectly.