A York - tuba comparison

Questo video è stato creato con l'intento di mettere a confronto 5 strumenti, copie dell'originale e famosa tuba York 6/4, pilastro della sezioni ottoni della rinomata Chicago Symphony.
Troverete la lista dei 5 strumenti utilizzati alla fine del video.
Registrazione audio: Zoom H5 + Neumann km184.
E' consigliato l'ascolto in cuffia!
This video was created with the intention of comparing 5 instruments, copies of the original and famous York 6/4 tuba, a pillar of the brass section of the renowned Chicago Symphony.
You will find the list of 5 instruments at the end of the video.
Audio recording: Zoom H5 + Neumann km184.
Listening with headphones is recommended!
Enjoy!!!

[@jerrybyers2172]

To my old, failing ears, the best one was whichever tuba he was playing at any given time.

[@jameslombardo8535]

The low registers of 2, 4, and 5 were great and they ended up being my favorite ones.

[@SamuelHikida]

The tubas all sound slightly different but you played them all well! Here are my thoughts on each one Nirschl: Has a defined, rich sound that slots very well, dark sound. Articulations are more like little pops instead of a “T” sound. Most consistent intonation from what I heard. Wessex: Upper overtones are very strong, has a buoyant sound, seems to slot the easiest, and also cuts in the low range more than the other tubas YamaYork: A mix of heavy core with just the right amount of overtones, meaty low register. Has the classic york sound with a singing quality to it. Very very consistent sound, although it may become uneven if you push the sound too hard EBC836: Warmer, more compact sound, has the body of a york sound, but lacks as much resonance as the other horns. Sounds the most even tonally Hirsbrunner: Sounds a little thin and tubby, but projects and rings like crazy. Articulations have more of a “T” sound than the other tubas All in all, my personal favorites are 3/4 with 1 being right behind that

[@Brewtuba]

Great playing! Almost immediately I thought the sound of 5 was much more present, pleasing, and consistent. Having played all these at different times, I was very surprised it was a Hirsbrunner.

[@HE360]

This clip shows that no matter which Tuba you have a good player would make all of them sound good. And that was demonstrated in this video.

[@albertoazzolini2058]

Thank you very much! 🙏🏻

[@allwinds3786]

He can make a funnel and a garden hose sound good! I'd like to hang out in a plumbing section of a hardware store with him🙂

[@talonwhite694]

I think my favorite one was the Eastman. It sounds very presents, but at the same time not too fluffy.

[@gregoryronnback2756]

For what it's worth, I'm not a fan of the modern tendency toward " blatty" low notes. I've been out of the loop for many years, but my template for how the York tuba should sound is my recollection of the way Arnold Jacobs sounded on the Chicago York tuba(s). That template is a lively sound in all registers, full of harmonics, always vocalistic, and beautiful above all. I remember him playing single notes that were so compelling in sound quality and vitality that my ear was immediately drawn to them in spite of whatever else was happening in the rest of the orchestra.

[@albertoazzolini2058]

My generation didn’t have this luck , unfortunately. but Mr Jacobs’ influence has reached us, and we do what we can to honor him. sometimes well, sometimes less well. About details , every time I listen to someone playing “blatty” low notes , I am physically very close to him. If I move away from the source of the sound , everything change , And the sound that seemed ugly to me, is now just fine. I mean: each listening must be contextualized for the recording and the room in which it is located… so, listening mr Jacobs playing in the orchestra cannot be compared to this, because it is a completely different situation. This comparison wants to verify the features of each instrument from very close . There is absolutely no presumption of looking like mr Jacobs. First of all because we do not have his instrument 😁. And of course because he was unique, father of 2-3 generations of brass players. 🙏🏻 Thanks for the comment ! 😊

[@WestCoastDP]

Agree. When I was 15, I listened to Jacobs tuba tone on records, radio, etc. I tried to copy his tone. Also, I had a tuba teacher in high school who studied with Jacobs. When I thought my tone was getting too Blatty in the lower registrar, I would start soft and play louder and try to control the tone without the Blatt. Can be done, but you need to practice. There is a lady pro tuba player that I won't name, that has a very Blatty sound in low and even low-middle registrar. I don't enjoy listening to her.

[@greatvib3s]

From what I heard, I ENJOYED the sound and response from 5 the most, but the intonation seemed trivial compared to each of the other horns (especially that G!!). I think 4 probably was most consistently my favorite horn, next to 5. For me, it's between the sound of 5 (there's a real pop and presence to that sound) and the consistency of registers/intonation/sound of 4!

[@chrisbeard61]

Amazing performances, the best were 3 and 5… 3 is my favorite clearly

[@CarlosVega-y6h]

Excelente sua técnica de respiração e ele consegue manter a mesma qualidade de SOM na Família das Tubas!!👏👏👏👏👏

[@Awegner176]

To me, it was no contest #5. Then 3, 1, 2, and 4. As a Wessex owner, I like the sound I get from my 20" bell york style tuba. I wish that was in the comparison. Great playing!!

[@ensleycastillofunes3063]

i love the tuba 2 and 4

[@Jondrinkswoodford]

While I personally find the Hirsbrunner the hardest to play, if you’ve got lungs like this guy, #5 all the way! It sounds the most like a tuba, not a bass trombone. Either way, this is a great video resource for those considering their first 6/4 CC. Find the right sound you’re looking for. They all play well. Think about what you’re looking for in your ensemble sound.

[@ProducedbyGuardian95]

I like #5 the mostest!

[@holton345]

HA! I nailed all five! Do I win a prize? Okay, so as of this date (11/11/2023), there is a Yamayork at Dillon Music that I am about to drive out to play-test. I will likely just get one of the three Eastman EBC836 tubas they have in stock (two demos and one new, all lacquered) but I *really* want that Yamayork. Thanks very much for posting this excellent video.

[@holton345]

I bought the Yamaha YCB-826S. I am pretty excited, too. Thanks again for the outstanding video!

[@charleskelley6257]

Of the traditional York designs I preferred 1 and 4. But I really like #2, with the smaller bell.

[@muratkaraca2694]

4th and 5th tubas are the best sounding at least on my headphones.

[@jos6058]

Outstanding playing! Bravo!!!

[@jessemcconnell5749]

#1 & #4 did it for me! To my ears #4 was slightly clearer in both sound and pitch, but both are very close! I'd rank them 4,1,2,3,5. Great playing and thank you for sharing!

[@iang7244]

Hah, nerd

[@christiansmith9001]

Dude, it's time to clean out those ears buddy. I agree on 4 being at the top, then I'd go with 2 and 5. This performer was really great on the Hirbrunner, I would say it was probably his instrument, which is why he played it the best. #1 was definitely last place for me. I still love you though!

[@christiansmith9001]

I found in the lower comments that the Hirsbrunner is his personal instrument. Lots of love buddy!

[@luciano9015]

Great video!

[@ivanhimichenko3459]

for me 4 is the best, the timbre is very charming!

[@FatManDude13]

Number 5 by a long shot. 3 in second, then 4, 2, and then 1. I was pretty surprised (and disappointed) 1 was a Nirshl as I've heard great things about them (and they're so expensive!). But Hirsbrunners are where its at, so that didn't shock me quite as much. Good on the Eastman though, holding its own.

[@soffronitsky]

I like the #4 the most, followed by #2.

[@MatteoMaglibasstuba]

Ottima iniziativa! Bravo Alberto!

[@sylvaingagnon3211]

You play them all very well. I liked the Hirsbrunner best followed by the Yamaha.

[@randyrisch188]

I own a conn 26 J, I would love to have him play that in the comparison

[@ivanhouston12]

I would love to hear a comparison with those old 6/4 American tubas: Conn, Holton, York, and Martin I've heard the Conn sounds wooly/woofy, Martin sounds big and clear, Holton and York sound similar with the York being more mellow and the Holton having a bit more robust tone. This is just what I've picked up from reading over time, but I've never heard a comparison!

[@danielschadeli3676]

very nice playing and very interesting - thank you for sharing

[@albertoazzolini2058]

Thank you for watching!

[@MarcosHerculesOficial]

Há muito tempo queria ver essa comparação entre as tubas

[@colecrawfordtuba4476]

Great playing! Personally, there's just something about how the Yamayork spoke the lows, it had this intense focus and presence to the tone that I can't really find words to describe. If I were to put it another way, I find it easier to imagine a trombone section balancing to that sound, if that makes any sense. It also had such a dark sound that was so different from the others. It's almost like the other 4 were variations on the same general "velvet fog" sound while the Yamayork was built to be more organ-like. I, and many others, I'm sure, would love to see you do this with other horns like the Gronitz, MW 2165, or the Baer? I know you can't just actualize these $20-30,000 tubas out of thin air, but it'd be really sweet if you could make it happen. Cheers!

[@gabewelch2632]

You sound awesome!! I think I’m going to have to go with number 4 in my opinion. I think you also forgot the Adams York copy as well...

[@albertoazzolini2058]

It is very difficult to find out ( at least in Italy)

[@andredasilva6498]

Muito obrigado mestre por esse vídeo! Excelente trabalho!!!

[@Dave6666]

Great video. They all sounds very close, which reflects the player rather than the instrument. There is likely as much variation in sound between tubas from the same manufacturer, than between the tubas from different manufacturers.

[@mitchkirton7901]

I don't know that I'd pick it overall, but #2 made the hall ring more than the others. A couple others barely created a response in the room. Compare the low E's in Fountains. The hall barely reverberates after the release for 2 or 3 of them. But it rang for #2. As a conductor, #2 would get a callback. I'd want to hear it with the trombone section. It doesn't matter what a tuba sounds like if it can't project it more than 3 feet.

[@albertoazzolini2058]

thanks, your considerations are all precious. It is very difficult to record all the many resonances a tuba can have. In this comparison I wanted to focus on which are differences in timbre and colour of the instruments , something that a close* listener can notice (*close to the sound source). If we want to speak about projection of the sound, this video is not realistic because: the mic were quite close to the source and the hall was a medium/big rehearsal room. After this experiment I had the opportunity to try 3 of them (n° #2,#3,#5) in a big concert hall , but unfortunately I had no chance to record. Anycase, the responses were really different from the ones I had in this video. Even, contrary in some instruments. If desired, an even more interesting discussion opens up here. Ultimately, I agree with you about the projection: speaking purely of orchestral work, it is the fundamental characteristic, along with compatibility with the low brass section.

[@remipradier944]

#4 Eastman 👍👍👍👍👍 #5 Hirsbrunner 👍👍👍👍 #1 #2 #3 👍👍

[@loghbrass]

2165 solos ez Def my favorite out of all of the york designs I've played. Though slightly different than a york it captures the essence

[@albertoazzolini2058]

which instrument is this?

[@pugandblizzard]

You sound great on all of them.

[@paulmasgalajian8102]

Looks like I'm the odd man out. The Wessex (#2) is for me. To my ears the notes played had a "cleaner" finish, clearer intonation and timbre.

[@albertoazzolini2058]

Thanks for your feedback. They are all very high level horns. Each of them has an advantage or a defect compared to the others. Wessex definitely has great centering of sound, and is the easiest to play. But if someone is looking for the compromise of good qualities, maybe Wessex isn't in the first place. The response in a big hall is probably the thing that could make you change the point of view. And I am sorry that it is something that is missing in this video, but to record tuba is always difficult. I am tryng to do more professional comparative sounds-test, I hope to share as soon!

[@miguelmendes5768]

I prefer the tuba Number 4 of course, i playing now the tuba B&S GR 41 C

[@99corncob]

They did not all sound identical, but the differences in sound are too small to be a determining factor in any choice I would make. You are making the sound, not the horn. If you choose whichever of these feels to best to you, you will do a respectable job with it. The choice may be different for every player. All of these are capable of doing a good job for you.

[@jerrybyers2172]

It was pretty close, as they were all pretty good, but to me, #3 had the best sound in the very low range, as the low frequency was obviously low frequency, whereas the others on the same notes sounded like a higher frequency being played in a stuttering manner. I.E., the upper overtones came through stronger than the actual note in the other tubas. So, #3.

[@albertoazzolini2058]

I really appreciate your point of view. finally someone who goes more specifically. just to know, with which device did you listen? the differences you have found may be noticed more or less from one device to another. thank you very much

[@jerrybyers2172]

Sir, I am no computer guru. My PC is a gift from my son. On the front cover it has 4 squares inside another bigger square, if that helps. My earphones are SONY, pretty small, but they pick up a wide range of pitch, and extreme low notes come through very well. Sorry I can't tell you more. @@albertoazzolini2058

[@albertoazzolini2058]

@@jerrybyers2172 don't worry, mine was just curiosity! anyway, I suggest listening on a good pair of headphones, nothing more! thanks for the comment

[@Jonathantuba]

The Wessex played on this video is the TC694 Chicago-Presence and not the TC695 Chicago-York. So it is not a direct comparison, as the TC694 has 18” bell deliberately to make a more compact sound. For comparison the TC695 should have been played

[@albertoazzolini2058]

yes, I made a mistake in the description. the tuba used is the small bell (TC694) , sorry! The choice to use this model for comparison was conscious. All brands have tried to get closer to the original, but have finally created all instruments with small different characteristics, which can also enhance the instruments themselves. In agreement with other colleagues, we decided to use this rather than the other as it seemed much more interesting to compare.

[@Jonathantuba]

It would have been good to have both the TC694 and TC695 in the comparison

[@KlldbyCuriosity]

4/5 Can't decide 3 1 2 by a long shot

[@brandonbruce8551]

Of all the tubas played I liked the Eastman and the Hirsbrunner the most. The Eastman has a super even sound and the Hirsbrunner has the darkest sound.

[@beaubedene4522]

What was the second etude you played? Great clarity!

[@albertoazzolini2058]

Arban’s characteristic study #1

[@kolyovanchev8214]

1-4 were all close; they all sound great. I wasn't a huge fan of 5. Great playing!

[@LorenzoSantiago99]

4 for me, I think its Gronitz PCK

[@kalebtrippe3702]

which of these tubas has the most responsive 5th valve, valves and tuning slides.

[@albertoazzolini2058]

my personal opinion - most responsive 5th valve , Wessex (the light weight of the horn helps a lot) valves, Hirsbrunner tuning slide (and intonation) , Eastman

[@tubalooney]

I would say that the Wessex Chicago « présence » with the smaller bell would have more clarity and precision. :-) I’d love to know tuba you play Alberto!

[@albertoazzolini2058]

Hi! At that time , my own instrument was the Hirsbrunner. After that I decided to buy an Eastman , now I have both and I am very happy with them. This test helped me a lot. Wessex is a very good instrument, the precision is a great value. but I was looking for the best for me, so I took many other aspects into consideration. It was an extremely interesting experiment. And all these instruments are awesome.

[@tubalooney]

@@albertoazzolini2058 I did wonder because you sounded really great on the Hirsbrunner and in my experience they are not the easiest to play. You have to get used to them and they have a playing style that is unique to them. I thought the small bell Wessex Chicago Présence was better than the Wessex York but I like a direct sound and big bell flare makes the sound stay « ambient » and not project so well :-) for me in any case!

[@albertoazzolini2058]

​@@tubalooney thanks a lot. in fact, I have to say that my Hisbrunner was the hardest to play in that time. And I think, the experience with that, has helped me to play (almost easily) the others, that are all more "malleable" . About Wessex, I tried both. They sounds great, but me and my colleagues tuba palyers we had more good feelings with the small bell , so we decided to put that in the comparison. No one instrument will be the same as the original York, but all these new copies have all very good (and different) features.

[@bertrandgalley3267]

@@albertoazzolini2058 Your job on each tuba is awesome. What a sound ! Did you use the same mouthpiece for the whole test ? In particular, which mouthpiece do you use now on the eastman tuba ?

[@albertoazzolini2058]

Bertrand Galley thanks! In this test I used the same mouthpiece for all, but with two different shanks. I mean, I had two handmade copies of an old Schilke Helleberg II, one with Euro shank and one with American shank. For n.1-2 I used American (small) and for n.3-4-5 I used Euro(big) , to combine to each leadpipe the right one. But the mouthpiece is the same. Now on Eastman I am very satisfied with Mike Roylance’s mouthpieces. In particular the medium weight one .

[@lolbruhyeet4644]

To me they all sounded the same but nice playing bro👍

[@taylormanning2709]

My preference order: 1,5,3,2,4 I suspect that #5 is a tricky horn to play but that you have spent a great deal of time on it. Do you put more hours in on the Hirbrunner or a different horn?

[@albertoazzolini2058]

Yes , I spent more hours practicing the Hirsbrunner because at that time it was my own instrument. Before that , I had a Nirschl for 3 years .

[@taylormanning2709]

@@albertoazzolini2058 thanks for the reply. You sound great on all of them; great inspiration for my own journey learning to play my Nirschl better

[@djm.6322]

What was the second excerpt played?

[@albertoazzolini2058]

The second is an extract of Arban’s characteristic studies (n.1)

[@DemBone93]

2 e 5 veramente paurose :-)

[@jdubbs60609]

#1 - If you want to win a job, the Nirschl is the one. Wessex is clear but is only about 85% of the core. Yamaha is excellent in low register but tonal inconsistency drove my ears nuts -- and it would get major dings from ww's/strings on a commitee. Eastman -- dull. Yorkbrunner sounds great by gets tubby.

[@sagat64]

I am an amateur tuba player. Could you tell me the names of these songs?

[@albertoazzolini2058]

- from Bordogni (legato studies for tuba) n. 7 - from Arban's Chatareristic Studies N.1 - Prokofiev, Symphony N.5 (orchestral excerpt) - Respighi, Fountains of Rome (orchestral excerpt)

[@sagat64]

@@albertoazzolini2058 Thank you very much for your very kind response. :)

[@fourwheeleranddirtbikecont2865]

@@albertoazzolini2058 thank you I like 1st one

[@tesmith47]

DAmn, BUT I LIKE THEM BIG BOYS!!!!

[@matheusoliveirasilva9993]

For me a Hirsbrunner is a best ,lirical song e intonation best

[@Catch_022]

What was the second excerpt he played?

[@SandordrEsik]

34521 #3 has the best, most rounded sound and intonation. #4 is a close rival. #5 hast the biggest sound and #1 I would definitely not choose from these 5.

[@albertoazzolini2058]

Thank you! Imagine the #4 silver pleated instead of laquered.. it could be more than a #3 “close rival” , don’t you think ?

[@andrewfros5642]

Chiaramente tutti strumenti meravigliosi,ma hirsbrunner e wessex hanno qualcosa in più...

[@gloria.n]

1, 3, and 5 all are solid, I liked one more than the others on each of the clips so there was no clear winner, but if I had to pick an order I'd go 5, 3, 1. Didn't care at all for 2 or 4.

[@tferreiraconn25]

In fact, the best sound is from the Hirsbrunner.

[@colefayemi573]

Which one didn’t you play? There are 6 tubas🧐

[@albertoazzolini2058]

there are 6 tubas because I had two Hirsbrunner available. One ( the n.5 ) was made in 1985, it is one of the few completely handmade York tuba from the first Hirsbrunner's project. The second one (that I did't play) was made later, on an other project, and it is quite different, worst in my opinion. It is an instrument hard to play and not in tune. So, it doesn't exactly represent the idea of ​​the original York.

[@thomasodom4212]

Tuba number three seemed easier to overblow. 1 & 4 were tied sound wise. I would give a slight preference towards the fourth tuba though.

[@mariobma]

Hirsbrunner has a big big sound

[@atsushi4955]

5

[@miguelangelramirezplaza3084]

La Hisbrunner es la mejor

[@tonycollins4376]

2

[@kleber_vilela]

1

[@brandonmerritt3647]

What was the first excerpt played?

[@albertoazzolini2058]

It is a study from Bordogni .