Soprano Saxophone Shoot Out

[admin]

I would be grateful if you would take the time to complete this poll and let me know what tone you prefer and why.

SAX ONE (up to 1:35 only)





SAX TWO

[winston]

Sax #1. It sounds smoother to my ears. It is especially noticeable when there is a transition between the lower and upper registers.

[cjj]

I'll go with #1 as well. Sounds fuller and rounder, #2 is a bit more harsh and airy. Of course, a lot of that could just be the player's technique and how he wants it to sound...

[jps]

Possibly #1 but, the recording techniques and ambient room tones are different in the two recordings, making it hard to make a fair comparison, not to mention they are not the same song or perhaps the same player.

[admin]

Thanks guys, agreed that it is a tough comparision for many reasons. Tough though it may be this is our mission.

I too am taken by the first sax for some of the reasons posted here. There are so many factors from the mouthpiece to the bell and then the room and recording that form part of a complex chain of events. For me, I hear a clarity and centeredness to the tone in sax one that gives it a definition that I prefer. To my ear I hear less of these qualities in sax two.

There is an airy quality in sax two as CJ mentions that I also hear that provides for a different tone in sax two. The notes from sax one seem to flow better an have an effortless quality too. The player in sax two seems to be working harder to get his tone.

I am very interested in those qualities of sound that determine whether we are attracted to a particular tone and establish a preference for it. I appreciate your efforts in defining the meaning of these different sounds. In the case of the saxophone it is really all about how you hold your mouth.

[cjj]

That's kind of what I was getting at. Sax #2 with the airy harsh tone may be exactly what the guy is going for in tone. And yes, to get that sort of a tone, you have to work harder at it, kind of force the notes. The same can be done with other instruments as well. Think of Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. That flute playing had a harsh, airy sound that probably wouldn't go over too well in your local symphony orchestra, but for where it was used, it was awesome...

[Clint]

I prefer #1. It's warmer, rounder and the player has a smoother vibrato.I wouldn't call #2 bad, by any means, just a bit more breathy and a little strident.

I judge all soprano sax sounds by Branford Marsalis' solos on Sting's "Fortress Around Your Heart". It gives me goose bumps every time.

[Ivan3000]

Sax one. Its so smooth, and the player put a lot of love into it. Also the vibrato is pretty great too. But what do I know, I'm a brass player

[admin]

Thanks for you comments everyone. A couple of posts were deleted as they did not address the question raised in the initial post and were drifiting too far from the topic. The posters should feel free to explore the posts in another thread. I chose to delete the posts rather than create another topic as was unsure what title would have suited both.

[nortega]

Hard to tell from the recordings (as stated) but I like the warmer tone of the mouthpiece from #2. I'm an ex-tenor player and used to use aggressive metal mouthpieces and plastic reeds (sometimes) to get a snarling, burlesque tone. But that's through the warming body of a tenor. I think that the metal mouthpieces are too shrill on the soprano bodies. They need that warm wood tone up top, IMO.