Thank you for another great video. My personal preference was for the metal barrel which a little more edge and projection. I think it may be better for orchestral playing, but I am sure they are both great. We could end up with more barrels than clarinets in our case. Sorry bad joke! Thank you once again looking forward to your next video. God bless you. Bill. Uk 🎶🎶🎶
I ended up keeping both. Glad I got in on the early offering prices. If I was only going to be playing chamber music or only going to be playing in large ensembles the choice would have been easy between the two. Since we are still in the pandemic I can pretend better having both these barrels. :) I agree with your assessment and with Behn's. I'm very happy with my purchase. My stock barrels on my Yamaha CSVR's and SEVR seem very diffuse now compared to the center and flexibility these barrels bring to my set-up. I wasn't unhappy with the stock barrels before.
Both is definitely a tempting option, maybe one day I’ll pick up whichever one I pass on now! I like the Yamaha’s a lot (I played on CSGs for 7 years), glad to know the barrels feel at home on other brands!
Nice review. I would say the rubber barrel would be ideal in chamber settings, solo and orchestral. The metal variant bigger orchestral settings and concertos.
Thanks! That’s a good take, it’s been sad not being able to test anything out in various ensembles, but I have no doubts each barrel would shine in the roles you outlined!
I just wish they could be more affordable, I think I eventually need something like that. Now in winter, I have some intonation problems which in summer I didn't have.. I think I need to bring the overall pitch a little sharper to correct some notes.. Throat tones and some specific notes are currently getting flat. So, this time as I can't afford an adjustable barrel, I try different reeds which also could use comfortably and tune better than V21 I currently would play. Although little more resistant, I find with Vandoren traditional notes are more in tune over other reeds.. and I like the sound I get with them, just different playing feeling..
Love your informative videos, very to the point and helpful! Brads barrels seemingly opened up your sound with more vibrancy but also focus. I didn’t catch you talking about how it felt, was one easier to play on over the others? I’m excited to be visiting Brad soon to explore his products, wish I could buy everything of his but I think I’ll save the money for a mouthpiece.
Hey Julian, thanks for the comment! Now that you mention it, I’m surprised I didn’t talk about how the barrels felt. In general, I’m having trouble remembering any significant difference. The Behn barrels were definitely more vibrant feeling behind the instrument for the same amount of effort and in some ways the stainless steel felt like I was shooting my sound out through a cannon (I mean that in a great way!). However, I don’t really remember any significant resistance differences.
It’s been a little while since I filmed this, but I do remember taking extra pains to recheck my tuning with each barrel before pressing record. I believe your assessment though, the Behn’s tuned very well!
In my rank, Behn's hard rubber is the best. Is the more focused. Then the Tosca. Stainless steel makes you sound more open, so the notes tend to inflate in a way I really don't like. I think that with the hard rubber you can improve the projection by concentrating the sound resonance inside your mouth, not blowing much air. But it is just an opinion based in the video...I would like to hear it live
couldn't hear a difference between stock and the rubber Behn, but the SS one had slightly more punch... if I won the lottery and could buy this, I would be getting it for the tuning adjustment ability, not for tone per say. going from a cold AC room and then playing outdoors in humid/hot venues is difficult, but this barrel would seem to be the solution....
Interesting, the stock barrel is actually my favourite all rounder. One thing is for sure, the tuning on these barrels are fantastic! The hard rubber have so many beautiful colour but I wonder how it will sound at extreme dynamic, I worry it will spread the sound when play loud. The metal one is definitely louder, and to be honest it sounded very similar to your stock barrel. Nice video, happy new year!
Very insightful comment! I hadn’t played the stock barrels for a while prior to making this video, but they ended up performing much better than I remembered! I feel like the Behn barrels in general provided a nice hold to the sound. I definitely think the solid steel is more suited to large ensembles and if maximum volume is what someone is looking for, that’s definitely the option to go with! Thanks for the kind words!
Since there's a nice "two for one' perk to fit both Bb and A clarinets, I'm curious about the ease of swapping the barrel from horn to horn? Can you achieve it successfully without inadvertently clicking and altering the tuning?
Hey Rob, I don’t have the barrels anymore, but I don’t remember having any trouble with the ring moving a click while switching the barrels from instrument to instrument. The hard rubber ring was a little looser, so it wobbled a little, but neither ring style turned enough to move the ring to another node. Hope that helps!
Another T. E. Tuner trick. I wear hearing aids because of many years sitting near the trumpets and tympani. So I use the tuner set on the 'Analysis - Harmonic' mode to test my sound for the strength of the 3rd and other odd numbered harmonics.. I tried this trick while you played, but there were few long notes to zero in on the odd harmonics. This would be a scientific instead of subjective analysis of the sound.
It’s a good idea Ken and something I’ve been considering for an upcoming video! Hopefully it will be out in the next few weeks, thanks for the suggestion!
Both Behn’s sounded better and would be my picks. The stainless steel was the best in colour, texture, subtleties, zing & ring, volume variation, and flexibility.
I think that it's really nice to have "one barrel for all" but I think that you should only consider buying it If you play more than one genre and outside your country because there is no reason for you to buy an adjustable hard rubber barrel if you can buy a normal hard rubber barrel or a synthetic one, you will still be in tune and your sound will basically stay the same all the time, due to the material that doesn't really change like a wood barrel when there's temperature changes. i suggest you should try a normal synthetic barrel and comper it to the adjustable one.
Thanks for taking the time to comment! I hear what you're saying, and you are probably right that in the vast majority of situations one standard length barrel is going to be sufficient. However, the intonation capabilities range of a 63mm-68mm barrel is going to be larger than that of a 65mm barrel. While I am sure that at 65mm both will basically function identically, there are moments when someone might wish they could push the barrel in farther. Thats where having the adjustable barrel comes in handy. I think the point I really wanted to make is that sometimes we don't get to choose what environment we play in or who we are playing for. Sometimes you are in a freezing cold pit, and no matter how much you "lip up," the pitch doesn't get to where it needs to be. Sometimes a conductor gets up on the podium and says, "Well since the string players want to play so sharp, we will be tuning to 442 for the concert." (Thats really happened to me!) In both cases, I wished I had a shorter barrel than I did, and the adjustable barrel would have solved my intonation problems in those scenarios. As stable as a 65mm or 66m synthetic barrel can be, its not going to help you in those scenarios because it's simply too long.
My Brad Behn adjustable barrel has lost its haptics most of the time and is difficult to turn despite cleaning, greasing, then buying expensive o-ring lube etc. It started malfunctioning within a year. I contacted Behn, he would not exchange for a fixed barrel of lesser expense and instead wanted me to mail it back with a check for him to look at it.
My teacher always recommends playing on stock barrels and bells. He says that way you keep the sound homogeneous.. I don't have any problem playing stock barrels, though I don't know what I'd do in case I need to change the pitch completely.. now I play on stock 66mm and in the winter I play on 65mm..
I understand your teacher’s logic! The sound can definitely remain homogenous, or maybe even become more homogenous with aftermarket barrels, but there is a big risk of buying a barrel that just doesn’t match your instrument well. I understand when people just don’t want to mess with it. But ya, the tuning aspect of these Behn barrels really can’t be beat!
If I recall correctly, one of the primary benefits of an adjustable barrel is to avoid leaks. Since you don’t have to pull out the barrel to change pitch no space opens up in-between the joints for air to escape/or be slowed by. With the adjustable barrel the space that is created at the end of the bore is much smaller than the space created when pulling a barrel out at a joint.
Sorry, but truth be told ... you absolutely sounded best on the stock Buffet barrel. On that you sounded beautiful. The hard rubber barrel was not a match to your Buffet clarinet, both pitch and sound quality...didn’t like it. AT ALL! (Liked the stainless steel model only slightly better.) The Buffet Tosca clarinet seems to play best with the barrel that it came with. Most of the professional clarinetists who perform with the Tosca tend to play on the Tosca barrel. And by the way, a 66mm barrel should cover 90 percent of your tuning needs, and a 65mm barrel will cover the remaining 10 percent. Don’t waste money on these expensive “Techno-Trinkets” ... Just practice more.
Hey Arnold, I appreciate you taking the time to comment! Sound preference is a very subjective thing and if you prefer the stock barrels, that's great! I think in any case we can both agree with the point I made in the video; while there are subtle differences in the sound, there isn't a massive shift in sound quality with any of the barrels. I always sound like I am playing the clarinet and I always sound like me. Perhaps the differences are more stark in person, even with good recording equipment getting an entirely accurate recording is a very tricky thing. However, the point of these reviews is to try and set realistic expectations for consumers. In a world where every manufacturer is marketing to convince you that their product is going to give you that extraordinary sound/resistance/response etc., (understandably, they need to make a living) I am attempting to find something more objective and closer to the truth. The Behn barrels definitely add some value to your instrument through their tuning abilities. (I am not sure what you didn't like about the HR barrel tuning wise, but that's alright!) While you're right that a standard set of 65mm and 66mm barrels will cover most of your bases, I have still been in many, many situations where I wish the barrel I was playing on was just a little bit shorter. Of course, no piece of equipment is going to make you a better technician, musician, etc, but that doesn't mean it lacks value entirely! Again, thanks for watching and commenting, I am glad you found the review helpful, even if it was simply to decide that the barrels aren't worth it for you!
Thank you for another great video. My personal preference was for the metal barrel which a little more edge and projection. I think it may be better for orchestral playing, but I am sure they are both great. We could end up with more barrels than clarinets in our case. Sorry bad joke! Thank you once again looking forward to your next video. God bless you. Bill. Uk 🎶🎶🎶
I ended up keeping both. Glad I got in on the early offering prices. If I was only going to be playing chamber music or only going to be playing in large ensembles the choice would have been easy between the two. Since we are still in the pandemic I can pretend better having both these barrels. :) I agree with your assessment and with Behn's. I'm very happy with my purchase. My stock barrels on my Yamaha CSVR's and SEVR seem very diffuse now compared to the center and flexibility these barrels bring to my set-up. I wasn't unhappy with the stock barrels before.
Both is definitely a tempting option, maybe one day I’ll pick up whichever one I pass on now! I like the Yamaha’s a lot (I played on CSGs for 7 years), glad to know the barrels feel at home on other brands!
Nice review. I would say the rubber barrel would be ideal in chamber settings, solo and orchestral. The metal variant bigger orchestral settings and concertos.
Thanks! That’s a good take, it’s been sad not being able to test anything out in various ensembles, but I have no doubts each barrel would shine in the roles you outlined!
I just wish they could be more affordable, I think I eventually need something like that. Now in winter, I have some intonation problems which in summer I didn't have.. I think I need to bring the overall pitch a little sharper to correct some notes.. Throat tones and some specific notes are currently getting flat. So, this time as I can't afford an adjustable barrel, I try different reeds which also could use comfortably and tune better than V21 I currently would play. Although little more resistant, I find with Vandoren traditional notes are more in tune over other reeds.. and I like the sound I get with them, just different playing feeling..
Love your informative videos, very to the point and helpful! Brads barrels seemingly opened up your sound with more vibrancy but also focus. I didn’t catch you talking about how it felt, was one easier to play on over the others?
I’m excited to be visiting Brad soon to explore his products, wish I could buy everything of his but I think I’ll save the money for a mouthpiece.
Hey Julian, thanks for the comment! Now that you mention it, I’m surprised I didn’t talk about how the barrels felt. In general, I’m having trouble remembering any significant difference. The Behn barrels were definitely more vibrant feeling behind the instrument for the same amount of effort and in some ways the stainless steel felt like I was shooting my sound out through a cannon (I mean that in a great way!). However, I don’t really remember any significant resistance differences.
Not sure if you matched the lengths of all three barrels first, but using my T. E. Tuner, there was more 'green' notes with the Behn's.
It’s been a little while since I filmed this, but I do remember taking extra pains to recheck my tuning with each barrel before pressing record. I believe your assessment though, the Behn’s tuned very well!
In my rank, Behn's hard rubber is the best. Is the more focused. Then the Tosca. Stainless steel makes you sound more open, so the notes tend to inflate in a way I really don't like.
I think that with the hard rubber you can improve the projection by concentrating the sound resonance inside your mouth, not blowing much air. But it is just an opinion based in the video...I would like to hear it live
couldn't hear a difference between stock and the rubber Behn, but the SS one had slightly more punch... if I won the lottery and could buy this, I would be getting it for the tuning adjustment ability, not for tone per say. going from a cold AC room and then playing outdoors in humid/hot venues is difficult, but this barrel would seem to be the solution....
Interesting, the stock barrel is actually my favourite all rounder. One thing is for sure, the tuning on these barrels are fantastic! The hard rubber have so many beautiful colour but I wonder how it will sound at extreme dynamic, I worry it will spread the sound when play loud. The metal one is definitely louder, and to be honest it sounded very similar to your stock barrel. Nice video, happy new year!
Very insightful comment! I hadn’t played the stock barrels for a while prior to making this video, but they ended up performing much better than I remembered! I feel like the Behn barrels in general provided a nice hold to the sound. I definitely think the solid steel is more suited to large ensembles and if maximum volume is what someone is looking for, that’s definitely the option to go with! Thanks for the kind words!
Keep the video coming! Love your content!
@@ParkHouseCreations 2
Since there's a nice "two for one' perk to fit both Bb and A clarinets, I'm curious about the ease of swapping the barrel from horn to horn? Can you achieve it successfully without inadvertently clicking and altering the tuning?
Hey Rob, I don’t have the barrels anymore, but I don’t remember having any trouble with the ring moving a click while switching the barrels from instrument to instrument. The hard rubber ring was a little looser, so it wobbled a little, but neither ring style turned enough to move the ring to another node. Hope that helps!
I thought the stainless had a better sound - until I saw the price. As the sopranos say - forgit abot it.
Nice video, do you have a link where thouse are actually sell? Can’t find them online
Another T. E. Tuner trick. I wear hearing aids because of many years sitting near the trumpets and tympani. So I use the tuner set on the 'Analysis - Harmonic' mode to test my sound for the strength of the 3rd and other odd numbered harmonics.. I tried this trick while you played, but there were few long notes to zero in on the odd harmonics. This would be a scientific instead of subjective analysis of the sound.
It’s a good idea Ken and something I’ve been considering for an upcoming video! Hopefully it will be out in the next few weeks, thanks for the suggestion!
Both Behn’s sounded better and would be my picks. The stainless steel was the best in colour, texture, subtleties, zing & ring, volume variation, and flexibility.
Thanks for watching!
y-at-il un modèle compatible avec les clarinettes CSG de Yamaha? les barils sont plus courts de 10mm environ
I think that it's really nice to have "one barrel for all" but I think that you should only consider buying it If you play more than one genre and outside your country because there is no reason for you to buy an adjustable hard rubber barrel if you can buy a normal hard rubber barrel or a synthetic one, you will still be in tune and your sound will basically stay the same all the time, due to the material that doesn't really change like a wood barrel when there's temperature changes. i suggest you should try a normal synthetic barrel and comper it to the adjustable one.
Thanks for taking the time to comment! I hear what you're saying, and you are probably right that in the vast majority of situations one standard length barrel is going to be sufficient. However, the intonation capabilities range of a 63mm-68mm barrel is going to be larger than that of a 65mm barrel. While I am sure that at 65mm both will basically function identically, there are moments when someone might wish they could push the barrel in farther. Thats where having the adjustable barrel comes in handy. I think the point I really wanted to make is that sometimes we don't get to choose what environment we play in or who we are playing for. Sometimes you are in a freezing cold pit, and no matter how much you "lip up," the pitch doesn't get to where it needs to be. Sometimes a conductor gets up on the podium and says, "Well since the string players want to play so sharp, we will be tuning to 442 for the concert." (Thats really happened to me!) In both cases, I wished I had a shorter barrel than I did, and the adjustable barrel would have solved my intonation problems in those scenarios. As stable as a 65mm or 66m synthetic barrel can be, its not going to help you in those scenarios because it's simply too long.
My Brad Behn adjustable barrel has lost its haptics most of the time and is difficult to turn despite cleaning, greasing, then buying expensive o-ring lube etc. It started malfunctioning within a year. I contacted Behn, he would not exchange for a fixed barrel of lesser expense and instead wanted me to mail it back with a check for him to look at it.
On my Master & Dynamic headphones, I could hear differences but not "qualitative" differences. Hmm...
My teacher always recommends playing on stock barrels and bells. He says that way you keep the sound homogeneous.. I don't have any problem playing stock barrels, though I don't know what I'd do in case I need to change the pitch completely.. now I play on stock 66mm and in the winter I play on 65mm..
I understand your teacher’s logic! The sound can definitely remain homogenous, or maybe even become more homogenous with aftermarket barrels, but there is a big risk of buying a barrel that just doesn’t match your instrument well. I understand when people just don’t want to mess with it. But ya, the tuning aspect of these Behn barrels really can’t be beat!
Adjustable Barrel? The worry is that it could leak. (?)
If I recall correctly, one of the primary benefits of an adjustable barrel is to avoid leaks. Since you don’t have to pull out the barrel to change pitch no space opens up in-between the joints for air to escape/or be slowed by. With the adjustable barrel the space that is created at the end of the bore is much smaller than the space created when pulling a barrel out at a joint.
HR sounded a little thinner to my ears. Stainless steel seems to give more ping and projection.
Stainless steel definitely felt like it had more power! Thanks for watching!!
the stainless has more power and zing
I agree!
Stainless
Sorry, but truth be told ... you absolutely sounded best on the stock Buffet barrel.
On that you sounded beautiful.
The hard rubber barrel was not a match
to your Buffet clarinet, both pitch and
sound quality...didn’t like it. AT ALL!
(Liked the stainless steel model only slightly
better.)
The Buffet Tosca clarinet
seems to play best with the barrel that it came with.
Most of the professional clarinetists who perform with the Tosca tend to play on the Tosca barrel.
And by the way, a 66mm
barrel should cover 90 percent of your
tuning needs, and a 65mm barrel will
cover the remaining 10 percent.
Don’t waste money on these expensive
“Techno-Trinkets” ...
Just practice more.
Hey Arnold, I appreciate you taking the time to comment! Sound preference is a very subjective thing and if you prefer the stock barrels, that's great! I think in any case we can both agree with the point I made in the video; while there are subtle differences in the sound, there isn't a massive shift in sound quality with any of the barrels. I always sound like I am playing the clarinet and I always sound like me. Perhaps the differences are more stark in person, even with good recording equipment getting an entirely accurate recording is a very tricky thing. However, the point of these reviews is to try and set realistic expectations for consumers. In a world where every manufacturer is marketing to convince you that their product is going to give you that extraordinary sound/resistance/response etc., (understandably, they need to make a living) I am attempting to find something more objective and closer to the truth. The Behn barrels definitely add some value to your instrument through their tuning abilities. (I am not sure what you didn't like about the HR barrel tuning wise, but that's alright!) While you're right that a standard set of 65mm and 66mm barrels will cover most of your bases, I have still been in many, many situations where I wish the barrel I was playing on was just a little bit shorter. Of course, no piece of equipment is going to make you a better technician, musician, etc, but that doesn't mean it lacks value entirely! Again, thanks for watching and commenting, I am glad you found the review helpful, even if it was simply to decide that the barrels aren't worth it for you!
Sound is subjective, and to my ears the Behn barrels sound have more focus and ring.
Hello , what is the difference black one and silver ?
also why this very expensive ?