Skip to main content

Referring to the technical side of the instrument.

Biggest Complaint about your vibraphone

What is your biggest complaint about your instrument frame? What repairs have you been putting off because parts are too hard to find or too expensive to purchase? I've heard many complaints over the years and I want to offer solutions to all these problems. I'm not interested in cosmetic issues like chipping paint or color of the bars. I'm more interested in the sound of the instrument and performance of the frame. These are things I can help with. I want PIPERvibe.com to be the place everyone goes for upgrades, improvements, parts and repairs at a REASONABLE price.

Mic Wars... the saga continues

Last October, I posted about the experiences I was having at MorningStar Studios learning about recording vibes with ribbon mics and the surprisingly rich sound Glen was able to get with me sequestered in a vocal booth. Some things have changed here at home since then that I would like to share.

Glen rebuilt his drum booth. He put in all new acoustic treatment panels and gave me the old ones, so I now have a much more fully treated space in which to record that is much closer to the vocal booth experience.

Excellent Acoustic Sound Control on a Budget

I'm very particular about the recording and sound. I'm a novice at best for working Logic Pro and final cut but I do know that if I don't control the ricocheting acoustic sounds flying around the room, I'll be frustrated from the start.

In the past, I built expensive baffles and they worked okay but were very difficult to build and even more difficult to move if I want to take them to a new residence or even just move them to a different spot. If you move, you simply fold them up or use them as padding for furniture (win/win).

Dolphin Dance with "Notes About The Notes"

Some notes about the notes: At the very beginning, the piece starts with b9 interval played in the right hand and improvised stuff in the left. This to me creates a cold, alone, metalac feeling of depth under water. At 0:43 I rub and randomly "twinkle" the upper register with the top mallet. This is white water sound that was inspired by a young student who did that when he was just messing around on the instrument.