[stopmakingsense]

Hi I love my Otto Link NY 7* but...

When I'm in a large club with a loud band it is too easy to over-blow the mouthpiece. It doesn't provide enough volume in that setting either.
and I wouldn't mind a slight improvement in ease of the falsetto range.

I love that the Otto Link gives my excellent easy control and a great tone with an Olegature and Selmer USA Tenor and 2.5 rico royals.

Any advise on mouthpieces that could provide the ease of control up and down the register and great tone of the Link NY 7*, but louder and not as easy to over-blow?

Thank you in advanced.

SMS

 

[divisi]

Try adding a little baffle. Either dental wax, poster tack, or even one of the ones you can buy...I think they are called "power tone". The core link sound will remain, but you will get more projection for sure.

 

[JonL]

Silly Putty works well, too. It's easy to shape and comes out clean.

 

[jgreiner]

Hi I love my Otto Link NY 7* but...

When I'm in a large club with a loud band it is too easy to over-blow the mouthpiece. It doesn't provide enough volume in that setting either.
and I wouldn't mind a slight improvement in ease of the falsetto range.

I love that the Otto Link gives my excellent easy control and a great tone with an Olegature and Selmer USA Tenor and 2.5 rico royals.

Any advise on mouthpieces that could provide the ease of control up and down the register and great tone of the Link NY 7*, but louder and not as easy to over-blow?

Thank you in advanced.

SMS

Hi
I think the first "problem" you're having is trying to compete with guitar amp stacks, etc. in a loud club setting. There's NO way on God's green earth you're EVER going to be able to compete volume-wise with an amplifier (especially playing on a Link), so my first suggestion would be that you need to either have control over your microphone's volume, or more importantly, have a monitor CLOSE to you that has mostly you in it, so you can hear yourself. In my opinion, that would seriously cut down on the tendancy to overblow. As another poster mentioned, you could certainly put a wedge in your Link, or use another mpc. that gives you more volume/edge, but you're obviously going to sacrifice your sound quality in either case.
Trust me, I've been there/done that, having had the same exact problem(s) you're having. Never ceases to amaze me how guitar players can see you're blowing your nuts off, but still can't be heard because they're knocking down walls with their amp. I refuse to sacrifice MY sound just because other players have amps they can simply turn the volume knob up to 12 on.
Again, control your mic. volume (TURN IT UP), get your own monitor or tell the others to play acoustic and then see who's louder. :twisted:

Hope that helps...
John

 

[sinkdraiN]

If you have a mic turn it up! If they did not provide a mic for you...then the band doesn't really want to hear you anyway (your decoration).

The dave Weckl band is VERY loud and amplified...but Gary Meek and Brandon Fields are always cutting through. I heard them live and Brandon had no problem projecting. He recently emailed me his setup...it's an "off the shelf" metal link 7. Gary Meek also plays a link with no baffle in that group and he sounds HUGE.

Don't ever expect to compete with an amplifier when you aren't miced. Even if you did play a small chambered baffled peashooter...your typical guitarist will turn up the volume "against it" anyway.

 

[Nefertiti]

I went out and bought my own little JBL eon G2 and a mic. I control the volume myself so I don't have to worry about hearing myself. Now I just have to worry about going deaf!

 

[kavala]

As Nefetiti says, get you own small backing amp.

You can get these powered speakers now. I have one that has two
inputs. One input can be switched from Mike to Line-in. Plug your
own mike in there. Then take a feed from your amp line-out into
the main system mixer so that you also have a presence out the
front.

My amp/speaker can be used with a tripod stand. I put it up high at
my ear level and that way you don't need as much volume
to hear yourself and because it is raised up, it's less prone to feed back.

You should use a cardoid or low feedback mike so that you do not pick
up all the other sounds on your mike.

 

[jgreiner]

I went out and bought my own little JBL eon G2 and a mic. I control the volume myself so I don't have to worry about hearing myself. Now I just have to worry about going deaf!

Steve, when did you get your hearing BACK?! LOLOLOL!!!!!!

Hope all's well!

J.

 

[Grumps]

Any advise on mouthpieces that could provide the ease of control up and down the register and great tone of the Link NY 7*, but louder and not as easy to over-blow?

If it's got to be Link-like, I'd try a Ponzol M2 (not the small or +). If you're not ruling out hard rubber and want to experiment, try an RPC high baffle in as open a facing as you can play.

 

[nichwan]

Hi, I used to use a Link 7* with an Olegature lig, the ligature cuts the volume of the piece a bit, but gives it a nice tone. The thing with the olegs are that you need to move the ligature forward (as i did on mine- i moved mine right to the front of the mpc, as far as it could go) and play with a bit less mpc in your mouth, and blow harder... If that doesnt work, try other pieces
Check my other posts on other threads for my favourite mpcs

 

[Carl H.]

Check my other posts on other threads for my favourite mpcs

Gun shy?

 

[EgilF.]

a very cheap home made monitor that works very well:

 

[rleitch]

Hey SMS,

I'll just ditto the last post. I use a Link 7 with some pretty loud bands and the difference a little "soundback" type reflector monitor makes is really unbelievable.

There's another thread on these which you can find using the search function.

Rory

ps. Talking Heads fan?

 

[stopmakingsense]

Hi: Thank you for all the great suggestions.

Most appreciated.

SMS

 

[Peter Stevens]

Hi: Thank you for all the great suggestions.

Most appreciated.

SMS

Hi SMS, What other mpcs do you play, or have you played on apart from the Link? Also, have you had the pleasure of playing on a Vintage Florida Link? This might be your answer, as the floridas have at least 50 percent more sound O/P, on average (much better mpcs than the newer ones for projection).

 

[Nefertiti]

John,
What? What did you say? I think I lost my hearing back in those big bands with you at Berklee.

 

[stopmakingsense]

to answer Peter Stevens question.

In addition to the NY link, I have a rubber Berg Larson which I like but it's harder to get the low and falsetto range, I don't tend to over blow that piece, so I've been bringing it out when I don't have control over the monitor mix.

I also have a Metal Yanagasawa which can get loud as hell, but I don't have the endurance to control it, and it is brighter then my taste.

I'd love to try a Florida link, but man they are pricey.

 

[Grumps]

I'd love to try a Florida link, but man they are pricey.

They've actually come down a bit in price over the last couple of years; or it seems to me at least. Those old Links with the smaller openings... lets say around a 5 or 5*... they seduce you. The sound is just so awesome, but then you figure you'll need something more open; you know, for more modern playing. So you score a vintage one that's more open; an 8, 9, what have you. And there they let you down. I've just got a sinking feeling that the best sounding Links were the older, smaller tipped ones. And I've just got to have something more open as well...

 

[Stan]

a very cheap home made monitor that works very well:

Patent it... there are lot of links aroud

Stan

 

[Chris Mickel]

Hi I love my Otto Link NY 7* but...

When I'm in a large club with a loud band it is too easy to over-blow the mouthpiece. It doesn't provide enough volume in that setting either.
and I wouldn't mind a slight improvement in ease of the falsetto range.

I love that the Otto Link gives my excellent easy control and a great tone with an Olegature and Selmer USA Tenor and 2.5 rico royals.

Any advise on mouthpieces that could provide the ease of control up and down the register and great tone of the Link NY 7*, but louder and not as easy to over-blow?

Thank you in advanced.

SMS

It is possible to really cut with a link but it takes alot of air and if your reeds are too soft you will overblow the piece and make the reed cut off. If you are overblowing the link that you are useing try some harder reeds. That's a good first step. Harder reeds will give you more resistance so you can put more air behind your sound and more volume without overblowing or cutting off the reed. Rico Royal reeds to tend to run a bit soft. I have found that on a 7* that rico royal #2.5's are a bit too soft. If you like the Rico Royals try #3's or even #3.5's. Any reed change will take some adjustment but, if it works that will save you having to get a new piece or something like that.

Vandoren reeds are good like the V16's and the ZZ's in #3 or #3.5 or Javas in a harder strength than those because they are cut fairly soft. I have had luck lately with Vandoren
Traditional Blue box reeds with my Jazz setup but in a #2.5 because they are thicker than the Jazz reeds the same resistance but more heart.

The Alexander reeds are very good as well but I don't have as much experience with them but have had good results with the DC's in about a #3.

Another thing to consider would be to have your Link worked especially if you really like the sound you are getting. There are several people on this forum that do custom mouthpiece work for very reasonable prices.

Good Luck and I hope this helps.
Chris