[supersonic]

whats the difference in sound when I play a

Berg Larsen SS .090 2 sms with a 3.5 reed
and
Berg Larsen SS .115 2 sms with a 2 reed

which sounds brighter/darker

 

[Mike F]

Bergs are so inconsistent that it's almost impossible to generalise, i.e. you might get opposite results with two different examples of the mouthpieces you mention. It would also depend a lot on which reeds you use. Again, you might get opposite results with two different examples of the reeds you mention.

What's the point of your question? Do you have the mouthpieces /reeds? What do you want to achieve? Why don't you just go and try them out??

 

[supersonic]

I know with a open Berg and a soft reed I achieve a bright sound I just wanted to know if I can achieve a darker sound with small tip and hard reed

 

[MyMartinTenor]

I know with a open Berg and a soft reed I achieve a bright sound I just wanted to know if I can achieve a darker sound with small tip and hard reed

No, not necessarily at all. I find that VERY GENERALLY SPEAKING bigger tips provide darker sounds FOR ME. Note the stuff in caps -- first, its an over-generalization. Second, its very personal. But that's my experience.

 

[JL]

I find that VERY GENERALLY SPEAKING bigger tips provide darker sounds FOR ME. Note the stuff in caps -- first, its an over-generalization. Second, its very personal. But that's my experience.

That's my experience also. For example, the best way to fatten up the tone and and get a warmer tone with a high baffle mpc is to open up the tip to compensate for that baffle. High baffle + small tip = relatively thin, bright sound, all other things being equal.

The reed is a different matter. I think you could generalize that a harder reed will help get a darker sound, but for me reed strength is all about comfort in playing the reed. Too soft and the reed feels mushy with a thin sound and no 'body' to the tone. Too hard and the reed is too resistant with a dead sound. You want something in between those extremes, but it will vary from one player to another and to some extent with different mpcs.

 

[Mike F]

I know with a open Berg and a soft reed I achieve a bright sound I just wanted to know if I can achieve a darker sound with small tip and hard reed

Possibly, but theoretically you should get a similar result. Note what the others say also.

 

[MojoBari]

Some players hear buzz from a softer reed as brightness, some dont.