Rough video of a jam session in Ft. Lauderdale. I was still hunting for pitch and I was really sharp, but you'll get the general idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkPW9eswHoI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkPW9eswHoI
It was the first tune I played, and I just had the mouthpiece pushed on too far. Overall, intonation is OK. I think Vibratosax has gotten the body dimensions right. Key mechanism needs some tweaking.
If you drill alot of holes in the body tubes it will lighten the weight considerably. There might be some effect on the tone though. BUT it will look cool with blinking colored lights in it......
So, a lightweight baritone is still a dream...
... If so, is there any means of adjusting the pad or the key cup to "reseat" the pad to touch all 360 degrees at the same time?
This also may be different, depending on the Vibratosax model. The A1S, which I believe both of our above posters have, looks like it has essentially a pad "snapped" onto a "pearl" and that's it. In other words, you don't have that much even pressure on an entire pad. The other Vibratosax model -- which is the "starter" version -- has a semi-traditional key cup, albeit made of plastic, so you do get a more even pressure on the pad.Is this what is meant by the description of the action on the vibrato sax? If so, is there any means of adjusting the pad or the key cup to "reseat" the pad to touch all 360 degrees at the same time?
The A1S pads replace the cups. They are all attached to the keys in the center with a small piece that pops into a hole at the end of the key arms. It takes seconds to replace a pad
I think the spongy feel might be due to the coil springs instead of needle springs. It works, just feels different.
Someone on SOTW mentioned this spongy feel and I asked if this happens with the pads. He showed photos and although not necessarily the back, but some areas of the pads were touching the tone holes before other areas, and pretty severe actually. So most likely many other pads had this not so severe, but critical especially for adjustments of stacks. BTW this was on the model with white pads, I think there are two models."Spongy action" or "spongy keys" in tech parlance means that the pad is hitting in the back sooner than in the front of the key cup. The resulting spongy feel is the result of having to squoosh the back of the pad in order to close the front.
also on SOTW a player mentioned that you have to get used to the feel of playing. Meaning if you use too much pressure you essentially push the pad into the tonehole, and thus it leaks. No fixed backing to the pads like the better model.