Several years ago, during a summer recorder course I had an Aulos alto basic model stolen, I don't remember the model number. Immediately afterwards I bought another one of the same make but much better, namely the 709W Haka, and although I did not know the person who had stolen it, I thanked him very much because the new recorder gave me and still gives me great satisfaction that the previous one did not.
It is indeed lucky that today the amateur recorder player can get a well playable instrument for these affordable prices. A recorder + a method for less than 100 EUR and you're good to go. We need more music in this world of ours.
Yeah, I just bought an alto from Thomann just because I was ordering new strings for my classical guitar... and it cost me less than any of the string sets.
Thank you for the review dear Sarah and for the nice words about me! May I add that the musicgarden models I designed are copies after Stanesby? True baroque instruments with overtone-design which helps to blend perfectly with other recorders and which really uses the room as an amplifier. Thanks again, Sarah! 😙
I have the Haka, Yamaha, and Zen-on (442). All of them play well. The right-hand stretch is a bit longer on the Haka, so that might be a concern for persons with smaller hands
I bought the Ecodear one after your review of it and love the sound. I still have my Aulos one that I’ve had since I was about 9 years old which still plays well 🙂
I love my Zen-on 415, it’s so good to have a baroque pitch recorder without having to break the bank for something I honestly don’t need to use very often. Definitely a top tier plastic instrument.
I got an Aulos Haka for outdoor playing based on an earlier recommendation of yours. A member of the U3A wind band I play said she was surprised it was a plastic recorder when I got it out once. I recon that's as good a recommendation as you'll get. For regular daily practice, I use a plastic Yamaha that I've had for many years and it's giving me excellent service
I have plastic recorders by Aulos, Yamaha and Zen-on. I am always amazed at how different they are in character. The Yamaha models seem more "stable" (I am not sure if that is the correct descriptor!). I use my Yamahas for practising scales because of this. BUT I don't find them to be as expressive as my Aulos models, which I use for practising pieces. However, I know this is entirely subjective! It is fantastic that there is such a range available at very accessible prices. Re: the Haka model - it might be worth mentioning that the stretch to reach the F/F# is slightly bigger so might not be the best first alto if you have very small hands. I have and it took me a while before I could reliably manage the stretch. I need to play my Zen-on Bressan more - I found the F/F# to be tricky when I first got it as your breath pressure has to be soooo gentle, but I should be able to manage it now my playing is more proficient.
Thank you for this video! I think it's useful. In my opinion, two more videos you could make are: 1) plastic recorder vs economic wooden recorder (es. Aulos 709 vs Moeck Rondo) 2) economic wooden recorder vs expensive wooden recorder (es: Moeck Rondo Vs Moeck Rottenburgh)
and i started at 29J with my Tenor Recorder from (Gebrüder) Schneider in dark wood. I love it and call it Gisela, because "she" is aehmm... ZICKIG on the upper gis and a (that german verb describes very well, my Lady ❤)
Thanks to you, I have rediscovered the alto size flute, and since then I have spent many hours playing it, to my great pleasure. Thank you team recorder
I love the idea of those Soundgarden instruments, not just the look, though that is cool, but the care and attention to detail that's gone into making them
You are AWSOME - You cheer me up! I play classical guitar and want to add recorder to my bag of tricks. After listening and watching you I am going to go the Alto route and will buy a Aulos 703b Wish me luck :0
After your review of the Zen-On Alto recorder at 415 pitch, I bought the 440 pitch Bresson from von Heune in Boston. Have been quite happy with it. Thanks for all your reviews, they are quite good.
My first alto was Yamaha, It is good. But now Bernolin alto is my favourite recorder. Bernolin was very useful to improve my finger and breath tecnique. Also Zen On 415 is so good, sweet sound and not too much volume.
I have the Yamaha 314 and Aulos 509 altos. Both great. The Yamaha is a bit brighter and clearer in tone, which I love for faster pieces. The Aulos sounds warmer and more reedy, love that one for slow pieces.
Sarah, I'm sorry to have to say it, but you mixed up your Aulos recorders in this video: the one you called the 309 is actually the 709 Haka, and vice-versa.
I'm so glad you said this, because.... I was thinking that the 309 sounds better (to me). Can you explain how you know this? (just because I'm hoping to get a Haka next.)
Glad to help. I really rate the Haka. I enjoy playing it as much as my Mollenhauer Denner in castellowood. It's also definitely better than the Aulos 509, which I also own and like. (I'm a recorder nerd!) Happy playing.
Thank you very much! I played the soprano a bit when I was younger, but got back to it lately (I'm a multi-instrumentalist so learning any instrument isn't really an issue) with a bit of experience from different genres and stuff and started trying a few tricks that occurred on its own :) and I recalled I loved an alto sound back then and decided to get an alto. I couldn't decide which one but your video (as 1st after like 5 similar videos) really helped me!!! Kudos :)
I love my ecodear yamaha, it's great. I would love it if there were a plastic recorder with an e-foot though - the jump from £35 to £1500+ for a piece I want to learn is just too much 😢
Sarah makes them all sound great. I actually like my cheaper white Yamaha vs. the next level brown one. I think the brown sounds more shrill with an "edge". Just my preference.
Listening to this and knowing my current limits simply confirms that going for the basic but adequate Thomann would be sufficient and non-limiting until (if ever) my playing technique improved! Better instruments do not a better instrumentalist make! (Though crap, of course, delivers exactly that!)
Hi Sarah, could you please do a choosing your plastic tenor recorder video sometime? I've been playing soprano on and off since elementary school, and your videos have inspired me to take up recorder again completely. I really like the lower recorders' sound but the transposing for alto or basset sounds kind of intimidating. The stretch for the tenor won't be a problem for me since I'm a cellist, but I'd love to get a tenor and keep learning!
🎉🎉 I have my collection of: - Soprano and Alto Yamaha Ecodear. - Soprano and Alto (440hz and 415hz) Zen on Recorders (Stanesby and Bressan) - Soprano and Alto Aulos Haka, I also got their Bass with metal keys and keyless Tenor - Mollenhauer Adri's dream plastic. - Music Garden soprano and alto. Now going for a Bernolin Traverso or Alto Recorder 🎉🎉😊
It would be interesting to discover if the tone of the recorder is dependent upon the density of the material(s) used, or if the polish of the interior finish is more important. A recorder constructed from hard rubber (ebonite) might sound quite nice, as the material can be produced in a variety of densities and polishes brilliantly. A wonderful video, with excellent information, as usual. Thank you!
None of these sounded significantly different to me, and I've been playing for 10 months... even the Thomann sounded similar! If the Music Garden is actually pitch stable at various dynamics, should by default be the winning plastic recorder. Maybe the overtones are much more obvious to the player (when your ear is near the labium). My Bernolin resin definitely has a richer tone than my Yamaha 302, but it's more of a hassle to prep for it (brushing teeth, avoiding dairy) so the Yamaha gets played way more often!
Thank you for this review! I’ve ordered a bunch of the music garden altos and sopranos now. I use Mollenhauer Dreams (thanks to your recommend of them) with my University students aural skills classes that I teach. Beautiful and they blend so well! But I’m looking for cheaper options to maybe sway my school principal to let me teach recorder to students 😂 so it’ll be interesting to see if the Music Garden ones can sway her. Also a good back up if I was to look at changing the recorders for my first year university students next year. Mollenhauer’s prices have gone up! For the price of the dream (half plastic/half wood) you can almost get both an alto and soprano music garden recorder. And there seems to be a resin shortage on their end. Only the blue one is available. All red resin is out of stock till beginning next year. The fully plastic one has been update every season saying it’s available the next - but alas! It hasn’t been. So this may well be a nice alternative. Love the video! Thank you for your in depth reviews and perspective Sarah!
I have a Yamaha Ecodear, a Yamaha YRA 312 and an Aulos Haka. I Sold the Aulos 509 B because I did not Like it. The Yamaha 312 sounds so beautiful ❤ for any reason the Haka and I won't get friends 😮 I don't know why but it is the wrong Recorder for me. I am so glad you played the Sound Garden Recorder ❤ there is no other Video where the Alto Recorder from Sound Garden is played. 😊
My parents once bought me a wooden descant recorder in the 1970s as an upgrade. I have no idea what model or price point or what research they did. I could never play it in an ensemble because it was never in tune, being sharp or flat seemingly on a whim. I got rid of it many years ago, it probably went in the bin. I still have the Aulos plastic recorder it was meant to replace.
Two quick things: The mouthpieces on either of my alto Zen Ons do not come off, making me wonder if yours didn't get glued on properly in manufacture; and two, on the clear translucent alto, do we really want to watch our saliva drip down inside as we play? Also.... as always you've made a wonderful video contributing to the recorder 'body-of-knowledge,' and improving the World in a time of war, disease, and total mayhem. Thank You! Ken S. Dallas Texas
That Thomann sounds stuffy on low F! Still, for the money, I suppose you can't go wrong. I played on an Aulos 709W Haka for quite some time, and still use it to practise or play out of doors. (I tried the Zen-On and Yamaha, and liked the tone colour of the Aulos a trifle better.) It's surely a solid instrument, with no major faults, and will get you a long way. Now I have the use of a cherry-wood alto by H.C. Fehr. The Fehr requires a lot more focus from the player - the high notes are quite delicate indeed. But the attention is rewarded - its response in the highest register is just so much quicker. The Aulos, I find, is slow to speak at the extreme high end of the range, and the chiffs and clicks in the high passages (of which Telemann was so fond) grow annoying after a while. Oddly enough, I've heard a recording of myself playing Telemann, and the high-register noises that so annoyed me while I was playing were inaudible to the audience. The Fehr has a much cleaner sound at the high end - if you can manage to keep your attention focused and manage the air stream. I needed some time on the Aulos before I was ready to move up - the finicky upper register on the Fehr would have fruustrated me earlier. Nevertheless, it was a tremendous relief when I realized on playing the Fehr: it wasn't that *I* couldn't play some passages the way I wanted, it was that the *instrument* couldn't play them as I wanted.
I prefer the Ecodear Alto from Yamaha. I usually using this model to Consort playing, but the Zen-on one is great recorder too. The best thing about Zen-on are baroque 415 Models. 👍
I've had my aulos recorders for 28 years and other than being a tiny bit more yellow at the mouthpiece, they're as new looking and sounding as the day I got them.
Regardless of the instrument, in this case the plastic alto recorder, we can all heed the sage advice of our esteemed professor, “And remember, it’s not the recorder that makes the music - it’s you.” - Sarah Jeffery Recorder professor specializing in contemporary music at the Royal College of Music in London. 😊 ♫
I'd have to say that I recently bought a alto Treibert and it didn't play at all right the company is replacing it with a Yamaha 302 so in my case it was the instrument not my lack of playing skill I've owned many recorders throughout the yrs and never had problems with any of them until the Treibert so I think it's not only how you play since I have been playing for many yrs and I just ordered an defective product which the company will replace it with a 302B Yamaha
Excellent and very helpful video....as always. I bought the Kulossa Music Garden and I love it. Barrett Recorders are stockists for the UK. I initially contacted the makers direct but since Brexit they don't deliver to the UK and the makers put me on to Barrett's. I just wonder Sarah, what you think of EMS's Triebert range?!!!!
wanted to add that there are two ecodear models.. YRA-402 B and YRA 48 B, wich is labeled for ensemble play and has a broader labium. it's my absolute favourite.
I have a Yamaha Alto and for the price point it's excellent. Value-for-money, I'd suggest the brighter-sounding Yamaha instruments sopranino down to alto and the mellower, "warmer" Aulos for tenor and bassett (which, uniquely among plastic recorders is also available as a "crook-type" instrument), as well as the Garklein which I don't think Yamaha manifactures (not at least the plastic one). When I purchased my Alto, I thus have had no second thoght in buying the Yamaha one - It doesn't cost a fortune, but it also is perfectly in tune and projects well enough to be clearly heard in a Church too.
Aulos is the only company I've ever known to make a plastic garklein, but I wish there were more. I have to play the Aulos super loud to keep it from being flat, but if anything, I'd rather have a garklein that plays softly and delicately.
@@sashakindel3600 Unfortunately, instruments that high aren't gonna be easily made to be soft... I settle for my Autos, also bearing in mind historically speaking it was a very rare instrument, the sopranino being the highest-pitched standard instrument.
@@TenorCantusFirmus I mean, an instrument that's the same as the Aulos but scaled down slightly to be like ten cents sharper would probably get me most of the way to what I want.
@@sashakindel3600 Problem is, the smaller the instruments, the harder they are both to play and build - Maybe, if it'd be scaled to be a bit sharper it might eventually end up to be much worse in tuning and/or sound than the current model is, and as such best solution is to stick with the current size and correct with your breathe and voicing the minor tuning problems. Might be remembered: I also own a cornett, and knowing how finicky brass instruments with small embouchures are keeping the Garklein in tuning doesn't seem to me that much of an hurdle...
Hahaha...sorry, haven't even really started watching this, but I'm amused at the old M-Audio keyboard in the background, it's kind of a POS (volume glitches for which I had to write custom drivers) but its still in service for me.
I still have my three plastic Aulos recorders from the 1970s, descant, sopranino and treble. I'm aware those aren't the names used on this channel for them but those are what they were always called when I played in the 1970s.
The gradual shift in the naming has, I think, helped the recorder reintegrate into the musical community. Any musician knows the voices SATB; 'descant' and 'treble' are a little less familiar.
@@ke9tv Also the five recorder sizes I have played (Sopranino, Descant, Treble, Tenor, Bass) is one greater than standard SATB. It's not obvious to me which one the recorder has extra.
@@owensmith7530 The commonest sizes of recorderr: Garklein in c' Sopranino in f Soprano in c = descant Voice flute in G Alto in F = treble Tenor in C Bass in F = basset Bass in C = great bass Contrabass in F (Sub-great-bass in C and sub-contrabass in F have been made, but there are only a handful around. The sub-contra is about ten feet tall. Sarah has a video on it)
@@ke9tv Thanks. I find it confusing that with modern names there is both a sopranino and soprano recorder. Also really they're all in C, the printed music is in concert pitch for all recorders, but obviously you need different fingerings. The first question asked on joining any recorder group was "do you know treble fingering?".
Are there any plastic renaissance recorders (or similar) in existence. The sopranos I love the most are the Mollenhaur Dream recorders, both plastic and wood. But I have been sad that there is not a plastic alto equivalent. If one exists then you would be the person to ask. Many thanks.
I'd go either with zen-on or aulos haka for plastic recorder. Going dirt cheap on pretty much anything is generaly bad idea nowadays. Thomman well one going for say 20 euro would work for start for kid who's just starting to playing it in school but i'd never get 12.5 euro instead i'd go for higher price as much as i can.
I have a yamaha alto recorder that has a wider airway than the model you're showing and it's harder for me to hit higher notes. I think it's supposed to be the most "entry-level" of their alto recorders.
Focus the air and start strong with air stream on the high notes with your fingers ready in the right position. Also make sure no fluff is stuck in the mouthpiece it can lodge in deep it will make high notes hard to hit . On any Yamaha high notes should be easy
The video is great! Thank you very much! And I think the microphone is good too. But in some passages all the flutes sound almost the same, even when I'm listening with good headphones. (of all these recorders I have the Aulos and the Thomann, they are very different, the Thomann is a good consort flute, the Aulos good for solo, I think. The character can only be guessed at here, unfortunately) Unfortunately, the limitation is the transmission technology. MP3 and similar technology reduces the data - a lot - and unfortunately this almost completely removes the fine details that matter. I don't think that can be improved much on RUclips either, unfortunately.
I went ahead and bought the yamaha 304 soprano and the zen-on bressan 1500bn alto per your recommendations. Very happy with both. Returning the maple Eastar, whose limitations are now glaringly apparent. Your channel is invaluable and I''ll join Patreon shortly. Playing the alto out on Astor Place near the cube, several people came up and asked me, what IS that instrument? They took pictures of me playing. This was within 30 minutes of unboxing it. How do you store your recorders? Do you dismantle them each night? Do you have a case where you keep them assembled or a rack you hang them on?
I would really love for someone to make a modern-style plastic alto or tenor. I mean the ones that are designed to produce the overtone series similar to what we see with other woodwinds. I'm very curious to play around with how those recorders provide more volume in the low range and overall greater range .
The other issue with plastic recorders is clogging as moisture builds up. My Yamaha alto is a devil for clogging even though I take measures against it. But my aulos tenor and soprano don't clog as much, so it would be interesting to see how others rate clog-wise
Do you think the the property of holding pitch whether blowing hard or soft is more generally useful outside of group instruction or would it be a hinderance in some situations?
I was going to post the same thing! I have an Aulos Haka soprano, and sopranino through tenor in the Autos 500 series....the light brown alto is a Haka 700 series I think.
Hello Sarah I've resently picked up recorder again after a 12 years brake - barely toutching it. I found the piece that you play while testing the Zen-on at 4.53, the larghetto, among my old sheet music, but I can't seem to find the name of the composer. Do you happen to know who that is? I would like to listen to some professional recorder players playing this piece. Thak you for very great videos :) Best regards Bjarke
Hi Sarah, I’m just starting out and the wooden ones are quite expensive for this moment. 🤨I like to support Dorris, with het development with her recorder. Where can you buy the music garden from the Netherlands? They’re not in any big internet shops. Thank you for everything, I’m watching many of your videos
You can buy them from Margaret Lobner’s recorder store in Bremen (order online) - within the EU so still very easy for shipping. Or on Doris’ own website I think!
So. I ended up with the Aulos Bellcanto, and the Haka. And the Yamaha in rosewood. And the ecowhatever. Whoops! Want to help me make a comparison video!???
Hi Sarah. I have a white plastic Yamaha recorder which says B by the thumb hole 34 on the back side of the mp. This is a very beginning 1 correct? . I want to play baroque music..what would you recommend? I do have experience reading music as I play flute and saxophone. Thank you! Amanda
It's too bad the Dolmetsch Nova plastic instruments aren't available any more. All of them from soprano through bass (basset) are very nice and they were very inexpensive. The Aulos 500 series sopranino is much better than the Nova sopranino, though. (Also, as noted elsewhere, I think you got the two Autos models swapped in this video...)
Can't you get a similar airy sound (at '5:00) by rounding slightly the head joint on other recorders? Or maybe there are other reasons for choosing a removable mouthpiece as on that Zen-On, are there?
what is a robin recorder? i seen it on amazon and wondering how it sounds? maybe you could a video on it?. i am new to the recorder,and i got 3 of them 2 soprano one wood and the other yahama.also a yamaha alto. i just have to get my fingering down pat before i can play songs. thank you for the great videos sarah! :)
Robin recorder is the name of an Aulos alto recorder model. Aulos often give names to their models in addition to the series number, e.g. Robin, Haka, Symphony.
I might warn you that the Aulos ones started to get brittle and break after forty-odd years. I think I got my money’s worth, and it really was time to start investing in some wooden instruments by that time! Btw, are the Aulos Symphony instruments no more?
I saw this smart woodi brand of recorders on Amazon and I am wondering if they are any good. It comes with 6 recorders. Bass, tenor, alto, soprano, sopranino, and the garklein.
Which is recommended for someone who can't spread their fingers out very wide? I have the white Yamaha now and find its holes so be spaced just a bit too wide, especially for the left hand.
A lot of time plastic alto have a more « reedy » sound more then Airy sound (I have the same alto as you used in your video «Bumblebee » and I think I don’t like the sound that much (So people think more then me before Buying a recorder or else)😅
I'm really curious about the response in the upper range. I have the Aulos 700 series and the Yamaha, and for me they both work great when I pick them up after a pause but quickly lose their response consistency in the high range with the slightest bit of condensation. Attempting to clear them out during play doesn't solve it. Does anyone find that their particular versions of any plastic altos work better in this regard? I'm primarily talking about high F and the C# below it. E can also be a little troublesome. These are crystal clear for me with a pinching technique when I first blow into them after a few minutes' pause. But within a few seconds of playing, I can't depend on them even if I never shift my thumb from what works perfectly in the beginning.
Would u do me a favor? I know u don t play covers, but would u? The Sonng "How long will i love u" isn t covered this time on recorder, would u? I think its a wonderfull ballade for recorder play.
I don't get how you can put so much power behind your low notes without overdriving them. I feel like if I put more than 1% of my breath into the low F or G, the sound instantly gets overdriven into an upper register. And, it's not a finger air leakage issue.
Hi! Im gonna buy yamaha alto recorder. But there are too many models. I prefer deep voice, not high pitch. Do you have any recommendations? There are too many options and im confused. :))
I think I still would Choose Thomann as it's very cheap and still just want to get the goddamn finger right... Otherwise I agree with you for better results I'd pay a bit more...
Several years ago, during a summer recorder course I had an Aulos alto basic model stolen, I don't remember the model number. Immediately afterwards I bought another one of the same make but much better, namely the 709W Haka, and although I did not know the person who had stolen it, I thanked him very much because the new recorder gave me and still gives me great satisfaction that the previous one did not.
May I steal your Haka, so you can buy a Zen-On? :)
@@Metanoia77777 No need for that. The 709W Haka is unbeatable
My 709W brother 🤗
@@baroquerjust the Music Garden one is a bit better
@@silviab9810 I wouldn't bet on that + De gustibus non...
It is indeed lucky that today the amateur recorder player can get a well playable instrument for these affordable prices. A recorder + a method for less than 100 EUR and you're good to go. We need more music in this world of ours.
Yeah, I just bought an alto from Thomann just because I was ordering new strings for my classical guitar... and it cost me less than any of the string sets.
Thank you for the review dear Sarah and for the nice words about me! May I add that the musicgarden models I designed are copies after Stanesby? True baroque instruments with overtone-design which helps to blend perfectly with other recorders and which really uses the room as an amplifier. Thanks again, Sarah! 😙
I like your music garden recorders. When will you do a tenor and bass?
@doriskulossa-delfino511 Please design a keyless plastic transparent tenor recorder to complement the existing soprano and alto models. Thank you!
Thank you Doris! 💖💖💖
I don't even play recorder and I'm binging these videos lol
You should take it up! It's great!
Never played a recorder before but I've got the Yamaha Eco after watching your review and I'm very happy with it, thank you! ❤😊
I have the Haka, Yamaha, and Zen-on (442). All of them play well. The right-hand stretch is a bit longer on the Haka, so that might be a concern for persons with smaller hands
That’s such useful feedback, thank you!
I bought the Ecodear one after your review of it and love the sound. I still have my Aulos one that I’ve had since I was about 9 years old which still plays well 🙂
Unlike the amazing YRA-300 Series, Ecodear is my biggest Yamaha disappointment: such a dull sounding and characterless recorder -.-
I love my Zen-on 415, it’s so good to have a baroque pitch recorder without having to break the bank for something I honestly don’t need to use very often. Definitely a top tier plastic instrument.
I got an Aulos Haka for outdoor playing based on an earlier recommendation of yours. A member of the U3A wind band I play said she was surprised it was a plastic recorder when I got it out once. I recon that's as good a recommendation as you'll get. For regular daily practice, I use a plastic Yamaha that I've had for many years and it's giving me excellent service
i love my yamaha 302, but those transparent recorders just look so cool!
I love these types of videos! Also, request for you to do another updated recorder collection video.
I have plastic recorders by Aulos, Yamaha and Zen-on. I am always amazed at how different they are in character. The Yamaha models seem more "stable" (I am not sure if that is the correct descriptor!). I use my Yamahas for practising scales because of this. BUT I don't find them to be as expressive as my Aulos models, which I use for practising pieces. However, I know this is entirely subjective! It is fantastic that there is such a range available at very accessible prices. Re: the Haka model - it might be worth mentioning that the stretch to reach the F/F# is slightly bigger so might not be the best first alto if you have very small hands. I have and it took me a while before I could reliably manage the stretch.
I need to play my Zen-on Bressan more - I found the F/F# to be tricky when I first got it as your breath pressure has to be soooo gentle, but I should be able to manage it now my playing is more proficient.
Thank you for this video! I think it's useful.
In my opinion, two more videos you could make are:
1) plastic recorder vs economic wooden recorder (es. Aulos 709 vs Moeck Rondo)
2) economic wooden recorder vs expensive wooden recorder (es: Moeck Rondo Vs Moeck Rottenburgh)
I've been a soprano player since I was 8. It'so timo to go Alto! Thank you very much, Sarah! Love you vids
and i started at 29J with my Tenor Recorder from (Gebrüder) Schneider in dark wood. I love it and call it Gisela, because "she" is aehmm... ZICKIG on the upper gis and a (that german verb describes very well, my Lady ❤)
Thanks to you, I have rediscovered the alto size flute, and since then I have spent many hours playing it, to my great pleasure.
Thank you team recorder
I love the idea of those Soundgarden instruments, not just the look, though that is cool, but the care and attention to detail that's gone into making them
Well, I took the plunge and ordered an Aulos 709. Should be arriving in the post soon. Thanks for your reviews!! Love the videos.
wow, i always thought, in plastic recorders, i mostly like the yamaha one. but, thanks to you, im in love with the aulos haka 😊
You are AWSOME - You cheer me up! I play classical guitar and want to add recorder to my bag of tricks. After listening and watching you I am going to go the Alto route and will buy a Aulos 703b Wish me luck :0
You made them all sound wonderful!
After your review of the Zen-On Alto recorder at 415 pitch, I bought the 440 pitch Bresson from von Heune in Boston. Have been quite happy with it. Thanks for all your reviews, they are quite good.
My first alto was Yamaha, It is good. But now Bernolin alto is my favourite recorder. Bernolin was very useful to improve my finger and breath tecnique. Also Zen On 415 is so good, sweet sound and not too much volume.
I was a little surprised that my Zen On 442 is not as nice as the Zen On 415. I like my Aulos Haka better at 442.
I have the Yamaha 314 and Aulos 509 altos. Both great. The Yamaha is a bit brighter and clearer in tone, which I love for faster pieces. The Aulos sounds warmer and more reedy, love that one for slow pieces.
Agree, I love the relative mellowness of the Aulos, but do revert to my Yamaha when I have a lot of high-pitched notes to play
I have an Aulos Haka soprano and alto that I've been very happy with, especially for outdoor playing.
Sarah, I'm sorry to have to say it, but you mixed up your Aulos recorders in this video: the one you called the 309 is actually the 709 Haka, and vice-versa.
I'm so glad you said this, because.... I was thinking that the 309 sounds better (to me). Can you explain how you know this? (just because I'm hoping to get a Haka next.)
I know because I own both of them myself. The Haka is definitely the one to go for in my opinion. Hope this helps!
@@markdeegan4916 I truly appreciate that- thank you so much for your help :) !
Glad to help. I really rate the Haka. I enjoy playing it as much as my Mollenhauer Denner in castellowood. It's also definitely better than the Aulos 509, which I also own and like. (I'm a recorder nerd!) Happy playing.
@@markdeegan4916 I can definitely appreciate the comparison- thank you again!
Thank you very much! I played the soprano a bit when I was younger, but got back to it lately (I'm a multi-instrumentalist so learning any instrument isn't really an issue) with a bit of experience from different genres and stuff and started trying a few tricks that occurred on its own :) and I recalled I loved an alto sound back then and decided to get an alto. I couldn't decide which one but your video (as 1st after like 5 similar videos) really helped me!!! Kudos :)
I love my ecodear yamaha, it's great. I would love it if there were a plastic recorder with an e-foot though - the jump from £35 to £1500+ for a piece I want to learn is just too much 😢
Sarah makes them all sound great. I actually like my cheaper white Yamaha vs. the next level brown one. I think the brown sounds more shrill with an "edge". Just my preference.
Listening to this and knowing my current limits simply confirms that going for the basic but adequate Thomann would be sufficient and non-limiting until (if ever) my playing technique improved! Better instruments do not a better instrumentalist make! (Though crap, of course, delivers exactly that!)
The way I just got my Yamaha Alto in the mail this morning🎉
The Yamaha ecodear recorders have a lovely tone
I have all aulos from sopranino to bass
I agree, they're very reliable
I totally agree with you. I've bought the tenor a couple of years ago and I was soooo surprised how good it is.
Recently I have bought a Yamaha Alto recorder with Amazon and I‘m very happy with it.
Hi Sarah, could you please do a choosing your plastic tenor recorder video sometime? I've been playing soprano on and off since elementary school, and your videos have inspired me to take up recorder again completely. I really like the lower recorders' sound but the transposing for alto or basset sounds kind of intimidating. The stretch for the tenor won't be a problem for me since I'm a cellist, but I'd love to get a tenor and keep learning!
@@mauchan87 Thank you so much! That was extremely helpful 😄
🎉🎉 I have my collection of:
- Soprano and Alto Yamaha Ecodear.
- Soprano and Alto (440hz and 415hz) Zen on Recorders (Stanesby and Bressan)
- Soprano and Alto Aulos Haka, I also got their Bass with metal keys and keyless Tenor
- Mollenhauer Adri's dream plastic.
- Music Garden soprano and alto.
Now going for a Bernolin Traverso or Alto Recorder 🎉🎉😊
Thank you so much Sarah. I asked you for this on your Facebook group just a couple of weeks ago. Bravo. Now I can choose my alto recorder 😊.
It would be interesting to discover if the tone of the recorder is dependent upon the density of the material(s) used, or if the polish of the interior finish is more important. A recorder constructed from hard rubber (ebonite) might sound quite nice, as the material can be produced in a variety of densities and polishes brilliantly.
A wonderful video, with excellent information, as usual. Thank you!
None of these sounded significantly different to me, and I've been playing for 10 months... even the Thomann sounded similar! If the Music Garden is actually pitch stable at various dynamics, should by default be the winning plastic recorder. Maybe the overtones are much more obvious to the player (when your ear is near the labium). My Bernolin resin definitely has a richer tone than my Yamaha 302, but it's more of a hassle to prep for it (brushing teeth, avoiding dairy) so the Yamaha gets played way more often!
Just a note: I think you got the Aulos models the wrong way around. The lighter reddish one is the Haka and the darker one is the bel Canto.
Yep. I noticed that too!
I was going to say the same thing
Sarah, as always. Thank you for your wonderful videos. What do you think of EMS Triebert range?
I just recently ordered a Treibert alto and am amazed at the wooden like
sound it produces
I did order a Treibert alto and had some
serious issues with it wouldn't recommend
I have purchased a Yamaha alto, precisely!
Well, I also own the same master M-Audio keyboard on blackground... ;-)
Thank you for this review! I’ve ordered a bunch of the music garden altos and sopranos now. I use Mollenhauer Dreams (thanks to your recommend of them) with my University students aural skills classes that I teach. Beautiful and they blend so well! But I’m looking for cheaper options to maybe sway my school principal to let me teach recorder to students 😂 so it’ll be interesting to see if the Music Garden ones can sway her. Also a good back up if I was to look at changing the recorders for my first year university students next year. Mollenhauer’s prices have gone up! For the price of the dream (half plastic/half wood) you can almost get both an alto and soprano music garden recorder. And there seems to be a resin shortage on their end. Only the blue one is available. All red resin is out of stock till beginning next year. The fully plastic one has been update every season saying it’s available the next - but alas! It hasn’t been. So this may well be a nice alternative. Love the video! Thank you for your in depth reviews and perspective Sarah!
I have a Yamaha Ecodear, a Yamaha YRA 312 and an Aulos Haka. I Sold the Aulos 509 B because I did not Like it. The Yamaha 312 sounds so beautiful ❤ for any reason the Haka and I won't get friends 😮 I don't know why but it is the wrong Recorder for me. I am so glad you played the Sound Garden Recorder ❤ there is no other Video where the Alto Recorder from Sound Garden is played. 😊
My parents once bought me a wooden descant recorder in the 1970s as an upgrade. I have no idea what model or price point or what research they did. I could never play it in an ensemble because it was never in tune, being sharp or flat seemingly on a whim. I got rid of it many years ago, it probably went in the bin. I still have the Aulos plastic recorder it was meant to replace.
Two quick things: The mouthpieces on either of my alto Zen Ons do not come off, making me wonder if yours didn't get glued on properly in manufacture; and two, on the clear translucent alto, do we really want to watch our saliva drip down inside as we play? Also.... as always you've made a wonderful video contributing to the recorder 'body-of-knowledge,' and improving the World in a time of war, disease, and total mayhem. Thank You! Ken S. Dallas Texas
That Thomann sounds stuffy on low F! Still, for the money, I suppose you can't go wrong.
I played on an Aulos 709W Haka for quite some time, and still use it to practise or play out of doors. (I tried the Zen-On and Yamaha, and liked the tone colour of the Aulos a trifle better.) It's surely a solid instrument, with no major faults, and will get you a long way.
Now I have the use of a cherry-wood alto by H.C. Fehr. The Fehr requires a lot more focus from the player - the high notes are quite delicate indeed. But the attention is rewarded - its response in the highest register is just so much quicker. The Aulos, I find, is slow to speak at the extreme high end of the range, and the chiffs and clicks in the high passages (of which Telemann was so fond) grow annoying after a while. Oddly enough, I've heard a recording of myself playing Telemann, and the high-register noises that so annoyed me while I was playing were inaudible to the audience. The Fehr has a much cleaner sound at the high end - if you can manage to keep your attention focused and manage the air stream.
I needed some time on the Aulos before I was ready to move up - the finicky upper register on the Fehr would have fruustrated me earlier. Nevertheless, it was a tremendous relief when I realized on playing the Fehr: it wasn't that *I* couldn't play some passages the way I wanted, it was that the *instrument* couldn't play them as I wanted.
709W = 👑
I prefer the Ecodear Alto from Yamaha. I usually using this model to Consort playing, but the Zen-on one is great recorder too. The best thing about Zen-on are baroque 415 Models. 👍
I've had my aulos recorders for 28 years and other than being a tiny bit more yellow at the mouthpiece, they're as new looking and sounding as the day I got them.
Thanks Sarah!
Regardless of the instrument, in this case the plastic alto recorder, we can all heed the sage advice of our esteemed professor, “And remember, it’s not the recorder that makes the music - it’s you.” - Sarah Jeffery Recorder professor specializing in contemporary music at the Royal College of Music in London. 😊 ♫
😊
@@victoryinhim9689 :):)
I'd have to say that I recently bought a alto Treibert and it didn't play at all
right the company is replacing it with
a Yamaha 302 so in my case it was the
instrument not my lack of playing skill
I've owned many recorders throughout
the yrs and never had problems with any of them until the Treibert so I think
it's not only how you play since I have
been playing for many yrs and I just
ordered an defective product which
the company will replace it with a 302B
Yamaha
I love my Yamaha Alto. I feel it has a very nice tone.
Excellent and very helpful video....as always. I bought the Kulossa Music Garden and I love it. Barrett Recorders are stockists for the UK. I initially contacted the makers direct but since Brexit they don't deliver to the UK and the makers put me on to Barrett's. I just wonder Sarah, what you think of EMS's Triebert range?!!!!
So helpful! Thank you!
I have an aulos haka but it is brown , same on the video with name belcanto 309
wanted to add that there are two ecodear models.. YRA-402 B and YRA 48 B, wich is labeled for ensemble play and has a broader labium. it's my absolute favourite.
Ooh that’s great to know!
@@Team_RecorderSarah, for verify, it's the Bel canto aulos? No the 509b?
That was a great video.
I am going for the yamaha.
Thank you.
I have a Yamaha Alto and for the price point it's excellent. Value-for-money, I'd suggest the brighter-sounding Yamaha instruments sopranino down to alto and the mellower, "warmer" Aulos for tenor and bassett (which, uniquely among plastic recorders is also available as a "crook-type" instrument), as well as the Garklein which I don't think Yamaha manifactures (not at least the plastic one).
When I purchased my Alto, I thus have had no second thoght in buying the Yamaha one - It doesn't cost a fortune, but it also is perfectly in tune and projects well enough to be clearly heard in a Church too.
Aulos is the only company I've ever known to make a plastic garklein, but I wish there were more. I have to play the Aulos super loud to keep it from being flat, but if anything, I'd rather have a garklein that plays softly and delicately.
@@sashakindel3600 Unfortunately, instruments that high aren't gonna be easily made to be soft... I settle for my Autos, also bearing in mind historically speaking it was a very rare instrument, the sopranino being the highest-pitched standard instrument.
@@TenorCantusFirmus I mean, an instrument that's the same as the Aulos but scaled down slightly to be like ten cents sharper would probably get me most of the way to what I want.
@@sashakindel3600 Problem is, the smaller the instruments, the harder they are both to play and build - Maybe, if it'd be scaled to be a bit sharper it might eventually end up to be much worse in tuning and/or sound than the current model is, and as such best solution is to stick with the current size and correct with your breathe and voicing the minor tuning problems.
Might be remembered: I also own a cornett, and knowing how finicky brass instruments with small embouchures are keeping the Garklein in tuning doesn't seem to me that much of an hurdle...
Hahaha...sorry, haven't even really started watching this, but I'm amused at the old M-Audio keyboard in the background, it's kind of a POS (volume glitches for which I had to write custom drivers) but its still in service for me.
I still have my three plastic Aulos recorders from the 1970s, descant, sopranino and treble. I'm aware those aren't the names used on this channel for them but those are what they were always called when I played in the 1970s.
The gradual shift in the naming has, I think, helped the recorder reintegrate into the musical community. Any musician knows the voices SATB; 'descant' and 'treble' are a little less familiar.
@@ke9tv And in the new names I have no idea which three recorders I have.
@@ke9tv Also the five recorder sizes I have played (Sopranino, Descant, Treble, Tenor, Bass) is one greater than standard SATB. It's not obvious to me which one the recorder has extra.
@@owensmith7530 The commonest sizes of recorderr:
Garklein in c'
Sopranino in f
Soprano in c = descant
Voice flute in G
Alto in F = treble
Tenor in C
Bass in F = basset
Bass in C = great bass
Contrabass in F
(Sub-great-bass in C and sub-contrabass in F have been made, but there are only a handful around. The sub-contra is about ten feet tall. Sarah has a video on it)
@@ke9tv Thanks. I find it confusing that with modern names there is both a sopranino and soprano recorder. Also really they're all in C, the printed music is in concert pitch for all recorders, but obviously you need different fingerings. The first question asked on joining any recorder group was "do you know treble fingering?".
Are there any plastic renaissance recorders (or similar) in existence. The sopranos I love the most are the Mollenhaur Dream recorders, both plastic and wood. But I have been sad that there is not a plastic alto equivalent. If one exists then you would be the person to ask. Many thanks.
I'd go either with zen-on or aulos haka for plastic recorder. Going dirt cheap on pretty much anything is generaly bad idea nowadays. Thomman well one going for say 20 euro would work for start for kid who's just starting to playing it in school but i'd never get 12.5 euro instead i'd go for higher price as much as i can.
I think you got a mistake 😅 the aulos 709b haka is the brown one!
I have a yamaha alto recorder that has a wider airway than the model you're showing and it's harder for me to hit higher notes. I think it's supposed to be the most "entry-level" of their alto recorders.
Focus the air and start strong with air stream on the high notes with your fingers ready in the right position. Also make sure no fluff is stuck in the mouthpiece it can lodge in deep it will make high notes hard to hit . On any Yamaha high notes should be easy
The video is great! Thank you very much!
And I think the microphone is good too.
But in some passages all the flutes sound almost the same, even when I'm listening with good headphones.
(of all these recorders I have the Aulos and the Thomann, they are very different, the Thomann is a good consort flute, the Aulos good for solo, I think. The character can only be guessed at here, unfortunately)
Unfortunately, the limitation is the transmission technology.
MP3 and similar technology reduces the data - a lot - and unfortunately this almost completely removes the fine details that matter.
I don't think that can be improved much on RUclips either, unfortunately.
I went ahead and bought the yamaha 304 soprano and the zen-on bressan 1500bn alto per your recommendations. Very happy with both. Returning the maple Eastar, whose limitations are now glaringly apparent. Your channel is invaluable and I''ll join Patreon shortly. Playing the alto out on Astor Place near the cube, several people came up and asked me, what IS that instrument? They took pictures of me playing. This was within 30 minutes of unboxing it.
How do you store your recorders? Do you dismantle them each night? Do you have a case where you keep them assembled or a rack you hang them on?
I would really love for someone to make a modern-style plastic alto or tenor. I mean the ones that are designed to produce the overtone series similar to what we see with other woodwinds. I'm very curious to play around with how those recorders provide more volume in the low range and overall greater range .
The other issue with plastic recorders is clogging as moisture builds up. My Yamaha alto is a devil for clogging even though I take measures against it. But my aulos tenor and soprano don't clog as much, so it would be interesting to see how others rate clog-wise
I have a Yamaha tenor. If I practiced more, it would sound great, too!
Oddly, to my ear, aulos 309 and thomann sounds the best :D
When it comes to sound, there is no right or wrong! And depending on what we're playing, sometimes different sounds can be really cool. 🙂
@@communityband1 Also, "listening" to them over speakers is not the same as hearing them in real life.
I have several of these!
Best thing about plastic recorders: they allow much longer practicing times😅
Hey I think you should do a Yamaha bass recorder review
I have Yamaha alto and I'm happy. And I can play with small hands ;)
What do you think of Aulos 509E-B?
I've got the thomann and was surprised how good it was.
However, I also ordered the sopranino which is awfully cheap and also sounds horrible 😅
Do you think the the property of holding pitch whether blowing hard or soft is more generally useful outside of group instruction or would it be a hinderance in some situations?
Errrrr....Sarah?
You MIXED UP two Aulos altos: 309A and the 709B Haka. The Haka is that LIGHT BROWN coloured, actually 😅
I was going to post the same thing! I have an Aulos Haka soprano, and sopranino through tenor in the Autos 500 series....the light brown alto is a Haka 700 series I think.
Hello Sarah
I've resently picked up recorder again after a 12 years brake - barely toutching it. I found the piece that you play while testing the Zen-on at 4.53, the larghetto, among my old sheet music, but I can't seem to find the name of the composer. Do you happen to know who that is? I would like to listen to some professional recorder players playing this piece.
Thak you for very great videos :)
Best regards Bjarke
amazing🤗🤗
My alto recorder aulos is 309 e
Sarah, please review some Sopraninos
Are you sure that the beak of your Zen On has not detached? I have both pitches and the mine ones are firmly attached, they won't neither rotate.
Mine is the same!
Hi Sarah, I’m just starting out and the wooden ones are quite expensive for this moment. 🤨I like to support Dorris, with het development with her recorder. Where can you buy the music garden from the Netherlands? They’re not in any big internet shops. Thank you for everything, I’m watching many of your videos
You can buy them from Margaret Lobner’s recorder store in Bremen (order online) - within the EU so still very easy for shipping. Or on Doris’ own website I think!
Thank you, good to know👍@@Team_Recorder
So. I ended up with the Aulos Bellcanto, and the Haka. And the Yamaha in rosewood. And the ecowhatever. Whoops! Want to help me make a comparison video!???
Hi Sarah. I have a white plastic Yamaha recorder which says B by the thumb hole 34 on the back side of the mp. This is a very beginning 1 correct? . I want to play baroque music..what would you recommend? I do have experience reading music as I play flute and saxophone. Thank you! Amanda
It's too bad the Dolmetsch Nova plastic instruments aren't available any more. All of them from soprano through bass (basset) are very nice and they were very inexpensive. The Aulos 500 series sopranino is much better than the Nova sopranino, though. (Also, as noted elsewhere, I think you got the two Autos models swapped in this video...)
Can you please tell me the difference between Aulos alto 709B and 709A and 309A and 309B ?❤
Can't you get a similar airy sound (at '5:00) by rounding slightly the head joint on other recorders? Or maybe there are other reasons for choosing a removable mouthpiece as on that Zen-On, are there?
I have the Aulos 309A and I like it. Edited to add: I am not a professional musician. Your mileage may vary. LOL!
what is a robin recorder? i seen it on amazon and wondering how it sounds? maybe you could a video on it?. i am new to the recorder,and i got 3 of them 2 soprano one wood and the other yahama.also a yamaha alto. i just have to get my fingering down pat before i can play songs. thank you for the great videos sarah! :)
Robin recorder is the name of an Aulos alto recorder model. Aulos often give names to their models in addition to the series number, e.g. Robin, Haka, Symphony.
I might warn you that the Aulos ones started to get brittle and break after forty-odd years. I think I got my money’s worth, and it really was time to start investing in some wooden instruments by that time! Btw, are the Aulos Symphony instruments no more?
I saw this smart woodi brand of recorders on Amazon and I am wondering if they are any good. It comes with 6 recorders. Bass, tenor, alto, soprano, sopranino, and the garklein.
Which is recommended for someone who can't spread their fingers out very wide? I have the white Yamaha now and find its holes so be spaced just a bit too wide, especially for the left hand.
The top comes off the Zen-On Bressan copies? Mine doesn't :o
(not sure if it makes a difference, but I only have the 415)
A lot of time plastic alto have a more « reedy » sound more then Airy sound (I have the same alto as you used in your video «Bumblebee » and I think I don’t like the sound that much
(So people think more then me before Buying a recorder or else)😅
I'm really curious about the response in the upper range. I have the Aulos 700 series and the Yamaha, and for me they both work great when I pick them up after a pause but quickly lose their response consistency in the high range with the slightest bit of condensation. Attempting to clear them out during play doesn't solve it. Does anyone find that their particular versions of any plastic altos work better in this regard? I'm primarily talking about high F and the C# below it. E can also be a little troublesome. These are crystal clear for me with a pinching technique when I first blow into them after a few minutes' pause. But within a few seconds of playing, I can't depend on them even if I never shift my thumb from what works perfectly in the beginning.
Would u do me a favor?
I know u don t play covers, but would u?
The Sonng "How long will i love u" isn t covered this time on recorder, would u?
I think its a wonderfull ballade for recorder play.
I don't get how you can put so much power behind your low notes without overdriving them. I feel like if I put more than 1% of my breath into the low F or G, the sound instantly gets overdriven into an upper register. And, it's not a finger air leakage issue.
See my videos on sound, and how to hit the low notes- it’s all about warm air!
Hi! Im gonna buy yamaha alto recorder. But there are too many models. I prefer deep voice, not high pitch. Do you have any recommendations? There are too many options and im confused. :))
I think I still would Choose Thomann as it's very cheap and still just want to get the goddamn finger right... Otherwise I agree with you for better results I'd pay a bit more...