I just received my new 5 octave marimba about 2 weeks ago now, and it has far exceeded my expectations for a professional-quality instrument. The sound is gorgeous, and the balance is the best I've heard! - Dan Baerg

Keyboard Voicing

Ron Samuels developed keyboard voicing after speaking with hundreds of percussionists about how they would like their marimbas to sound. He realized that many marimbists were seeking similar things. Everyone wanted keyboard response to be very even and balanced from the treble end to the bass end. Any fine musical instrument has this quality!

But to match and balance well across the octaves of a marimba requires a very large inventory of bars from which to create keyboards.

At Marimba One, we maintain a consistent supply of at least forty sets of 5 1/2 octave bars in our temperature controlled tuning rooms. Each bar is graded out in accordance to keyboard level: Traditional, Enhanced Traditional, and Enhanced Premium Keyboard Voicing.

Having forty tuned sets of bars on hand also allows us to select for keyboards that are more resonant, darker or brighter sounding, and bars that produce an amazing amount of sound.

We categorize our bars by voicing:

Traditional Keyboard Voicing

The Traditional Keyboard Voicing features a bright and clear upper end, an even balanced middle section, and a dark, strong bass end. This keyboard is the defining sound of Marimba One and represents 60% of Marimba One keyboards made.

Enhanced Traditional Keyboard Voicing

The Enhanced Traditional Voicing is more resonant, with an even darker bass end, than our Traditional Keyboard Voicing. It is exceptional in terms of its projection, evenness and balance.

Enhanced Premium Keyboard Voicing

Our Enhanced Premium Keyboard Voicing is chosen from the top of our year's production. These are truly rare, and phenomenal sounding keyboards, designed to astound and delight both player and audience. There are no finer keyboards made than our Enchanced Premium keyboards.

Educational Keyboard Voicing

We recently developed the Educational Voicing option, to create an economical but wholly voiced keyboard utilizing a wider range of rosewood bars. Our Educational Keyboards produce a fine concert sound, one step away from our Traditional Keyboard. Educational Voicing is only available on the 4000 Series 4-1/3 Octave model.

Voicing keyboards is unique to Marimba One.

We innovated this approach to marimba making, and we continue to be the only marimba manufacturer who can offer voicing.

A voiced marimba acts as a cohesive unit, as if all of the rosewood came from one tree. Any differences in ring time and tone color are very subtle from bar to bar.

We are able to voice all of our keyboards because of the number of high quality, tuned bars that we make and keep in our shop.

By carefully listening and choosing from a range of individual bars, we cohesively balance the ring time and tone character for an entire keyboard.

KEYBOARD LAYOUT

Our keyboards maintain a professional and consistent 1/2" spacing between bars from the treble to the bass end. This allows the player an easy, reliable playing experience.

Across the keyboard, we subtly graduate bar width. From one bar to the next, the width transition is small, so you only need to make very minor adjustments in mallet position as you play.

Marimba One PO Box 786; Arcata, CA 95518, USA * Email percussion@marimbaone.com
Phone (707) 822-9570 or (888) 990-6663 (US only) * Fax (707) 822-6256