SYOS Original Steady Alto Mouthpiece

STEADY, THE BALANCED SYOS ORIGINAL

SYOS mouthpieces are famous for providing customers with complete freedom to customize their own sound via their interactive website.  Having received much feedback from customers and artists over the years, in their latest move SYOS are now additionally offering pre-designed mouthpieces that come in three different sound options.  This new streamlined range is known as the SYOS ORIGINALS and there is a choice of SMOKY (dark sound), STEADY (balanced sound) or SPARK (bright sound).

Syos stands for Shape Your Own Sound. The technology and the science behind their mouthpieces have been developed during many years of research in acoustics. 

SYOS use ABS plastic to craft their mouthpieces: this material allows them to get the highest degree of precision, with improved resistance and durability. Syos mouthpieces were born at Ircam, the worldwide reference in terms of research on music and sound technologies. The meeting between Pauline, specialist of wind instruments, and Maxime, auditory perception expert, started the creation and development of a new and original way of crafting instruments.

Features

• Material: ABS Plastic

• Made In: Paris

• Chamber: Medium

• Baffle: Medium, slight roll-over

• Ligature: Not included but SYOS Ring Ligature available separately

• Manufacturing Method: 3D Printed

• Recommended for: Jazz Professionals/advancing students

Staff review

To me it very much seems like a sensible move by SYOS to take the sum of all their knowledge accumulated thus far and produce set mouthpieces that will appeal on a wide basis, removing the fear factor of ‘getting it wrong’ when going through their customization process.

I really like the division into the 3 types and think it pretty much covers all bases, although the custom design process still has its place and will help those looking for something very specific.

I’ve had a good several days on the ‘Steady’ and find this to be the most satisfying and instantly appealing option to me, producing a great balance of depth, core and projection.  One thing that I find that they all have in common is that they are incredibly free-blowing, even the ‘Smoky’ option.  Talking of which, the ‘Smoky’ mouthpiece undeniably maximizes the depth factor, but it is by no means stuffy.  And the ‘Spark’ option also maintains core whilst clearly hitting you with the most power and brightness.  On this mouthpiece, I did have a little trouble transitioning from a full-blowing regular embouchure sound in the lower octave through to a sub-tone in that the note could occasionally parp up the octave.  This might just be me and my playing style, but I didn’t have this trouble on the ‘Steady’ and ‘Smoky’ options.

SYOS mouthpieces, in general, have really hit their mark, and the number of endorsees is a testament to this.  While some may turn their nose up at the concept of 3D printed mouthpieces, I think the proof has to be in the pudding – if they work and sound great, they are obviously doing something right! Jim (jim@sax.co.uk)