How does it mute the sound?

ClariMate will fit into the majority of Bb and A Clarinets and is placed between the barrel and the mouthpiece. The mute is fitted with a long rubber breath tube which is connected to the main part of the mute and placed down the body of the instrument.

When you play the clarinet with the ClariMate fitted, your breath goes straight down this tube, which interrupts the normal airflow of breath into the instrument, muting the sound. Three plugs of varying diameters are provided to add to the end of the tube to alter the resistance of the airflow.

The use of these is optional, however, they do help to better mimic the resistance experienced when using a traditional cane reed.

When you first turn on the ClariMate you’ll notice it will begin making a slight humming noise. This is completely normal and actually means it is working correctly!

ClariMate, cleverly, assesses and adjusts itself to the humidity and conditions of the room and instrument. It’s very personalized and will adapt itself each time it’s used or swapped between instruments.

Just how much does it mute the sound?

This is an aid designed for silent practice, and it really does silence much of the sound.

When testing, we compared the active reed included to a traditional cane reed. Both of these will work perfectly when using ClariMate. However, when using the active reed, we found that barely any noise could be heard. When we used a cane reed a slight buzzing or grumbling noise was emitted, but nonetheless, the sound reduction was still significant when compared to normal practice without a mute.

We were impressed with the level of mute achieved. It effectively mutes acoustic clarinet sounds and would be ideal for practice without disturbing others.

How do I connect the mute to the app?

In order to utilise the full functionality of the ClariMate device, you’ll need to download the ClariMate app, which can be found in your relevant app store for Apple or Android, or via the ClariMate website for Windows.

You can connect ClariMate and the app either via Bluetooth, the USB cable provided, or both. To connect via Bluetooth, first ensure that Bluetooth is active on your phone or computer, and then press your ClariMate’s Power and Bluetooth buttons at the same time. A device should appear on your screen named ClariMate followed by the serial number of your device.

 If you are prompted to input a code, it will be ‘5555’.

To connect your ClariMate via the USB cable, plug the cable into your computer and ClariMate, and with the app open, hold down both the Power and USB Mode buttons on the ClariMate. When it is fully connected a green light will appear on the left corner of the app.

Once connected to the app, you can plug in wired headphones to the ClariMate device and monitor yourself using the clarinet sound provided. However, Bluetooth headphones won’t work with ClariMate, due to the latency or delay to the sounds that will result.

Additionally, don’t forget to update the firmware! This is especially important on first use and every couple of months moving forward. It will make sure you’re always using the most up-to-date version of the app with all the best features.

What is Note Training and why is it important?

Note Training is an interesting feature of the ClariMate app that makes your ClariMate personal to your clarinet.

Every clarinet is different, whether that’s the number of keys, its material, or the key it plays in. It’s something that Buffet Crampon are very aware of, and so they’ve included the Note Training feature to ensure that ClariMate is best suited to your clarinet and its individual features.

You’ll notice when you initially use ClariMate it will show the note you are playing with an accuracy level in orange, once you have trained the app to your instrument, this should show as a higher number and in green.

When you start training on the app, it allows ClariMate to better recognise the notes played on your instrument. You can save a whole training set by going between each note to best calibrate the whole instrument.

Granted, this will take some time, but it is worth it!

Note training will be required for each new clarinet you use with your ClariMate, but once it is completed and the file saved, you can reload it when you next use your ClariMate.

If you’re someone who uses alternate fingerings for certain notes, don’t fret. These can be specifically programmed in the app, allowing it to track and register these correctly. You can do this by using these fingerings during your standard training set. The app should recognise them.

Alternatively, you can practice an expert training set, where more alternate fingerings will be offered. This also allows for training up to C6 rather than the standard G5.

What other features does the app have?

Within the app, you can transpose between different clarinet keys from the ‘Synth Controls’ section. You’re also able to alter the ‘Stimulus’ or hum volume to make it more prominent or quieter depending on personal preference.

If you’re using one of the active reeds provided, you’ll be able to alter the sensitivity of the ClariMate and how it responds to the pressure exerted. Furthermore, the breath threshold feature allows you to adjust the threshold at which a sound will be registered. As a result, the higher the breath threshold is set, the more air you will need to get a sound. This does however affect the range of dynamics possible.

The features can be used together to personalise the settings of the ClariMate. If all these bells and whistles aren’t for you, don’t worry, you can just use your normal clarinet setup if you prefer.

Final thoughts

ClariMate is a really neat piece of technology that clarinettists have been waiting for. Finally, we can practise anywhere and anytime silently. It also opens a whole new world of exploration of music software applications without leaving your clarinet. Now we will wait patiently while they make models for the rest of the woodwind family!