Review of Night By Noble Ocarina

by Howard Fosdick © FolkFluteWorld.com

This is a review of the Night By Noble ocarina in C Major. This is called an Alto C ocarina by almost everyone, though a few holdouts don't use this now widely-accepted terminology.

The fundamental lowest note -- or base note -- of this ocarina is C5. That's the same base note as the soprano recorder, and one octave above middle C on the piano.

Opening the Box(es)

This ocarina ships in several slightly different configurations, depending on where you buy it. The one I bought through Amazon shipped inside a very sturdy cardboard box that reduces the chances of shipping damage to nil.

Inside that outer box was a lightweight white cardboard box that contained the ocarina. This box has a fingering chart printed on its bottom. The names of the notes are labeled in Korean, but it's not hard to translate the fingering pictures into English (or any other language).

Any standard ocarina fingering chart will suffice for telling you how to play the scales (see below). The NbN features standard Taiwanese subholes for playing the lowest notes. These enable you to play two notes below low C -- low B and low A.

Some versions ship with a velvet or felt carrying bag included. If you order at Amazon, read the product description carefully to see whether the bag is included.

The product comes in either white or black versions. No other colors are offered. Black is a little easier to keep looking clean as the white more readibly highlights any oil or dirt that collects from your hands.

The ocarina has what the maker calls a "rubber tone" finish. It appears to be plastic with a finish that feels the slightest bit like rubber. This yields a good, firm grip on the instrument.

Perhaps because of its composition, this ocarina seems subject to less internal condensation build-up compared to many plastic "ocs".

The instrument is about 6 inches long and almost 4 inches wide at the mouthpiece. It weighs 5.1 ounces. The NbN fits very well in the hands and is comfortable to play, even for long periods.

Sound Samples

You can hear several sound samples of the NbN alto in these Youtube videos. Listen to whichever appeals.

I rate the tone and sound quality of the NbN superior, and few disagree with that assessment. This is a key reason this instrument scores 4.5 stars in Amazon reviews (out of 5.0 possible)

Playing

As a 12 hole submarine-style ocarina with two subholes, the NbN has a full 13 note range. It spans from A4 to F6. This chart illustrates:

All notes sound strong and true. The very highest notes have little of the airiness that you hear from many ocs. The lowest notes also pitch accurately. They sound strong and sweet, not muffled or off-key.

The accurate pitch and lack of airiness is where a well-made plastic oc like the NbN shines compared to many clay ocarinas. Both the highest and lowest notes are easy to hit, and sound strong and true.

In contrast to some ocarinas, you only need blow slightly harder to hit the highest notes. No need for special techniques like the "acute bend". (Acute bend is where you must tilt your head downward when trying to attain the highest notes on some ocarinas.)

Overall, the NbN requires less breath than many altos, particularly when playing the highest notes.

Given plastic manufacturing processes, there is virtually no chance of receiving a "dud" instrument. Plastic manufacturing is consistent; ceramic produces a higher failure rate.

This is where a quality oc like the NbN excels in comparison to many of the good clay ocs you can buy in the $20 to $35 range. The clay oc you receive will probably be fine. But there is a chance of getting a dud, a chance you don't take when you buy quality plastic like the NbN alto.

And don't forget: drop your plastic NbN, and there won't be any structural damage. Worst case, it will suffer a few nicks or scratches. But drop a ceramic oc, and you'll be lucky if it doesn't shatter.

The Night By Noble is a loud ocarina. That makes it great for playing outdoors, and suitable for public performances. But playing indoors, especially in an enclosed area, can be tiresome to your ears. And this could be a negative, too, if you have roommates or housemates it might bother.

Maintenance

Like any plastic ocarina, you'll need to occasionally wash it in warm water to ensure that the moisture from your breath doesn't encrust and build up inside.

The white colored oc will need to be wiped off on the outside, or it will eventually appear yellow or discolored. This is easily corrected by a thorough cleaning.

Recommendation

The Night By Noble showcases the advantage of quality plastic ocarinas. It has a full 13 whole note range, plus all sharps and flats within that range.

It voices beautifully, and doesn't struggle with muffled low notes, or overly airy high notes.

It's easy to play and so makes a nice beginner ocarina. Yet it fulfills the technical and voicing needs of even the most experienced players.

Very importantly, quality plastic makes for better quality control during manufacturing. So you have almost no chance of buying a dud -- a real possibility with many ceramic ocs in the $20 to $35 range.

The NbN plays loudly. This makes it perfect for public performance and outdoor use. But some may feel it overwhelms when played indoors. I find that it eventually irritates during a long indoor session.

As a well-made, quality ocarina, you can expect your Night By Noble to last a lifetime.

***** SUMMARY *****