The Sub-Sub Great Bass Recorder Is this still a recorder or already a monument? We mean both. It is the largest recorder in the world and therefore a monument. The instrument was created at the suggestion of Simon Borutzki, the director of the Berlin Recorder Orchestra. After recording his CD "alla turca" with subcontrabass recorders, he asked us if we could imagine an even larger recorder. Our answer was: "Imagine yes, but whether we can realize it...".  As always, when people really want something, the positive conditions almost arise by themselves. Katharina Klockmann, who wanted to realize an extraordinary project during her studies, played a major role in turning the spontaneous idea into what is probably the most extraordinary recorder in the world. With a sounding length of 4.93 m, the sub-sub great bass recorder brought the record for the largest recorder to the Paetzold (by Kunath) workshop for the second time. Herbert Paetzold had already set a record with the development of the sub-contrabass recorder with a sounding length of 3.60m. How do you build a recorder as large as the subcontrabass? For reasons of ergonomics and transport, such long scales must of course be bent 180° in the proven Paetzold manner. Thus, the finished instrument is "only" a little over 2.00 m high. Thus it fits into almost any apartment, and in concert the low notes (32 Hz) lay a rich foundation under any (recorder) ensemble. When scaling up, the basic principles of the original design must be reconsidered and questioned. Does one or the other detail have to be solved technically differently for a functional design, so that the instrument functions just as well and reliably in the large scale as the small original? After all, the players do not grow with the size of the instrument used. Finger and arm lengths remain the same, as does the amount of air breathed. All these central points of ergonomics need to be considered and designed. For the keys of the left hand, the proven Paetzold construction could be used. The flap mechanism of the footpiece, however, was a point that had to be rethought. Here it quickly became clear that we did not want to burden the instrument with the disadvantages of long mechanical levers. So we looked to other areas of instrument making for proven inventions. Here we found what we were looking for - naturally - in modern organ building. The same technology that allows the organist to conveniently control a distant pipe with a light touch of a key is what we use in the sub-sub great bass. The right hand keys, which would require long levers, can be played without much effort using the organ technology. This is made possible by small electromagnets that close and open the keys elegantly and reliably. To supply the magnets with energy, four powerful rechargeable batteries are installed in the sub-sub bass, which can power the instrument for weeks. Should the batteries ever run out - which no one has experienced yet - the instrument can be immediately supplied with power from the wall socket via the included power supply. A good design always has room for a Plan B, and it's especially good when you probably won't need it. A glance at the built-in charge indicator usually signals, "You still have enough power to play the Ring des Nibelungen at least three times" ... The larger the recorders become, the more important the detail "How securely does the instrument stand?" becomes. On the sub-sub large recorder, four small triangles are inserted into the foot. This allows the instrument to be lifted - the stand follows the instrument "with the foot". A question that is always asked: do I have enough air to play such a large instrument? Yes, you do. That's because with a recorder, you don't blow air through the instrument - as you do with a trumpet. With a recorder, you just excite the air in the bore. We have refined this physical principle even further in the sub-sub great bass recorder. The principle: You produce a very quiet - barely audible - sound with your breathing air. This is amplified by a microphone built in as standard. The amplifier then produces the desired volume and depth that you - and your ensemble - won't want to miss. Depending on the application, different speaker systems are used. We will be happy to advise you on which solution is best for you. The instrument is delivered in two cases and is therefore easy to transport. Immerse yourself in the moving emotional world of the lowest frequencies. The deepest recorder in the world. The sub-sub bass. Affectionately called "The Beast" by some players. Or just "The Monument".