What would you guys recomend for mallets for the Creston concerto for marimba and orchestra

I would consider using rubber mallets for the outer movements, med yarn for the inner. I could never switch mallets in the middle movement, although I know some that will try to use yarn, then switch to rubber for the runs, then back to yarn in the second. I think the last time I taught it we used m-4 red rubber, then balter 84 (blue)for the second.Scott

As with any other piece, one's mallet choice varies depending upon the player, the specific instrument, the acoustics of the hall (or recording studio), whether you're playing with piano accompaniment or the full orchestra, and your own concept of what a "good marimba sound" is. Any specific mallet makes and models mentioned in this thread can certainly be used as guidelines or starting points for your search, but they may not be exactly what you want for yourself.

Generally speaking (re: the Creston), you'll want a fairly articulate mallet for the first and third movements, and something softer for the second movement. Personally, when I played the piece I used a graduated set of four mallets for the second movement, with the middle two mallets being the same.