[Harp-L] The One Harmonica to Rule Them All?

[Sheltraw]

Brendon

My suggestion for slider and air tightness improvement was aimed at acoustic harmonica manufacturers not the digital DM48. Given the potential threat to their business posed by a new species of harmonica I am hoping that acoustic manufacturers evolve. Although they won't face extinction (there are still a lot of acoustic guitars selling) their market will definitely take a big hit if digital harmonica like the DM48 are widely marketed. And they will be. But with improvements to the slider and air tightness the manufacturers of acoustic chromatic harmonicas will be able to compete more effectively.

Daniel

Sent from my iPhone

> On Feb 12, 2017, at 4:41 AM, Brendan Power <bren at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> Thanks for all the interesting comments. To answer a couple of points:
> 
> 
> 
> @Bob Loomis: The DM48 has no on-board sounds, it's a pure MIDI wind
> controller.
> 
> 
> 
> @ Sheltraw: "Improved air tightness with less slider friction would be the
> place to start." There is no slider, and no reeds. What looks like a slider
> button at the right is simply an electrical on-off switch. There are now two
> such note-changing switch buttons, one on top as well.
> 
> 
> 
> @ Jordan Friedman and Chris Hofstader: Thanks for your expert insights into
> audio latency issues re. apple/android and EWI experience.
> 
> 
> 
> UPDATE: Last night I got the latest firmware with the added top button.
> Let's call the main right-hand note-changing one Button A and the new top
> one activated by the left hand index finger Button B. Both buttons can be
> programmed to move all notes up or down whatever interval you choose. Even
> after a short time experimenting using both buttons, all sorts of new
> possibilities are emerging. 
> 
> 
> 
> To start with, assume the DM48 is in standard chromatic harmonica
> configuration in key of C with Button A raising the notes a semitone. Button
> B tone-up is great, as is semitone down - both very useful overall settings.
> Tone-up is perfect for easy key changes/modulation. D major is so easy now,
> and A with B button pressed is like playing in G, not nearly as tricky
> trying to play in A with C scale as the basis. Plus the wholetone trills are
> really nice: you can get the correct trills for each note, far more musical.
> 
> 
> 
> Semitone-down is excellent for my SlideDiatonic tuning, as it gives me the
> missing chromatic notes I would normally get via bending. It's nice
> alternating between the up and down decorations, giving more musical
> variety, and I find the left hand finger speed is fine for typical slider
> decorations.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm also finding I can use both buttons in fast sequence to get lovely
> decorations not possible before. Wow! This is a whole new world of playing
> possibilities, only possible with my expensive analogue DoubleChrom before. 
> 
> 
> 
> Talking of which, check this out. It's the very talented Israeli musician
> Roni Eytan playing my Quartertone DoubleChrom: two C chromatics a
> quartertone apart, for Middle Eastern music:
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMnqCs1S9qc
> 
> 
> 
> In this case both sliders are at the right, and he's using two fingers on
> his right hand to select each in turn. The upper chrom is in C, lower one is
> a quartertone flat. The upper slider selects between the two chroms and the
> lower slider plays the semitone-up notes. Roni has developed good technique
> with this.
> 
> 
> 
> Jacob Venndt is another guy who has got the twin-slider DoubleChrom working
> well. Check out this excellent demonstration:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc_yvZRERwY
> 
> 
> 
> Two-hand use with the upper B button on the DM48 is an alternative ergonomic
> approach; it's hard to say which is easier. But of course it has far more
> musical flexibility, as the extra button can be programmed to shift the
> notes in so many different ways by changing the menu.
> 
> 
> 
> Once I have the technique mastered I'll post a video to show the
> possibilities.
> 
> 
> 
> Brendan
> 
> <http://www.brendan-power.com/> www.brendan-power.com
> 
> <http://www.youtube.com/BrendanPowerMusic>
> www.YouTube.com/BrendanPowerMusic
> 
> 
>