Re: [Harp-L] Reinventing the harmonica... again

[the ursprachist ursprach <theursprachist@xxxxxxxxx>]

Of course I want to tell you how it works, or else I would not be here: it's
only that I am not eloquent, for talking is hard for me, and I am slow of
tongue. Pardon me.

I had this idea after I've read Pat Missin's review on the Suzuki Overdrive,
where he noticed that the pitch changes when you change the size of discrete
chambers. So the best way you can figure out what I'm saying is probably by
imagining this balloon inflating inside the discrete chambers of the
Overdrive harmonica. The chambers would have to be a little bigger for this
to work, but the working principle would remain the same: when you inflate
the balloon, the space filled with air inside the discrete chamber decreases
and the pitch you hear increases.

Also, if the balloon inflates too much, it will occupy all the space inside
the chamber and the reed will not vibrate. Therefore, a overbend will
happen, analogously to how it happens on the Bahnson harp.

However, if you inflate the balloon belonging to the draw reed while you
play the blow reed, you'll get valved bends and overbends on the reed you're
playing, even if it's the lowest pitched reed on the hole, analogously to
how it happens on Yerxa's Discrete Comb.

I can't think of any adjectives for the end results of this invention but
"extraordinary". We've basically solved the two most annoying technical
issues of the harmonica: namely, "overbends are too hard and I won't leave
my tuning" and "I've got too many harps because I don't want to stick to one
tuning". However, I fear it's so obvious that it had already occurred to
other people who noticed some detail which ruined the whole idea. I'd love
to hear something from Yerxa or Brendan, I'm almost sure they've already
tried something of this kind.

On Sun, Oct 31, 2010 at 7:01 PM, Zombor Kovacs <zrkovacs@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I don't quite see how it works. What I see is that there is some balloon
> that you inflate. But what does it do? Anyway you might not want to tell me
> how it works, you just want to know whether somebody has ever thought about
> it. The answer to that is "not very likely". I would say nobody.
> Anyway. If it works well, and there is something extraordinary about it,
> people will be interested. But I don't think manufacturers will be
> interested. It does not look like something that can be profitable to mass
> produce. For private purposes - eg. creating your own music - however it
> could work pretty well. If it works.
>
> cheers
> Zombor
>
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* the ursprachist ursprach <theursprachist@xxxxxxxxx>
> *To:* zrkovacs@xxxxxxxxx
> *Cc:* harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> *Sent:* Sun, October 31, 2010 1:07:48 PM
>
> *Subject:* Re: [Harp-L] Reinventing the harmonica... again
>
> Well, I guess it can't get simpler than this:
>
>
> http://theursprachist.blogspot.com/2010/10/reiventing-harmonica-again-addendum.html
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Reinventing the harmonica... again
> From: Zombor Kovacs <zrkovacs@xxxxxxxxx>
>
> Hi!
>
> To be honest I don't fully get how it works. My experience is that the
> devil is
> in the details. The idea can be ingenious, but one little detail can ruin
> it
> all. My first impression is that it is too complicated, but I might just be
>
> wrong. An idea is just a few percent of a real success.
>
> So I agree, make a prototype. If you have the enthusiasm to make it, and it
>
> works really good, you surely got something everybody wants to see!
> Personally I
> have never had this idea, I think simplicity is one of the keys to success.
> A
> better drawing (and explanation) would help understanding how it works
> anyway.
>
> cheers!
> Zombor
>
> www.zomborkovacs.atw.hu
>
>