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

[the ursprachist ursprach <theursprachist@xxxxxxxxx>]

When I said "chamber size decreases and hence increases the pitch" I meant
"the space filled with air inside the chamber decreases because some object
is now taking the room once filled by it, and hence increases the pitch".
The size of the exit hole remains constant, and the harp varies the pitch
through means other than exit hole size variation. When I said "The chambers
would have to be a little bigger for this to work" I meant you just have to
build them a little ( vertically ) larger.

 I chose the balloon idea because it seemed easier for me to conceive and
explain, your piston idea sounds way better.

As you don't change the space between your mouth and the reeds ( like they
did on the XB-40, which is the reason why Levy is not into it ), the
instrument does not get less responsive or expressive. The piston has the
same speed as a chromatic harmonica slide or even more than that, so I guess
speed is not an issue.

On Sun, Oct 31, 2010 at 8:45 PM, Zombor Kovacs <zrkovacs@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Well, I have some questions.
>
> How do you change the size of the chambers on the Overdrive? I can imagine
> that you change the size of the exit hole, but it is more difficult to
> change the size of the chamber itself as you need to fabricate different
> chamber sizes which is very laborous. I think probably you confuse chamber
> size with the size of the exit holes covered by your fingers partly? I am
> just asking.
>
> Why balloon which is so hard to make especially with inflating and
> deflating devices? If you want to change chamber sizes, you could use
> piston-like devices (some kind of piston moves axially in a bore, perhaps
> with an incision to let the reed swing), much easier to make, more definite
> geometry and actuation.
>
> Have you thought about how will you play real music with the instrument? It
> is a thing to create something that has extraordinary properties looking at
> individual reeds. But you must be able to play it fast, and easy. Response
> has to be just as good as on a normal harp. (Just asking).
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* the ursprachist ursprach <theursprachist@xxxxxxxxx>
> *To:* Zombor Kovacs <zrkovacs@xxxxxxxxx>
>
> *Cc:* harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> *Sent:* Sun, October 31, 2010 10:45:42 PM
>
> *Subject:* Re: [Harp-L] Reinventing the harmonica... again
>
> 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
>>
>>
>
>