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

[Brock Wilcox]

How does it feel compared to a smaller 10-hole diatonic? I saw on the video
you can set it to diatonic mode, which is interesting.

On Sun, Feb 12, 2017 at 7:41 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
>
>
>
>