Electro-mechanical relays for brass & woodwinds.
- LJLovegren
- bugler
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Electro-mechanical relays for brass & woodwinds.
Looking at the complicated mechanical linkages on instruments from piccolos to tubas, I wonder if anyone ever developed electro-mechanical relays to allow a key-press to control a distant key or valve.
Soloist and Choral singer (baritone)
Recorders in C & F (sopranino thru bass)
No-name Chinese bass trombone
Chinese copy of Yamaha 201 euphonium
Conn 10J tuba
Recorders in C & F (sopranino thru bass)
No-name Chinese bass trombone
Chinese copy of Yamaha 201 euphonium
Conn 10J tuba
- windshieldbug
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Re: Electro-mechanical relays for brass & woodwinds.
Performance is hard enough without worrying where to plug in or if there's enough juice in your battery to finish the tune...
Instead of talking to your plants, if you yelled at them would they still grow, but only to be troubled and insecure?
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- 3 valves
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Re: Electro-mechanical relays for brass & woodwinds.
Yes. It's called a pipe organ.
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Re: Electro-mechanical relays for brass & woodwinds.
Yes. I play next to a disabled tuba player who has limited hand function. He is an engineer who is well-along in his design of such a mechanism and is working with some firm in Massachusetts who has the hardware needed. He is hoping to have it ready soon.LJLovegren wrote:Looking at the complicated mechanical linkages on instruments from piccolos to tubas, I wonder if anyone ever developed electro-mechanical relays to allow a key-press to control a distant key or valve.
Bearin' up!
- iiipopes
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Re: Electro-mechanical relays for brass & woodwinds.
Complete with your choice of one or more of the following:timothy42b wrote:Yes. It's called a pipe organ.
tracker (direct mechanical)
tubular pneumatic (charge and vacuum valves)
electro pneumatic (the most common)
direct electric (still out there in spite of Wicks not in business anymore)
Jupiter JTU1110, RT-82.
"Real" Conn 36K.
"Real" Conn 36K.
- MikeW
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Re: Electro-mechanical relays for brass & woodwinds.
Wasn't there a "logical bassoon" some time ago - yes, according to Wiki-watsit that was back in the sixties. It was a fairly conventional woodwind, but instead of keys and linkages it had switches that opened and closed the sound holes by some sort of electromagnetic gizmo. The instrument worked fine (I can remember seeing/hearing it demonstrated on TV) but Wiki says it never made it to market. Presumably because of the power problem ? You would need a fair ammount of power to get the valves to move fast enough, which would need a fairly chunky battery if you want to avoid being tethered to the mains.
It was invented by Giles Brindley, who also had other unusual interests.
It was invented by Giles Brindley, who also had other unusual interests.
Imperial Eb Kellyberg
dilettante & gigless wannabe
dilettante & gigless wannabe
- Dan Schultz
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Re: Electro-mechanical relays for brass & woodwinds.
I spent thirty years in the machine building and automation industry and have given a lot of thought to adding solenoids to a tuba to work the valves. It is totally doable for perhaps $100.00 per valve using simple components. The system could be driven with electricity or air. There is the problem of where to get the power but that could be overcome without getting too bulky, I think. Another issue would be that using simple, inexpensive components, is that a valve would be either 'on' or 'off'... (no half-valving and difficult to slur). That could be overcome by using more expensive servos.
Anything is possible. If I lose some finger, you can bet that I will come with something!
Anything is possible. If I lose some finger, you can bet that I will come with something!
Dan Schultz
"The Village Tinker"
http://www.thevillagetinker.com" target="_blank
Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
"The Village Tinker"
http://www.thevillagetinker.com" target="_blank
Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
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Re: Electro-mechanical relays for brass & woodwinds.
Not exactly what you are discussing, but a new, redesigned version of the contrabassoon, the contraforte, uses sheathed cables for some keys, where the actual hole is distant from the key touch. By eliminating complex mechanical linkages, the instrument is more responsive and less likely to have problems.
I can see how that might be adapted to remote control, too.
I can see how that might be adapted to remote control, too.
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Re: Electro-mechanical relays for brass & woodwinds.
How about Giant Steps played by a robot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjONQNUU8Fg" target="_blank
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjONQNUU8Fg" target="_blank