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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.

Performance is hard enough without worrying where to plug in or if there's enough juice in your battery to finish the tune...

Yes. It's called a pipe organ.

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.

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.

timothy42b wrote:Yes. It's called a pipe organ.

Complete with your choice of one or more of the following:
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)

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.

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!

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.

How about Giant Steps played by a robot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjONQNUU8Fg" target="_blank