KVR Audio

rockstar_not · Post by **rockstar_not** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 3:43 am

OK, so maybe I'm real stupid - do you blow over the reed, across it like blowing over a flute hole, what? What makes it vibrate?

-Scott

McLilith · Post by **McLilith** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 4:09 am

rockstar_not wrote:OK, so maybe I'm real stupid - do you blow over the reed, across it like blowing over a flute hole, what? What makes it vibrate?

Judging from some web sites I found about idioglot reed instruments, I think you place the whole reed section into your mouth, and blow. I have to admit that I really don't know for certain.

You might want to check out these links, for similar ethnic instruments:

Mizwidj

Mijwiz This one even has a video!

Triple Idioglot Reed Clarinet of Sardinia

take care,
McLilith

freeztar · Post by **freeztar** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 4:49 am

McLilith wrote:I think you place the whole reed section into your mouth, and blow.
McLilith

I don't know that I want my mouth that close to tar. But a bic pen I can handle

.

McLilith · Post by **McLilith** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 5:06 am

McLilith wrote:...I think you place the whole reed section into your mouth, and blow.

Of course, that refers to the reed section of the modified Bic pen, not an orchestra.

take care,
McLilith

freeztar · Post by **freeztar** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 5:57 am

rockstar_not · Post by **rockstar_not** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 2:28 pm

OK, who else has tried?

I've failed twice.

1. Do you have to cut out the reed so that it flaps freely in/out of the tube?

If not, then I think I've found my problem - I slotted it so it could freely flap, but too much air passes by which doesn't force the reed into resonance.

-Scott

Glooper · Post by **Glooper** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 2:40 pm

WhiteNoise wrote:http://www.whitenoiseaudio.com/ballpoint.mp3

sounds great to me.

EDIT: this is VoidoidSurrealist's sample he sent me to host.

hmm... Sounds like a Duduk to me...

Jafo · Post by **Jafo** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 2:48 pm

Hardware instruments? Weird concept... maybe I'll just wait for Zio to emulate one...

Voidoid Surrealist · Post by **Voidoid Surrealist** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 4:17 am

rockstar_not wrote:OK, who else has tried?

I've failed twice.

1. Do you have to cut out the reed so that it flaps freely in/out of the tube?

If not, then I think I've found my problem - I slotted it so it could freely flap, but too much air passes by which doesn't force the reed into resonance.

-Scott

No, you don't want it actualy going in and out of the tube, you want the reed to vibrate against the edges where it meets the pen body.

McLilith wrote:
rockstar_not wrote:OK, so maybe I'm real stupid - do you blow over the reed, across it like blowing over a flute hole, what? What makes it vibrate?
Judging from some web sites I found about idioglot reed instruments, I think you place the whole reed section into your mouth, and blow. I have to admit that I really don't know for certain.

Yup, just stick the whole reed in your mouth and blow.

rockstar_not · Post by **rockstar_not** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:22 pm

I don't know why I'm obsessed with this now, but I've ruined a load of thes bic pens and I still can't get this to work.

This isn't some kind of cruel joke is it?

I cannot get the reed to buzz.

Some further questions....

1. How straight do the cuts have to be on the 3 sides of the reed? I find that once I get the tip of the knife blade to pierce the tube, it's difficult to maintain a straight cut.

2. Do you shave the reed before or after making the cut?

3. Do you have to clean off any little bits of plastic that make the edges ragged on the reed?

I haven't even gotten to the point of cutting out the holes - if the reed doesn't buzz, no point in going any farther.

-Scott

jens · Post by **jens** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:30 pm

I would also love to have more information on this - at first he makes us hot and then he doesn't spill the beans...

SparkySpark · Post by **SparkySpark** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 2:00 pm

Yeah - the sounds reminds me of Xena - The Warrior Princess series!

Great stuff!

/SparkySpark

rockstar_not · Post by **rockstar_not** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 5:01 pm

OK,

I finally got this to work. The secret for me was to work on the surface between the reed and the tube- carefully cleaning all the little shaved bits out of the way so that the reed could buzz freely.

You have to blow pretty hard on this thing. I also made a slight change to the design for the hole locations - I put them 90 degrees rotated around the tube from the reed opening - so that you hold this like a flute - with the mouth placed over the reed along the tube, and the holes facing the ceiling - held with both hands.

I'll try to post some mp3s if people are interested.

Mine sounds more like a duck-call than an actual instrument!!!

-Scott

McLilith · Post by **McLilith** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 5:11 pm

rockstar_not wrote:I'll try to post some mp3s if people are interested.

Yes please, post mp3s!

Also, post some good pictures if you can. If you don't have a digital camera, maybe you could lay the thing on a scanner, and at least get a closeup shot of the reed section?

Thanks,
McLilith

Sascha Franck · Post by **Sascha Franck** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 1:16 am

Please post some loooooong individual notes - so I can sample/loop them properly and do a Kontakt patch!
Clean, vibrato and overblown would be sufficient for now. We can care about the fff to ppp samples later on...

The sound of the first MP3 posted is freaking amazing but I couldn't be bothered to do such a thing myself as I would only cut myself in the fingers or anywhere else (I'm a miserable DIY dude).

Make an Idioglottal Clarinet out of your Bic/Biro pen!