Contrabass Digest
To subscribe or unsubscribe, email gdgreen@contrabass.com

 
 

1998-12-03

 
list                           Thu, 3 Dec 1998            Volume 1 : Number 43

In this issue:
 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 2 Dec 1998 18:02:01 -0800 (PST)
From: bj914@scn.org (John Micheal Bush)
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: sci fi subcontra

If the keywork is so ungodly complicated to make a subcontrabassoon
whatever, or anything really really low (and big) (and loud) (and
generally cool), why not dip into robotics?
 Attach a wind recorder type thing along the body, with all the
keys in their most efficient (for the player) position.  Hook it up to a
brain box, that controls simple servos along the bore to operate the
keys.  You can arrange the players keys any way you desire without
altering the mechanisms on the bore, and vice versa.  You essentially
make the instruments keywork without needing to worry about how the
player is using it, because he operates it all electronically.
 You would need a power source, but the drain should not be too
big.  And anything beig enough to require an electronic system like that,
you are not going to be marching with it or anything anyways, so its not
like it making it too awkward.  And it offers interesting avenues of
development.  You could change the fingering systems more easily, or even
develop macros or something.  Do you have any idea what I mean?  has
anybody ever tried it?  Thank you.
 John

--
Imperial Space Cowboy, Beat Reader, and Aspiring Vegetarian.
"If we find a child with an aptitude for music we give him a scholarship
to Juilliard.  If they found a child whose aptitudes were for being a
woman, they made him one." -Frederik Pohl, "Day Million"

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 00:22:47 -0500
From: mgrogg@juno.com
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: Re: sci fi subcontra

>big.  And anything beig enough to require an electronic system like
>that,  you are not going to be marching with it or anything anyways, so its
>not  like it making it too awkward.  And it offers interesting avenues of
>development.  You could change the fingering systems more easily, or
>even  develop macros or something.  Do you have any idea what I mean?  has
>anybody ever tried it?  Thank you.
> John
 

When I was in college I devoted some time to a tuba design using many
valves with proper lengths of tubing to eliminate the errors that occur
when multiple valves are pressed.  In order to make this work, and also
not confuse tubists with yet another fingering chart with something on
the order of 7 or 8 valves, I worked out the logic charts on how to
switch everything using a standard 4 valve fingering pattern.  I planned
on using electic servos on each valve, rather than make a Rube Goldberg
contraption with all sorts of levers and pulleys and such.

Considering the current art of Piezo electrics, and other aids like
microprocessors, it would be much easier to construct than when I first
concieved it 30 some years ago.

Thinking towards a SubContra whatever, you could easily make up an easy
to hold apparatus, with touch points corresponding to the key system
familiar to the player, and let the computer and associated electronics
work out the actual valving or keying needed to produce the note.  Would
also lend itself to use of a standard piano/organ type keyboard, or
attaching the instrument to a midi output.  Couple that with a compressor
driven windbox, and you would have a means of making really low sounds
without a lot of huffing and puffing.  :-)

A contra bassoon with fingering systems for bassoon, keyboard or
saxophone, just add reed and air.  Could be a dangerous concept.

MG

___________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html
or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 01:32:44 -0400
From: Jim Katz <JimKatz@JohnAbbott.qc.ca>
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: Re: Mystery Instrument

sounds like the golden toilet in the old joke....
 

                                  ^   ^
                                  @   @
                                 =3D=3D v =3D=3D
                                    =DC
         =85=F7}

jimkatz@johnabbott.qc.ca

Jim Katz
292 Senneville Road, RR1
Senneville, Quebec
Canada, H9X 3L2

----------

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 9:23:39 +0000
From: Francis.Firth@uce.ac.uk
To: gdgreen@contrabass.com, gdgreen@crl.com, list@contrabass.com
Subject: Sci fi Subcontra

An electrically-controlled contrabassoon?
There was such an instrument designed and made by Reginald? Brindley mentioned in more than 1 book about bassoons.  This instrument also has some sort of heating wire inside the bore to keep the air column at a constant temperature.
The fingering was simple, as far as I remember, and the position of the tone-holes acoustically logical.
The instrument was called the Logical Bassoon and the Logical Contrabassoon.
There is an article about it in the Galpin Society Journal (details may be found on the Galpin Society web page).
It never seems to have taken off and what happens if there is a power cut?  Nowadays, however, electronics and circuitry have moved on and perhaps it could be battery (or even solar?) powered.
Francis Firth
Francis.Firth@uce.ac.uk

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 10:11:33 EST
From: LeliaLoban@aol.com
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: bass sax

Drake Mabry asked about more currently available Adrian Rollini CDs.  There's
one 2:39 cut of Rollini playing bass sax on "Battle of the Saxes: The Great
Jazz Saxophonists 1927-1946" (ASV Ltd. Living Era CD AJA 5247).  Rollini plays
"Beatin' the Dog" with Joe Venuti's Blue Four.  It's a 1997 digital remaster
of a 1927 recording.  Unfortunately from our point of view, this very brief
piece showcases Venuti's violin more than Rollini's bass sax, but Rollini can
be heard clearly and he plays a nifty chorus.

The CD is a sampler of sax players from that era (Coleman Hawkins, Tab Smith,
Don Byas, Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges, Benny Carter, Hilton Jefferson, Willie
Smith, Charlie Parker, Earl Bostic, Coleman Hawkins, Bud Freeman, Chu Berry,
Lester Young, Dick Wilson, Eddie Miller, Georgie Auld, Ben Webster, Flip
Phillips, Frankie Trumbauer, Charlie Barnet, Sidney Bechet, Johnny Hodges and
Ernie Caceres, along with Rollini, playing with many important groups, too,
such as Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, and Hot Lips Page and His
Orchestra).  The instruments include soprano, alto, C melody, tenor, baritone
and bass.  The liner notes give a bit of biography on each sax player.  A
collection of very brief snippets can't represent anyone fully enough for fair
comparison, of course, but the cleanup job on the old recordings is mostly
good, the selection of tunes is intelligent, and IMHO this recording makes
enjoyable listening, as well as a valuable and fascinating quick reference.

Lelia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Drum on your drums, batter on your banjos, sob on the long cool winding
saxophones.  Go to it, O jazzmen."
--Carl Sandburg, "Smoke and Steel" (1920)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 10:30:08 -0500
From: "farfl's house" <farfl@idirect.ca>
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: Re: Bass sax

Sorry it took so long to get back to the list regarding the video; we
experienced a total hard drive meltdown and it had to be replaced!
"Lowest Of The Low (BBC Investigates The Bass Saxophone)" was first aired in
1985 in the U.K.  The documentary traces the use of the bass saxophone from the
earliest Vaudeville days, up until the year of 1985. Many of performers are
interviewed and shown. Since it's a U.K. production, Harry Gold is spotlighted,
since he's the oldest living player over there. Probably rivals Spencer Clark's
age. Interviews are held with the surviving members of Fred Elizalde's Savoy
Orchestra, which Rollini played in during the '20s, and there are rare
soundbites of Rollini and his wife Dixie, as well as their home movie footage.
There's a group that mimics Venuti's Blue Four recordings note-for-note. There's
an interview with Benny Waters, and he plays a beautiful lacquered bass in the
show. Joe Rushton, Spencer Clark, Otto Hardwick, Charlie Ventura, etc. etc are
also touched upon. There's interviews with contemporary players, and there's
contrabass playing as well! A great balance of performance/interview & archive
footage. Just under an hour in length. Transferred from a PAL copy to NTSC
(North American standard.)
If interested, please reply off-list to me.
Regards,
Steven

NINEWINDS@aol.com wrote:

> That video sounds very interesting about the bass Saxophone. Can you tell me
> more-how long etc. etc. is it a history- featured performers?
>
> Vinny

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 07:45:38 -0800 (PST)
From: Robert Groover <groover@netcom.com>
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: Re: Bass sax

This video is a blast, and a great bargain - get one!  I loved it.

--
Robert Groover  groover@netcom.com  PGP key on request
Member ECS, AVS, OSA, Senior Member IEEE, Reg.Pat.Atty.
       "All men by nature desire knowledge"

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 16:15:36 -0500
From: Edward Branham <ebrhm@mindspring.com>
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: Re: sci fi subcontra

Makes doubling a breeze!    Use the key controller familliar to you, a
mouthpiece of your choice, and voila!  you can play the sub contra bassoon
too!

Hmmmm ..   couldn't you use existing midi controllers like EVIs, EWIs, the
Yamaha WX series, keyboards, etc. as the 'controller' segment to the
'translator' that changed the midi input to the servo controls?
 

<snip>

> Thinking towards a SubContra whatever, you could easily make up an easy
> to hold apparatus, with touch points corresponding to the key system
> familiar to the player, and let the computer and associated electronics
> work out the actual valving or keying needed to produce the note.  Would
> also lend itself to use of a standard piano/organ type keyboard, or
> attaching the instrument to a midi output.  Couple that with a compressor
> driven windbox, and you would have a means of making really low sounds
> without a lot of huffing and puffing.  :-)
>
> A contra bassoon with fingering systems for bassoon, keyboard or
> saxophone, just add reed and air.  Could be a dangerous concept.
>
> MG

------------------------------

End of list V1 #43
******************

 
Next Digest ->
Previous Digest <-
Index
Top