Autosax
Autosax

Autosax

Yesterday I happened to come across quite an amazing web page. The page featured an automated C melody saxophone called Autosax, by Godfried-Willem Raes, from the Netherlands.

autosax

    Source: logosfoundation.org

This is how Raes describes the sax:

This instrument is a computer controlled acoustical saxophone. The instrument can be played by standard MIDI commands, but it is also capable of producing a wealth of multiphonics, slaptongues and other special effects. The sound production is realized through an acoustical but computer controlled reed mechanism using a compressor for the wind supply and a fast regulating conical valve for expression control.

autosax-mouthpiece-reed

    Source: logosfoundation.org

The lightbulbs -clearly visible on the picture- are not just a visual feature but serve as voltage dependent resistors in series with the solenoid valves controlling the keys, thus preventing overheating of the coils when many keys are opened and stay opened for a long time. Different and non standard fingerings can be applied, leading eventualy to multiphonics.

The instrument is controlled via MIDI. It uses 3 PIC microcontrollers, one of which is a DS type used for the reed control, the tuning and the intonation, the other ones taking care of the keys and the airpressure and compressor motor.

The normal note range is 48 to 81, but due the possibilities of the reed mechanism, we provided in an extended range in the low end, descending down to midi note 0. Of course users should not expect a realistic C-melody saxophone sound from this range. The sounds produced in this extended range are far too interesting to leave them out of the range of possibilities.

The development of this automated saxophone took us some 15 years and <Autosax> has known 3 different working realisations in its history. We are now, 2007, at version 3.

There is a great deal more information on the Autosax page. Unfortunately most of it is in Dutch, and much of it is technical & schematic in nature. However, something that becomes very clear, is that Autosax is just one instrument of a robotic orchestra that has been created. A sound sample of Autosax, as well as some of the robotic instruments, can be found on the More Automats CD information page.

Other instruments in the robotic orchestra include: other wind instruments such as an oboe, tuba, valve trombone, cornet; a variety of organs; percussion instruments such as drums, cymbals, cowbells, rototoms; and stringed instruments such as a cello, and a couple different pianos. (This is only a very partial listing. For the full list, please see the Instrument Catalogue.)

The Logos Foundation has a huge website, and poking around it will net you a great deal of information about the automatons, the orchestra, the upcoming show season, and more.

…this is just my blog. My “real” website is www.bassic-sax.info. If you’re looking for sax info, you should check it out too.There’s lots there!

7 Comments

    1. I’m not worried. Only nice people play saxophone, and only nice people blog about people who play saxophone. And since you’re a saxophone player, and a blogger, you must be OK. However, your obsession with silver clarinets has me a bit concerned. Just don’t drift over to the dark side, and start collecting wooden ones! 😀

  1. Yes, my blog’s set up for trackbacks and pingbacks. I haven’t disabled the feature, despite it sometimes being more trouble than it’s worth. But you’ve got nothing to worry about Alan…Or do you? 😉

  2. Pingback: Name that tune ? | C saxophones - and friends...

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