{"id":4376,"date":"2009-01-08T20:29:05","date_gmt":"2009-01-09T03:29:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/blog\/?p=4376"},"modified":"2009-08-07T22:33:10","modified_gmt":"2009-08-08T05:33:10","slug":"autosax","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/blog\/2009\/autosax\/","title":{"rendered":"Autosax"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday I happened to come across quite an amazing web page. The page featured\u00a0an automated C melody saxophone called Autosax<\/a>, by Godfried-Willem Raes, from the Netherlands.<\/p>\n

\"autosax\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Source: logosfoundation.org<\/h6>\n

This is how\u00a0Raes describes the sax:<\/p>\n

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.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"autosax-mouthpiece-reed\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Source: logosfoundation.org<\/h6>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There is a great deal more information on the Autosax page. Unfortunately most of it is in Dutch, and much of it is technical &\u00a0schematic in nature. However, something that becomes very clear, is that Autosax is just one\u00a0instrument of\u00a0a robotic orchestra that has been created. A sound sample of Autosax, as well as\u00a0some of the robotic instruments,\u00a0can be found on the More Automats<\/em> CD information page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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,\u00a0and a couple different pianos. (This is only a very partial listing. For the full list, please see the Instrument Catalogue<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

The Logos Foundation<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

\n
…this is just my blog<\/em>. <\/span> My \u201creal\u201d <\/b> website is<\/span> www.bassic-sax.info.<\/a> If you\u2019re looking for <\/span> sax info<\/strong>,<\/span> you should check it out too.<\/span>There\u2019s lots<\/em> there! <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/DIV><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday I happened to come across quite an amazing web page. The page featured\u00a0an automated C melody saxophone called Autosax, by Godfried-Willem Raes, from the …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[128],"tags":[203,172,653,644,654],"class_list":["post-4376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technology","tag-c-melody-saxophone","tag-custom-horn","tag-famous-not-so-famous-sax-players","tag-photos","tag-technology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t