[Bruno Travi]

Hello Melodica World players !

I want to share my personal comparison with the Top4 melodicas from my opinion:

Horner Professional 36
Borel Le Clavietta
Suzuki Hammond PRO-44 HP (Hyper)
Yamaha P-37D

(I do not include the Vibrandoneon because the size is much bigger that compared melodicas)

I have divided my analysis into five categories:

Dynamics Response – Vibrato Response – Legato
Dynamics Crescendo – Resonance
Triple Tonguing Response
Key Action Spring Response
Confortable Key Size

This is my conclusion:

Dynamics Response
1 Suzuki Hammond PRO-44 HP (Hyper)
2 Yamaha P-37D
3 Horner Professional 36
4 Borel Le Clavietta

Vibrato Response
1 Borel La Clavietta
2 Suzuki Hammond PRO-44 HP (Hyper)
3 Yamaha P-37D
4 Horner Professional 36

Legato
1 Yamaha P-37D
2 Suzuki Hammond PRO-44 HP (Hyper)
3 Horner Professional 36
4 Borel Le Clavietta

Dynamics Crescendo
1 Yamaha P-37D
2 Suzuki Hammond PRO-44 HP (Hyper)
3 Horner Professional 36
4 Borel Le Clavietta

Resonance
1 Borel Le Clavietta
2 Horner Professional 36
3 Suzuki Hammond PRO-44 HP (Hyper)
4 Yamaha P-37D

Triple Tonguing Response
1 Yamaha P-37D
2 Suzuki Hammond PRO-44 HP (Hyper)
3 Horner Professional 36
4 Borel Le Clavietta

Key Action Spring Response
1 Yamaha P-37D
2 Suzuki Hammond PRO-44 HP (Hyper)
3 Horner Professional 36
4 Borel Le Clavietta

Confortable Key Size
1 Suzuki Hammond PRO-44 HP (Hyper)
2 Yamaha P-37D
3 Horner Professional 36
4 Borel Le Clavietta

Thanks !
Bruno

[Melodica-Me]

Bruno, very well done. What microphone did you use and at what distance.

Melodica-Me.

[Bruno Travi]

Hello MM “Melodica Guru”

I used two AKG C414 B-XL II with Avalon AD2022 and the same microphone position for the 4 melodicas; one microphone back top the melodica to 0,5 meter (you can see it in the the video) and the other microphone front the keys to 0,5 meter too.

Bruno

[Lowboy]

Hi Bruno,

Very scientific and helpful comparison. This is just the type of thorough comparison that can help people definitively decide which melodica to buy.

Regards,

Lowboy

[Alan Brinton]

Great contribution, Bruno! Now just 487 more melodicas to go. Seriously, though, this really helps in the struggle to find the right language in terms of which to make comparisons and explain the differences among models.

In addition to that, though, given the extent to which your video brings out the difference in sound among these four primo models, it provides a basis for comparison of other models to these four “standards.” I just did this with my Suzuki MA-32, whose unusual sound has intrigued me. So I took it out and played along with the first category samples and the result was clear: the MA-32 has a “Clavietta” sound. That’s what’s special about it. It doesn’t sound just like the Clavietta, but it sounds much more like the Clavietta than it does like the Professional, the 44HP or the P-32D.

Many thanks!

[Lowboy]

It is surprising to see that the Yamaha held it own against formitable contenders that cost (or would cost) 4 to 7 times as much as the yamaha in today’s dollars. Relatively speaking, I really liked the tone of the Yamaha as well as the Clavietta.

The question that one would have to answer is, is playing a Hohner professional melodica with its wonderous size, feeling of solidness, individual reeds, historical significance, feel, etc. more satisfying than playing a light, modern, plastic Yamaha pianica that sound nearly as good and offers several other advantages?

It is a tough question to answer.

Lowboy

[Bruno Travi]

I think the same Lowboy, for that my next review will be about a Yamaha P37D modified version with wooden case and finishing as the Vibrandoneon. We’ll see how far he can get the Yamaha !!

[Alan Brinton]

The most direct competitor of the Yamaha P-37D is the Suzuki M-37C. I’m not putting in a request for a further review, Bruno, but I wonder if you have played the M-37C, and if so whether you have thoughts about how it compares.

[Lowboy]

I have two Yamahas and three Suzukis (but not the Yamaha P-37D or the Suzuki M-37C). I prefer the sound and feel of the Suzukis. This is of course a fully subjective and personal opinion. But I also wonder how the large Suzuki or even the Suzuki A-34C or M-32C (which I do own) would hold up in a comparison. Hint. Hint. 🙂

Lowboy

[Alan Brinton]

I have them all and now give a slight edge to the metal tray Suzukis over the Yamahas, all things considered. But my “all things” aren’t quite the same as Bruno’s!

[Bruno Travi]

I started play seriously the melodicas one year ago, brought in Japan the Yamaha P37D (Made in Japan) and Suzuki M-37C, sold both. I remember that sound and dynamic response of the Yamaha I really liked over the Suzuki because the reeds and resonance with the metal case was too “nose” sound (sound has inherited the Hammond).
If I had to rate the Suzuki M-37C would place below the Hammond.
I must say that the Yamaha P-37D in the video is Made in Indonesia, the version Made in Japan had best key feeling and response. Bruno.

[Daren]

Great video Bruno! Fantastic detail. Looking forward to hearing your P37D with wooden casing – I knocked up a quick case around a P32D to see what it sounds like…

[Alan Brinton]

Bruno, when you say “too nose sound” of the Suzuki, do you mean a nasal sound, a honking sound?

[Bruno Travi]

Thanks Daren !
Alan, about Suzuki M-37C I mean a nasal sound. The metal case, reeds and dimension of the resonance body give a sound with a harmonic content that it not nice for me, however Yamaha has a better balance between bass, middle, treble and harmonics.

[Alan Brinton]

Thank you, Bruno. That’s what I thought you meant. That sound is more pronounced in the M-37C than in the M-32C. Also, I notice it more when I have recorded and am playing back than when I am just playing. It is possible that what we experience while playing is not necessarily a good indicator of the sound we are hoping to produce.

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