Hohner Electra Melodica
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Well here are some pictures of the Hohner Electra Melodica that I just purchased from a very nice lady in Germany (Hi Birgit). This crazy little Melodica is awesome. Unlike our beloved melodicas where sound is created blowing air into a chamber and then through a reed that will cause it to vibrate crating a tone. In the Electra you blow through a trumpet mouth piece into a small sensor which then lights a small light bulb that creates volume. You blow harder the brighter the light and the louder it gets, you play softer the softer the dimmer the light is so the volume will be lower. This then tells an oscillator to create a tone then processors mold the tone (sound). You actually have more control than a regular melodica since you can modulate sound within the mouth piece and adjustment that the melodica has. Tricky at first but with practice I am sure this will come natural. You can produce a vibrato by blowing or by the built in vibrato. There are many sounds you can produce, I am just figuring out all the sounds it has. In the mid to lower rage sound effects you can use a button on the side that is called “Do-Wah-Wau-Wau” which creates a sound as it is written to the note you press in and out and hold your a key down. I hope to record something soon where I can incorporate the Electra and then post it. Daren, can you add the Electra to the review page and I will do one a review soon.
Melodica-Me
Monsters of MelodicaPosted by Monsters of Melodica on Friday, February 27, 2015
Hi Melodica-Me,
What a unique instrument. I am really looking forward to hearing a recording of this instrument.
Regards,
Lowboy
Hi Melodica-Me,
So this instrument, the Hohner Electra, measures air pressure as you blow into it. Plus, triggering a note sends an electronic signal to a sound generator. The sound generator then uses the air pressure and note information, along with other electronic input or modulations (vibrato, octave setting, etc) to generate a sound.
Is it fair to say you have a very rare synthesizer that uses a melodica-based system for control?
Ah, I just read your last post and I see it is in fact a synth as you describe it. A really unique instrument.
Lowboy
Hey Lowboy, the Electra is controlled by a photo cell that lights up depending on the amount of air you blow in. The harder you blow the brighter the light gets so then the louder it gets, the softer you blow the light is not as bright and the sound is softer. You can create your own vibrato easily by your own air. there is very little modulation that you can create. I am still experimenting so I will have to get back to you on that one. There is no portamento or slide which would have been cool but no deal. you can change the octave up or down which is a nice feature. Basic electronics but yes considered a synthesizer. I am sure it has an oscillator, voltage control amplifier and a filter, but not like a Moog or ARP that can me controlled via wave form and amplitude adjuster or sweep. The wave form is minimal (sine and square I do not hear a saw tooth) so all the sounds sound similar with some tweaking needed. I will be installing a new pot that adjust the frequency in the 6 tone selector as it dose not sweep properly and has a small bump at mid point. I tried to clean it but it does not change as expected. It does open up the opportunity for different pedals, the first will probably be a wah-wah to try to create note bending effect. The Electra is different than lets say a Midi keyboard with breath control, the notes will not play unless you blow air in and press a key. When I get some time I will do a recoding of it and post it in the forum. The funny thing is, I am trying to make it sound more like a Melodica LOL.
Melodica-Me
Monsters of Melodica
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