[eckso]

Moved to a new channel.

[eckso]

I have the 44Hv2 and the M37C. I do not find the 44H harder to play than the M37C; just the opposite.

You can hear me playing a 44Hv2 at https://youtu.be/jwUalR6XWjs.

How odd! Your 44Hv2 does not seem to have this problem. I can hear your notes firing as soon the air hits the reeds. Also, lovely playing, thanks for the Bach!

I’m not sure if the difference is audible but here’s a video comparing my 44HP and 44H. The notes on the 44H “ramp up” – you can sometimes hear breath before you hear notes – while on the 44HP, the notes fire immediately. https://youtu.be/9fUs_AQd5h8

And the only way to check for differences there would be cut open the instruments! Ok, I suppose you could remove the reed plates and get a partial look.

I’m not unwilling to do either, to be honest. I’m worried that, should something happen to my 44HP, I’ll have trouble finding an instrument with equivalent action to replace it.

Air distribution is a problem in most melodicas. It seems that the low notes are always stealing the air—the wider the spacing, the more the steal.

I do understand that, it’s just so odd to me that there’s so much variance between these closely-related models. (I’ve come to suspect that my 44Hv2 has some minor defects/irregularities that are causing its more pronounced airflow issues, so I consider it an anomaly.)

Anyway, one of these things might explain the performance difference between your hybrid 44H/44HP and the 44Hv2.

Many thanks, this is incredibly useful information. The behavior you describe aligns well with what I’m observing.

Doing a quick test, the 44HP with the “easy” action overblows (severely flattens or chokes out) _much_ more easily than the 44H with the “difficult” action, and so the 44H can be played at a much higher volume.

I think you’ve put me on the right track.

—

As an aside, a few months ago, I watched your ‘MIDI Melodica Sound Demo’ and I actually bought a Korg microKEY with the intention of reproducing your setup. (I haven’t got around to it, but it’s high on my list of music projects.)

I’ve also seen your efforts to simulate and reason about the physics of the melodica.

This is all great stuff. I really appreciate your efforts.

[eckso]

I can recommend Gianluca Barbaro’s books, found here.

Vol. 1: Play Melodica with Both Hands! Japanese Style
Vol. 2: Melodic Intervals Workout

I have been working through vol. 1 and recently ordered vol. 2. The exercises and fingerings are quite helpful. It has useful tips for developing good playing habits from the start. The binding and paper seem to be quite good quality. They may be somewhat less quick and easy than the Suzuki books.

[eckso]

Lamar,

The screw-on plastic strip that covers the reed plates is different between the H and HP. I think the service manual calls it the “air box lid”, so I’ll stick with that (please correct me if I’m wrong). This is the piece that the mouthpiece plugs into at one end, and has the spit tube at the other.

On the H, the air box lid has a plastic lip that covers the area under the keyboard.

On the HP, the air box lid has no plastic lip, and the area under the keyboard is open.

From what I can tell, this plastic lip is a primary determinant of timbre. The two different metal back covers also influence timbre, but not as much as this lip, in my experience.

When I put a 44H air box lid on a 44HP, the 44HP sounds much more like the 44H (i.e. a smoother, less twangy sound).

When I put a 44HP air box lid on a 44H, the 44H sounds much more like the 44HP (i.e. a more raspy, more harmonica-like sound).

Here are photos of the air box lids I own. You can see the models/serials on the top stickers.

– 44H
– 44Hv2
– 44HP

There’s another big difference between the H and HP, but I haven’t figured out what is responsible for it:

For me, it is _much_ easier to move air through a 44HP than through a 44H or a 44Hv2.

I feel as though I have to “push” air through the 44H, like I have to fight to get the notes to fire when and how I want. I find it very difficult to play fast fingerwork on 44H/44Hv2 for this reason.

The 44HP requires no “push”. Notes fire with the tiniest sliver of air, and I feel like I have much more control over how and when they fire.

The 44HP blows like the M37C or Pro37v3, while I have never played another melodica that blows like the 44H/44Hv2. It is extremely frustrating to play the ‘Gavotte en rondeau’ from Bach’s third violin partita on the 44H, while on the 44HP, the notes just “fall out” of the instrument. Even simple trills are more difficult for me to execute on the 44H.

My 44HP has…

– an air box lid from a 44H
– the solid metal back cover from a 44H
– a keyboard from a 44H
– one of the red ends from a 44H 🙂

…and while this gives the 44HP the smoother timbre of the 44H, it still moves air with the ease of a 44HP.

I’d appreciate any insight into what’s going on here, as I’d love to be able to modify my 44H and 44Hv2 to blow more like a 44HP.

One last note: air distribution in general is _significantly_ worse on my 44Hv2 than on my 44H, to the point where, for wide chords, I have trouble getting the high notes to fire _at all_ without overblowing the low notes. I don’t know if that’s a new ‘feature’ for the model, or a defect in my particular 44Hv2, but it is unpleasant (and unreliable) to play.

Hope this helps. Cheers!

[eckso]

I tried to make a video demoing the silicone nubs, but the cam in my laptop is too awful. I ordered a better cam and will try again when it arrives.

Mysha, that seems pretty ideal if you can make it work. I’ve had good luck using a guitar strap with melodicas that have strap pegs, like the PRO-37v3.

Cheers,

Nick

[eckso]

Yep, I ordered a MP-161 the same day I ordered the 44Hv2. I just think it’s unfortunate that they’re no longer included.

Practically, I think the metal mouthpiece is a very useful option, and I want players to have that option out of the box. I learned that metal mouthpieces were even a thing only because my instrument came with one, but others will no longer have that benefit.

Aesthetically, I think the metal mouthpiece gives the instrument a greater degree of dignity, while the floppy (to me, clownish) mouthpiece diminishes its dignity, and contributes to the perception of the melodica as a toy. The inclusion of the metal mouthpiece contributed greatly to my positive first impression of the 44, and it’s a bummer that others won’t get to experience that.

[eckso]

I guess I forgot that the original 44H came with the plastic tube. 🙂

The v2 gig bag is definitely an upgrade, but yeah, I’ll be missing the metal mouthpiece.

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