[Rodion]

Thanks for sharing – really nice both in virtuosity and composition 🙂

and a chromatic harmonica player whose name I do not know.

I dare to suggest the harpist is Tokunaga Nobu

[Rodion]

Ofir, thank you for explanations! I will watch the forum eagerly in hope to know whether you will undertake such operation and whether it will help. I grow more and more curious about Yamaha, but if my playing produces so much moisture I think I should collect all useful recipes beforehand 🙂

[Rodion]

You won’t be recruited anytime soon for the diplomatic corps, Ofir.

But Ofir did not say I may need a different set of <b>ears</b> instead, ha-ha, though this also could be the case! 🙂

The Yamaha has a warmer, richer, smoother, more mellow sound. The Hohner has a thinner, tinnier sound with much less character.

I become more and more interested in Yamaha after your explanations! I’m not sure I’m completely satisfied with the sound of Hohner, at least not at the whole range. Luckily it seems I’ve at last found the shop in our place which has Yamahas in stock and hope to get there in a week and test it alive. Surely it is not just to judge by recordings 🙂

[Rodion]

(though I understand there could be difference in response the instrument gives, the control over volume etc… – not only in sound style)

[Rodion]

Oh, yes, thanks – that is good! I’ve seen this title but stupidly skipped this video thinking it too short to be of use…

However now I understand why I hear not much difference between Hohner Student and Yamaha P32D – they really sound similarly enough when compared to some other models… For me main difference found in this video is that some melodicas produce more smooth, flute-like sound while others give more saw-like ZZZZ-ish tone – is it correct, or I miss more subtle features?

[Rodion]

I’m sure the reason the vent opening of the STUDY-32 (and other melodicas) is tiny is to keep the seal as tight as possible. You don’t want a leaky melodica.

I tried the operation suggested and I do not experience any leaking. Studying the construction, I believe that if something is lost in quality of sealing, that is due to some misalignment during assembling the instrument back – it looks like its internal frame (bearing plates on it) wants to sit very tight in its place when fastened by screws…

Having a wood part inside which improves the sound quite a bit, I probably can’t afford moisture to stay inside its body.

Well, I’m not sure this should be a problem. Wooden flutes (recorders for example) never could be well dried. It seems more important that you play such instrument often and regularly enough so that the wooden parts do not get wet and dry over and over and instead are kept at less or more stable conditions… Though probably you’ll be able to tell us the truth after some time – I myself am really curious! 🙂

By the way, haven’t you tried to shake moisture out via mouthpiece socket (when it is detached) – or does it collect in some inaccessible place?

[Rodion]

Update: I disassembled my melodica and performed surgery proposed by Alan. Really, the air now goes far easier when vent button is depressed – btw. I feel bit lost in English here trying to understand the difference between “pressed” and “depressed” 🙂

Now some condensation could be blown out through the hole near the button, however still far more could be shaken out (and yet significant amount could be seen inside on the plates when disassembled) – so probably it is just less or more normal (as someone at music.stackexchange proposed) for this instrument.

[Rodion]

I dare to say it is quite suspicious.

Have you succeeded in measuring the degree of “out-of-tunedness” with any digital or mobile tuner?

Tuning melodica (or harmonica or similar instruments) is definitely not easy – and involves scrapping reeds with the file or scalpel – something that you are not expected to do if you have no significant experience (and a number of broken instruments behind).

If you are sure you are blowing it properly and the sound is too much out of tune – probably you’ve got something which the seller did not want to sell you (if it is a shop, not a person) and you should try to get in contact.

[Rodion]

Hi Alan! Thanks for explanations! Probably you are right – the air goes with significant resistance when the button is pressed – less freely compared to when any key is played. I will try to investigate this issue deeper and write back about the results. Thanks a lot!

[Rodion]

Hi Daren!

Thanks for your response. Verily, there is a button (and a small hole next to it), but pressing it and blowing hard through the instrument does yield either little or no condensation. If instead I detach mouthpiece and shake the melodica several times – significant amount of water could be removed through the mouthpiece socket. The main trouble is that after such operation it looks like humidity redistributes inside and some keys “clog” when played for first few notes… 🙁

I have no idea whether this is normal…

[Author]

Posts