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From: cak@CS-Arthur (Christopher A Kent)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: What is a Lyricon?
Message-ID: <671@CS-Arthur>
Date: Sat, 31-Mar-84 17:17:56 EST
Article-I.D.: CS-Arthu.671
Posted: Sat Mar 31 17:17:56 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 1-Apr-84 07:49:29 EST
References: <588@bbncca.ARPA>
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Purdue University
Lines: 55

The description of a Lyricon was essentially correct, as far as it
went.

As I recall (it's been about 6 years), there were two versions of the
Lyricon, Lyricon I & II. Both were marketed by Selmer; I think that
there did actually exist a separate Lyricon corporation for a while.  I
don't know if the instruments are still on the market.

The instrument is essentially shaped like a soprano sax or clarinet;
silver metal with a sax key layout, plus a few extra modifier keys
(these are kinda neat -- flat or sharp any fingered note). A sax player
would be immediately at home on it; the left thumb key is an octave
key, like a sax, not a twelfth key, like a clarinet; there are also
none of the stupid "break" keys found on a clarinet (spoken like a true
sax player who was forced to double on clarinet...). The mouthpiece
looks like any standard mouthpiece; you fasten a real reed to it with a
ligature, and play normally. (Reed quality doesn't matter; the reed has
nothing to do with sound production.  The supplied fibrecane reed could
be used indefinitely.) There is a wind pressure transducer inside the
barrel of the instrument which is used to trigger sound production and
volume; there is also a small metal "finger" that presses against the
reed and senses embouchure pressure (used for bends). I don't recall
that you can patch these to vary any other parameters.

The keys are electrical switches; it's necessary to occasionally clean
them by rubbing a dollar bill or a piece of rolling paper between the
key and the contact. There is a small tube that allows the air you blow
to pass through the instrument and out the bottom; it's small enough
that there is a realistic feeling of resistance. It blows quite freely,
but it's not like there's nothing there at all.

The control panel pretty much dates the instrument; it has controls
very similar to the Mini-Moog, the foremost performance synthesizer of
the era.  I recall a single oscillator, for which you could select
waveshape, filtering, etc; you can also select octave, range, degree of
bend, tuning, volume, etc.  You could do neat things like switch the
range by perfect fifths, so you can simulate both the Bb and Eb
families; I think you can also adjust to play the F and C families if
you want.

I found the instrument a lot of fun to play; quite versatile. I played
both jazz and rock dates with it; it was a lot easier to deal with than
switching between alto/tenor/bari/soprano on short notice, but sound
quality was not as true. I wouldn't use it for a ballad written for
alto, but it was fun for occasional ensemble work. You could also 
produce some pretty strange sounds with it, needless to say.

Does anyone recall using the trumpet transducer that was popular around
the same period? I always wanted to tinker with one, but never had the
opportunity.

Not playing as much as I used to, but wishing I had the time,
Chris Kent
Purdue CS Dept
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