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Author Topic: Thoughts on a C#/D layout  (Read 906 times)

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-Y-

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Thoughts on a C#/D layout
« on: August 05, 2020, 02:26:54 PM »

 Hi folks,

Doing some clean-up in my hard-drive, I fell upon a layout I worked on some time ago, when I considered spending more time on a semitone box. I dropped the idea of playing seriously on such boxes (I have a 2 rows model I used from time to time just for fun), but I'm wondering what semitone (and others if they please) players might think of it.

So the idea was to go for the most versatile box possible with such system, without losing track of what it's best at. If I had pursued in that path I would have gone for a 23+4 buttons with 12 basses.
The bass layout is based on a cycle of fifths and consists of bass-only, unisonoric buttons. My main interest when playing reels and the like is more to mimic pipe regulators than to go for an old-style bass playing style, so it would best work with a register allowing to remove the low bass. For slower tunes, it's possible to make chords on the go, or at least to harmonise a bit.
The right-hand layout is 4th button start, and the added buttons are based on a D/G with the Dutch reversal, with 3 notes changes (typed in red) to have all the 12 notes at least once on the pull, opening the instrument to a bit of an harmonic role (in the context of a band, can be useful), the other notes being there just as a convenience (it's not really mandatory, the 2-row semitone layout being quite efficient already).
« Last Edit: August 06, 2020, 02:38:34 PM by -Y- »
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tirpous

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Re: Thoughts on a C#/D layout
« Reply #1 on: August 06, 2020, 07:17:37 PM »

I like the idea of 12 unisonoric basses.  But I wonder why you have them laid out 3x4 rather than 2x6.  And I would expect to see the most used notes (not Bb and Eb for me...) on the outer row.
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-Y-

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Re: Thoughts on a C#/D layout
« Reply #2 on: August 06, 2020, 09:46:08 PM »

The idea is to be able to compose your own chords (it's not really feasible on fast tunes), so you can form "triangles" for instance the D major chord you have a triangle pointing inwards, the D minor is the same position but outwards, if you see what I mean.
The idea was to be on the default position at the center row, so that it's easy to move either up or down. But it would remain to be tested "hands on" to see whether it's practical or not. Maybe you're right and it's easier to have the G D A E row on the outer row.
« Last Edit: August 06, 2020, 09:50:15 PM by -Y- »
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tirpous

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Re: Thoughts on a C#/D layout
« Reply #3 on: August 07, 2020, 03:46:46 PM »

OK I understand.  I was thinking more from a 1-note bass viewpoint.
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Gonk

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Re: Thoughts on a C#/D layout
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2020, 04:21:34 PM »

I'm working on a similar project, or rather, collecting the parts for it.  I have a 12 bass Hohner C#/F# (possibly 1920s, with steel reeds mounted against leather), and I plan to swap out the F# reeds to make it a C#/D.  The bass has what seems to be the standard bass organization: a bass block with six large holes and a chords block with 24 small holes, which will have to go in order to create a unisonoric system.  There is another 12 bass Supertone on the way, and I am almost hoping it turns out to be in terrible condition, so that I can rationalize harvesting its bass block, but I'm a little concerned that I'm going to love it.

Renee de la Prade made a similar box and wrote about it here:
https://squeezeboxgoddess.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/converting-a-diatonic-bass-system-into-a-12-tone-bass-system/
And she mentions that Kimric Smythe helped her, so I reached out to Kimric for tips.  He said that the dodgiest part is keeping the bass reeds from hitting each other when sounding.  I expect I may have to customize either the soundboard or the bases of the reedblocks to cant them a bit.

Renee's layout is this, in two rows (she posted a comment with this updated layout):
F# E D C Bb Ab
C# B A G  F  Eb

That makes sense to me.  It puts the more common keys for folk tunes square in the middle, with their fifths available.  And open fifths are what interest me most; I'm not generally looking for thirds from the bass.

I'd like to keep up with your project, I hope you'll post your progress.
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