Chiff and Fipple Forums

Anyone tried the revolutionary, fully chromatic, all sharps and flats, Coda CDC palm size whistle?

Best wishes, Keith.

That's Coda EDC. And nope, not yet.

https://codaedc.com/

Yep. I have one. It's a double-chamber ocarina but one chamber is inside the other so you can use the same fingering for 1st and 2nd octave and there is a slight overlap of a few notes. Like with all ocarinas, I have the problem that the sound pressure is too high for my delicate ears but the idea is quite nice. I also have the older models AKA mountain ocarinas in C and G.
In the end I do prefer my whistles and flutes however but for playing chromatically an ocarina is easier to play and the chromatic fingerings are also easier than on a recorder. A problem I have when switching back and forth is that the fingering is different from a whistle.
Here is a clip I recorded when I got it new.
https://youtu.be/w7q0EcC_pDo

Well! I never guessed it was a modern ocarina. Pity about the distinctive ocarina sound and fingering compllcations.

Thanks,

Best wishes,

Keith.

It's still a nice little instrument but I prefer overblowing for an octave jump instead of "chamber switching". I think they are not marketing it as an ocarina to get rid of all the "Zelda"-associations. The sound is not as pure as on other ocarinas. I think they tried to give it a "whistle-like" sound.

I've heard some nice samples on it but its tone, and because it doesn't seem an easy 'pick up and play' instrument compared to the whistle, people might be put off buying it despite it being fully chromatic and delivers sharps and flats ...

Best wishes

Keith,

The diatonic fingerings look the same as a whistle - the chromatic fingerings look less intuitive than a whistle, but probably doable. Considering that the target audience for the Coda EDC is folks who want to have something to have in the pocket, would it make a good substitute for a whistle? Every time I go out with a whistle in my coat pocket I think it looks like I'm playing a Harry Potter character or something! Also, how loud is it? I prefer my whistles on the quiet side (my family prefers them on the silent side!).

For a pocket whistle there are the ones that come apart in the middle, the brass tube has a joint.

I can't remember the name but I think they're made in Ireland and have a green plastic top.

The one I have doesn't play very well so I switched the top to a Generation top.

I have a Parks Walkabout, which breaks down for travel and sounds great, but this thing looks like something I could toss in my backpack without worrying that it would be crushed.

I can't remember the name but I think they're made in Ireland and have a green plastic top.

The Clare whistle comes as a two part.

You have a choice of colour these days but you may just want to stick an altogether different head on them.

Isn't there a brass whistle that telescopes into itself and pops into a top pocket of a jacket (or has it gone the way of the 'jacket') ?

Best wishes,

Keith.

keithsandra wrote:Isn't there a brass whistle that telescopes into itself and pops into a top pocket of a jacket (or has it gone the way of the 'jacket') ?

Mack Hoover used to make a model like that but I believe he discontinued it. There was another one whose name I can't recall (Laughing something...).

David O'Brien also makes a three-part whistle (The Rover) out of wood or delrin that fits in a pocket case.

Best wishes.

Steve

Steve Bliven wrote:

keithsandra wrote:Isn't there a brass whistle that telescopes into itself and pops into a top pocket of a jacket (or has it gone the way of the 'jacket') ?

There was ... one whose name I can't recall (Laughing something...).

Laughing Whistles, I expect:

http://nherbison.tripod.com/index_old.html

Since the question of fingering came up. It is different from a whistle because it is all moved down one hole. The job of the ring finger on a whistle is done by the pinky on an ocarina. So you'd have to re-learn each tune. That is basically what kept me from playing it more, even though I think the idea is genius. And one more "issue". It is a two-chamber ocarina, so you have two windways and you need to switch. That can be a problem on fast tunes. That being said, for a chromatic, pocket-sized instrument it is hard to beat, especially considering the range. I mean, there are smaller ocarinas out there that you can wear as a pendant but they have less range (one octave and a third).
Portable whistles are also made by TWZ.
https://www.tinwhistle.de/tin-whistles/ ... e-in-d.php
I have all of their own models (the ones they really make completely in-house) -- the "pure brass", the "Al Jo" and the "XL1" (their session model) and they are all great. I especially love the "Al Jo" made from nickel silver. And the "pure brass" sounds a bit like a Clarke original but is much more air-efficient. So that might be another possibility. It is rather quiet though.
But, like already mentioned, I think the "Coda" is pretty cool. For me it was too different from a whistle though. It is a different instrument. As different from a whistle as a recorder is.

I have the Coda EDC as well as the older Mountain Ocarinas and some other two chamber ocs. They're definitely outdoor instruments as they can be quite loud. The EDC has a muting option for quiet practicing, much like blowing over the fipple.

A maker in the UK, Pure Ocarinas, makes D and G tuned single and double octave ceramic ocarinas for use in Irish music. I think he may be getting out of the business so if that is of interest to you, move quickly.

I have and love Laughing Whistles from Noah Herbison and may get one of the O'Brien telescoping soon, I only recently heard of them.