Chiff and Fipple Forums

Is this flute basically a Pratten's Perfected with extension keys for the G and D notes? On McGee's site, the description implies that the keys are for the A and E notes, but the picture shows the keys extending holes #3 and #6. Anyway, McGee makes his Siccama using the same body as the Pratten's P...

Andrew sent me an image - very interesting. Easy to visulise - see how you have an F natural key and block between fingers R2 and R3, imagine you have another between R1 and R2. The flute itself has small holes, so you can imagine the F# is on the flat side normally. Opening the extra key would at l...

andrewK wrote:I have an old English cocus flute of perhaps 1830 (- a fine player ) with a Gb key alongside the shaft of the long F key. Has anyone any experience of such keys ? What is it for ?

Intriguing, Andrew. I should like to see an image of that!

Terry

I do have a question about microphones. The room where I have my computer and where I would like to record is near a busy street with a lot of street noise. Right now I am using a uni-directional Shure-copy (Chinese) dynamic microphone, which eliminates most of the street noise. Is there a low-cost...

Its now a very hot summer here - days and days of 90F in a row in the shade and such. Playing my Sweet D Whistle (maple) I notice the tenons a bit looser than usual. Is it cos the thread is drying out? The wood in the tenon joint or what? Any advice, any pre-existing topics that discuss this? Any l...

People mention Audacity. I always thought it was an audio editor and not a multitrack program!? :-? Indeed it is an audio editor and not a multitrack program, but you can use it to build up multiple tracks and subsequently mix them down to stereo. So a single mic, with a reasonable preamp and stere...

This is a really open-ended question, depending on how serious you want to get and the resources you have to throw at it. If you're looking at something at no cost greater than a good sound card and a good microphone, check out Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ Beware of the kind of sound c...

Boehm talked about producing an ideal (as far as tone) cylindrical flute made of wood, with thin walls and a large bore. But the cost of producing an instrument that was likely to be too delicate for most people/conditions stopped the large scale production of it. Delrin might be the perfect materi...

Yes, but I lied! I said: "To achieve that it has to be fully keyed, but the system is still 8-key - i.e. the keys act only as extensions, they are not interlocked as on a Boehm flute. " Looking again that's largely true but not entirely. Look at the top fingerplate - at the lower right-han...

Hi all This is a latter-day Bb band flute, referred to in band terminology as a Bb bass. It's the later version of the low Bb flutes from Rudall & Rose that we are familiar with from the playing of Matt Malloy and successors, see some luscious originals at: http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/rudall_Bb....

some makers like monzani offered two heads, for slightly deferent pitch, I would consider two deferent heads, one dark with more resistant and focus and one bright, quick and loud, for two deferent settings. Terry? eilam. There's certainly some logic in that, Eilam, providing I guess that you have ...

Terry, why the thinning of the head near the embouchure? brightness, better response? eilam. I haven't seen any observations by Nicholson on it, but it is a really standard feature of Prowse's work. My experience is that it gives a quicker response, and slightly brighter, but at the cost of a littl...

Andrew mentioned the alignment dots provided by Prowse on the Nicholson's Improved flutes. But I'd bet you'd be surprised to see the alignment that it appears Nicholson himself favoured. Check out:

http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Nicholson's%20Flute.htm

Heh heh heh .....

Terry

Hmmm, it makes you wonder if we makers (or anyone else!) should supply anti-roll devices for keyless flutes. It's hard to think of anything on the flute itself that wouldn't detract from its appearance. Perhaps two small rounded triangular blocks at the top of the body, set so that they form a flat ...

Heh heh, I'd have to say that this is the funniest thing I can think of in 30 or so years of fluting. Well done! There is almost a precedent for it though. One of the famous 19th century concert performers claimed to have come up with an improvement to the foot of the flute, but was reluctant to let...