Volume Control Ring - Why Doesn't it Exist??

[Cyberknight]

I was idly reading random old discussions on here about kwela-style whistle, when I came across a thread from a few years ago pointing out that some kwela players play with their lips partially covering the fipple to increase the volume of the first octave. Curious to see if this worked, I tried it out. I'm flabbergasted. While this doesn't do anything to the volume of my Overton-style whistles, it has a dramatic effect on most of my other whistles, particularly those with curved windways. The most dramatic effect was on my Susato Oriole, for whatever reason. The normally-average bell note of the instrument turns into a booming sound loud enough to be heard over other instruments.

This got me to thinking: why don't Irish musicians play this way? And then I quickly realized that playing this way effectively takes a lot of embouchure control and makes staying in tune very difficult, and I assumed that was the answer. You need to have your lip in an incredibly precise point, and the slightest imperfection will screw up the tuning or make the instrument squeak.

But then I had another idea: why not have a ring that goes over the head-joint, that can be pushed in and out with the lips to partially cover the fipple? Well, I decided to make one out of tape. And...my goodness. I can literally double the first-octave volume of my Oriole. It's louder than a Chieftain. But if I want to go into the second octave, I just pull the tape ring back with my lips, and it jumps right into the second octave, no louder than normal. So...I can play louder in the first octave than in the second. And the best part is that, unlike pushing your lip over the fipple, the tape ring doesn't seem to screw with the tuning too much.

Now, of course, I'm not going to be able to play anything fast with my makeshift tape design. But I'm sure that if I had the proper tools, I could make something that was more effective out of metal - something spring-loaded - that would allow me to tighten my lips or loosen them just a bit to move the ring up and down and partially cover/uncover the windway. Tightening your lips would push the ring just an infinitesimal amount forward, preventing the octave break and allowing you to "push" the bottom octave to its maximum volume (without going sharp! that's the best part). Meanwhile, the second octave could be played no louder than normal when the lips are loosened.

Why doesn't anyone do this? It might be a bit harder to play than a normal whistle, but man, would this be useful for sessions if you mastered it! I really wish I had the tools needed to experiment with this.

[David Cooper]

I assume you mean slightly covering the near end of the window as that has the effect you describe. You could achieve that by having the windway move (or perhaps just the top of it), but you could also couple that mechanically to the wedge to move it a lesser amount in the same direction as well in such a way as to correct the tuning at the same time. It would be easier though just to have a control to reduce the height or width of the windway to adjust the volume.

[trill]

Cyberknight,

I am mightily intrigued !

Is there any way you could post an pic ?

Thanks very much,
trill

[Cyberknight]

I assume you mean slightly covering the near end of the window as that has the effect you describe. You could achieve that by having the windway move (or perhaps just the top of it), but you could also couple that mechanically to the wedge to move it a lesser amount in the same direction as well in such a way as to correct the tuning at the same time. It would be easier though just to have a control to reduce the height or width of the windway to adjust the volume.

I don't know that it would be a better idea to do the windway resizer thing. In the first place, I'm not sure what effect resizing the windway would have on the timbre, and it might screw things up; whereas, slightly covering the window seems to cause the volume to go up without screwing up the pitch or tone. Also, a windway resizer would seem to be a more complicated device than what I'm proposing, which could be accomplished using a metal ring and some springs. But most importantly, this is something you could do to ANY whistle. You wouldn't need a custom whistle to make this work; just a spring-loaded device that sits over the fipple of your favorite whistle (similar to my tape device, but more sophisticated).

Cyberknight,

I am mightily intrigued !

Is there any way you could post an pic ?

Thanks very much,
trill

Of course! In fact, here's a video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tCvPwlLbHE8.

You can't really hear the volume difference over video. But trust me, when I play with the ring pushed forward, low D, E, and F# are WAY louder. Low D probably has double volume. But of course, I have to pull the ring back off the window with my lips to reach the second octave.

[Quarktäsche Deluxe]

Fascinating, never heard of it.
And they are doing it with their lips? You would have to take the whole mouthpiece in your mouth to do that... You'd better not have the urge to break

[Mr.Gumby]

And they are doing it with their lips? You would have to take the whole mouthpiece in your mouth to do that...

Yes, much like this

[trill]

Of course! In fact, here's a video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tCvPwlLbHE8

Thanks Cyberknight !

Wow . . .

Now, where is my roll of tape . . .