Improvisation on Helmholtz' double siren...

I got to play with Hermann Helmholtz' original "double siren" instrument
at the workshop last weekend and now there is a YouTube video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4vk6J3N_Xg

Here is the YouBlurb:

Hermann von Helmholtz, in his famous book "On the Sensations of
Tone", describes an experimental double siren that he used to
investigate how the ear perceives beats, difference tones, and the
consonance and dissonance of musical intervals. In May 2007, Martin
Carlé restored the siren to operation and demonstrated it at the
Workshop "Klang und Ton -- Fortschritte in der Erfüllung von
Helmholtzens Vermächtnis", which took place at Humboldt University in
Berlin. As the conference drew to a close, I wrapped up my talk and
then ran my fingers across the beautifully crafted wood and brass
instrument. Martin offered to let me play it -- how could I resist
the lure of the siren's song! Here is the resulting improvisation...

Enjoy!

--Bill

Hi Bill,

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Bill Sethares" <sethares@...> wrote:
>
> I got to play with Hermann Helmholtz' original
> "double siren" instrument at the workshop last weekend
> and now there is a YouTube video...
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4vk6J3N_Xg

Wow, that's great! It's nice to see the Double Siren
in action, after having read about it for so many years
in Helmholtz's book.

Any description of the ratios in your improv?

-monz
http://tonalsoft.com
Tonescape microtonal music software

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "monz" <monz@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Bill,
>
>
> --- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Bill Sethares" <sethares@> wrote:
> >
> > I got to play with Hermann Helmholtz' original
> > "double siren" instrument at the workshop last weekend
> > and now there is a YouTube video...
> >
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4vk6J3N_Xg
>
>
> Wow, that's great! It's nice to see the Double Siren
> in action, after having read about it for so many years
> in Helmholtz's book.
>
> Any description of the ratios in your improv?

It was very exciting to be allowed to play it...
I did not even know that the instrument was going
to be at the workshop, so I had no time
to study it -- hence the improv is just that...
I pushed and pulled on the little tabs, wiggled the handles,
and pushed the buttons more or less at random.
In "On the Sensations of Tone," Helmholtz describes the various
ratios that occur with each of the tab positions --
and clearly you can hear the fifths, just thirds, and
fourths, though I'm not sure exactly what all of
the others are.

The root pitch is determined (at least in part) by the
air pressure, and that fluctuated as well. Nonetheless,
no matter what the root pitch, the two tones remain
in just proportions because the two sirens rotate in
synchrony... the little level at the top detunes one against
the other, and by wiggling it you get the vibrato.
There are also interesting puffs of air when you push in
some of the buttons.

--Bill Sethares