MIDI Conversion

[debra]

Just to keep on my previous thread,
A converted acoustic accordion to MiDi usually uses an expander that has the ability to transpose.
The transpose feature can be very useful in the case of a vocalist that only sings in keys you haven't learned tunes
on. Such as  Db,  F# or C# for example. Now the expander can be transposed but the acoustic accordion will remain
in the key it was produced with. The result is The acoustic accordion will have to be muted.
With a "V" type accordion the accordion voices transpose with the orchestral sounds.

That's an interesting point I had not considered before. I have never used a "transpose" feature of any keyboard instrument because I have absolute pitch, so when the keys I play suddenly sound higher or lower I get totally confused. Is someone asks me to play a song higher or lower I will just do that. I can probably play the song in a different key but I cannot play at all when the instrument is transposed.

 

[Giovanni]

Thank you Paul you have cheered me up with regard to the transpose button . i have an acoustic midi accordion with this function in the accomps module ......first thing to remember is when transpose is used i need to keep the bellows closed other wise the acoustic accordion and module will be playing in different keys . I find even a simply tune say like "You Raise me up " starts in key of D then to E and finally into F ... My Ear /Brain /keyboard finger memory are all telling me that the notes I'm hearing are not the notes I'm playing ...............for me it is easier to learn the tune in the 3 different keys with the added bonus of being able to use the extra sound of the acoustic accordion . I don't for one moment think i have perfect /absolute pitch ..... other arranger keyboard type players don't seem in the slightest bothered by the key changes ......

 

[Ventura]

the original query is, it seems to me, merely a mechanical question

the answer is, the shift mechanics that allow reeds to either sound or be muted
can be seen if you remove your front grille and watch the levers and arms move as
you press different shifts

eventually you will spot the arms that pull or push (sometimes in the middle
of the keys arms, sometimes off to one side) the typically 2, 3 or 4 little
pivots that (hidden underneath) are sliding thin metal strips to either
block the air holes leading to the reeds or open them

when all holes are in the "Closed" position you should NOT have
any noticeable air leakage

normal shifts are dual function, closing some reedholes while opening others,
so all a Mute shift is, is one that closes all reed holes, opening none

it is often difficult to add a mute shift or change an existing one, and
considering the abundance of old Organ Accordions out there, perhaps
far easier to buy a decent one cheap (most are 3/5 reed) that
have the mute shifts for bass and Treble and use that for your
MIDI conversion experiment, or an older MIDI accordion with an
obsolete or broken MIDI and have the new MIDI replace the old

ciao

Ventura