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Path: utzoo!linus!bbncca!keesan
From: keesan@bbncca.ARPA (Morris Keesan)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: What is a Lyricon?
Message-ID: <588@bbncca.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 16-Feb-84 18:35:04 EST
Article-I.D.: bbncca.588
Posted: Thu Feb 16 18:35:04 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 17-Feb-84 05:08:17 EST
References: <958@cbosgd.UUCP>
Organization: Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, Ma.
Lines: 22

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    A Lyricon is a synthesizer designed for woodwind players.  Unlike most
synthesizers intended for performance, the Lyricon is played with a keyboard.
You put one end of it in your mouth, blow into it, and move your fingers sort
of as if you were playing a clarinet.  The mouthpiece is sensitive to the
pressure of the wind being blown through it, and to lip pressure.  The
conventional way of using these sensors would be to have volume tied to the
breath, and pitch variation ("bending", vibrato, etc.) controlled by lip
pressure.  I believe that you can change the configuration of the instrument so
that these controls can be used for other things.  I've never played a Lyricon.
This description is all based on memory and a description I was given once by a
friend who had played one.
    I believe the company that made the Lyricon is no longer making it.  I
think they either went out of business or sold the manufacturing rights to
another company which hasn't made any.  Again, this is hearsay.  If anyone
knows if someone is making Lyricons again (or still), I'd appreciate hearing
about it.
-- 
					Morris M. Keesan
					{decvax,linus,wjh12,ima}!bbncca!keesan
					keesan @ BBN-UNIX.ARPA