Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site bbncca.ARPA 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 ----------------------------- 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