I've been helping Jim Antaki tweak his TurboSlide for better performance. It was causing the blow reeds to buzz, but after I bevelled the leading edge of the slider it cured the problem. Jim is now bevelling all new sliders and offering to fix any already sold.
It means a harp fitted with the TS plays perfectly normally when it's not in use, so it's now truly a win-win add-on :-)
The TurboSlide works great with my PowerBender tuning, as all 10 blow reeds can be usefully bent (as opposed to only the lower 6 in Richter). Here's a video showcasing the combo:
thats prity cool like, does that mean if you use the TS on a richer tuned steel harp the overblows will all be there without having to learn how to pop them out?
Brendan, thanks for the demo. That is very cool indeed. I would also like to see more of a demo of those extra harps you carry around and what they can do. ----------
@ jimbo That's sure what it looks like--think of it as blow bending the next highest hole, which what you would do if it were valved--you use the slider to lower the given note. I wonder if this can be used to give me the missing IV (or V of V, my two missing chords in Richter--a real F chord or a D7)? I guess you would install it on the draw reeds . . . I would like this on a Power Chromatic, there's only one OB per octave, but the draw bends would all benefit.
Last Edited by on May 03, 2012 12:49 AM
So, with the options available on the Turboslide, and a guy who invents new tunings playing one, are the mind gears turning to see if maybe a special tuning designed to maximize the slide benefits might be in order?
Also, does it work well on low tunings? How about a minor tuning?
cheers Gnarly, i dont know if i would like that im able to pop some OB's and like the challenge of them. plus i think it would be a advantage to be able to use both just incase the TS were to break somehow.
still a very good idea though and i can see how it opens up a whole new world to most of us.
Good to see some interest in this very cool invention from the fertile mind of Jim "Turbodog" Antaki. I really respect this man for the cleverness of his ideas and the fact he's willing to spend his own money on putting them into good-priced products.
Jim is a brilliant thinker and designer but not an accomplished harp player - as he'd be the first to admit. Consequently the TurboSlide was let down by a couple of issues that stopped it being adopted - especially the lower blow reeds buzzing.
Jim thought that was to do with the magnets but I worked out that they were simply hitting the slider. After I bevelled the slider the buzzing stopped completely, and now a harp with the TurboSlide installed plays completely normally when it's not in use - you wouldn't know it's there.
I also narrowed the slider button as it was catching on my lips when I played in the top octave. In combination with the full-length covers of the Session Steel it looks good and there is no more lip interference.
To answer some questions:
@ Micha: See above. the harp bends and overblows as normal with the slider out. Re. Pitch, the magnets can be adjusted for fine tuning: screw-in and the pitch goes down, screw out and the pitch is higher.
@ Nacoran: It will work with any tuning, and low tunings.
@ Jimbo-G: Yes, in Richter tuning all the overblow notes are available from the TurboSlide except the 6 overblow. Right now it can't get the overdraw notes. That's where PowerBender tuning is so good for it, as it works on all 10 blow reeds to give every missing note.
@Michael Rubin: contact Jim via his website: www.turboharp.com He and Seydel are co-operating to give players all the options they want.
Get one! It's fun and very useful :-)
Last Edited by on May 04, 2012 7:49 AM
