Elect-RO-Clar Photos

Bouvard Hosticka allowed me to scan in some photos of his amazing Elect-RO-Clar. Here they are, along with Bouvard's notes.

All images are in JPEG format. They range from 80 Kb to 156 Kb in size.

ERC in Case, Ready for the Road

ERC Stick, Brain, Bag, and Power Supply
This photo also shows the 25 ft. cable from stick to brain.

Brain Box Front

Brain Box Rear

Brain Box Interior
This photo shows:

• Computer development board in center with my extension buried under the wires in the front.
• Misc. signal-processing board on left with alignment posts and indicating lamps.
• Digital controlled amplifier board (eight channel) on right.

End of Bell
You can see the digital card inside.

Analog Card
This card resides inside the bell. You can also see the underside of the digital card covered with wire spaghetti.

Lower Joint Back
This photo shows the all-important stud for the right thumb and Saran Wrap on thumb support to allow free motion of thumb. (Saran on Saran is slippery.)

Mouthpiece Beak Side
This photo shows:

• Sensing hole for in-mouth pressure
• Exhaust nozzle
• Tube to send mouth pressure to transducer in barrel
• Spit arresting band

Mouthpiece Reed Side
The mouthpiece has been pulled from the barrel. This photo shows:

• Wax filled mouthpiece
• Hole for exhaust nozzle
• Hole for behind the reed transducer
• The actual transducer at bottom of tennon (Note that the tennon is cut short to make room for the transducer.)
• Most importantly, the reed, carefully selected for proper strength for allowing smooth pitch bend or aftertouch without pinching off the note.

Ring Pressure Sensor
The transducer is the square thing mounted in the tone hole under the rubber pad. The magnet is not visible but is in the key cup behind the pad.

Needle-Gold Pad and Wire Switch
This is a a large hole near the bottom of the instrument.

Hall-Magnetic Switch
This is also a large hole. The small holes do not need the white plastic disk, and the magnet fills the key cup completely requiring a leather pad over the magnet. This one uses the felt arount the magnet for padding but it is easier to see than the small ones.

Note that the magnet has been whittled for proper strength. You can also see the notches in the tone hole where the needle used to be before I converted this normally open key to a magnetic switch.

Lower Joint Touch-Switch Bushings
Note the clear fingernail polish to limit sensitive area to allow the cross key to be hit independently of the bushings. (Rings held down for clarity)

Upper Joint Touch Switch Bushings
This shows the split switch for the first finger. This allows normal half holing of this hole for the extreme register without influencing the actual key pattern (i.e. not needed to half hole it but it accomodates my normal clarinet habits).

Bag Controller, Face View
Note that I have since repositioned the FSRs.

Bag Controller, Side View

Bob Miller, kbob@jogger-egg.com, March 1, 1997