MIDI 36 Harp

The MIDI 36 is a sound synthesizing electronic instrument in the form of a harp. Any music or sounds that you would normally play on a keyboard synthesizer can instead be played on the harp. The controller module receives the energy pulses from the pickups on each string and converts them to a stream of MIDI messages. These digital MIDI messages describe what you are doing with the strings- what strings were plucked, how hard (volume), and when they are stopped. The MIDI messages are sent to the synthesizer module which responds by producing the type of sound that you have dialed in, with all the articulation and other nuances that are present in your playing. In addition, those same pulses (created by the plucking of the harp strings) are passed through as analog signals which can be output as ordinary electric harp tones. This makes the instrument very "harplike" since we can hear the actual sound of the harp strings at any time. The third element to this instrument is a 2 channel mixer which allows the player to hear only the electric harp, or only the synthesized sound, or any combination in between. So, this is truly two different harps in one package, to be played seperately, or blended together as a third type of sonic experience. This capability is limited only by your creativity. The range extends to low A, a real plus in a smaller harp. Clear, clean sound from fluorocarbon strings, steelcore in bass octave, bottom note A. Proper tension and string spacing for good technique. Camac sharping levers. Very portable, comfortable to play. Rigid insulated travel case. Total weight of harp in case is about 30 lbs. Harp alone is about 24 lbs. Price of $5,995 includes travel case and shipping to you in the US or Canada.   The on-board synthesizer contains all 128 General MIDI sounds, plus 128 variations. The middle knob selects the patch numbers, causing them to sound when a string is plucked. The 8 buttons to the right are presets- if you like a certain patch, you can save the number by pressing in on the selector knob and pressing any of the 8 preset buttons. Pressing that button then calls up that patch immediately. As you scroll through the patch numbers, any preset buttons that have been programmed in this manner will light up.

The box with the knobs and buttons contains the synthesizer board, and the two channel mixer. There is a standard MIDI-out jack if you wish to use an off-board (rack mount) synthesizer, or plug into your computer, to drive a software notation program such as Finale or Sibelius. The box on the right of the center contains the midi controller board and preamps for the analog electric harp. The sustain pedal for MIDI sounds connects here, as well as the power supply. The single audio cable connects to your amp or sound system. The far left knob (the bottom one when the harp is standing up) is the mixer- all the way left is pure electric harp, all the way right is pure synthesizer sound. Any place in between is a blend. The second knob is a volume control.