﻿si RXPTURE 



CONSTRUCTION OF \ VOWEL ORGAN 



;6i 



Fig. 57. — Wire frame with 

 cotton for cubic water re- 

 sonator, or with flesh. 



absolutely no acoustic effect and the resonators were in fact hollow 

 spheres of water. A more convenient form is the cubical water 

 resonator built on a wire cube (figure 57). 



These resonators were placed in suc- 

 cession above the reed with the result 

 that a harsh // as 00 in boot or a as in 

 father could be obtained. 



The next step was to remove the 

 harshness. This was accomplished by 

 trving reeds of various kinds — mahog- 

 any, ebony, oak, cedar, hard rubber, cellu- 

 loid, etc. With an ebony reed a pure and 

 beautifully musical 11 and a could be ob- 

 tained. 



This result, however, was entirely in- 

 dependent of the size and character of 

 the resonators: a large resonator or a small one would alike give 

 it when nearly closed, and a when further opened; the different 

 resonators merely changed the shading of the vowels a trifle. 



These experiments indicated the inadequacy of the Hermann 

 vowel theory. The possibility of the Lloyd theory was considered. 

 According to this theory the vowel character is due to the relation 

 between two tones independent of their pitch ; for example, i as in 

 machine would be heard if two resonance tones were produced in the 

 relation of 1 137, a if in the relation 1 -.5, and u if only one were 

 present, no matter how high or low the tones might be. Accord- 

 ingly the resonators were tried in pairs, then in threes and fours ; the 

 result was the same, always u or a. 



The experiments were then repeated with hollow spheres of 

 gelatine, modeling wax, and putty, with cavities cut out of different 

 vegetables and fruit, etc. The results remained essentially the same. 

 These experiments showed that some factor in vowel production 

 must have been entirely overlooked. Since the fact of the softness 

 of the vocal resonators had been overlooked by all previous investi- 

 gators, it was natural to conclude that some other factor in the vocal 

 cavities had not been considered. It was therefore decided to imitate 

 as closely as possible the structure of the cavities above the larynx. 

 A human skull was fitted with gelatine cheeks and other parts to 

 replace the flesh. The lower jaw received a gelatine casting that 

 filled the base of the mouth and represented the tongue ; a series of 

 such castings was made with the tongue in different positions. The 

 result was the same as before. 



