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Music box speed adjustment

Recent disc type music boxes are electronically controlled, so the speed can be adjusted with a knob, but cylinder music boxes cannot. Cylinder music box must make speed adjustment within the constraints of the mechanism, and knowledge and sensitivity are essential to the adjustment.

Cylinder music box transmits the power of the mainspring to the turntable, and its rotation speed is proportional to the playback speed, so if you want to slow down the speed, you need to increase the friction between the turntable and rubber stopper to reduce the rotation force.

The main attraction of the cylinder music box is its fully mechanical mechanism. This is not the case with the disc music box. It is an old-fashioned way of doing things that is influenced by human sensitivity, skill, and experience.

Therefore, even with the same speed adjustment, the cylinder music box feels warmer and more intimate than the disk music box.

This time, let’s verify the speed with my favorite Verismo opera of the Italian Romantic era, Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana Interlude.

First, listen to it on a standard 72-note music box.

This one is about 110 seconds long and plays at a speed of about 37 seconds per cylinder revolution.

This beautiful piece of music is loved by so many people that it is sometimes the only piece of music played at classical music concerts.

Therefore, many people may have an image of the song the moment they see this song title. If someone who knows the original song listens to this music box, he or she will feel a sense of discomfort. In fact, my husband, a former opera singer, says he feels nothing but discomfort.

Click here to see the original music.

What do you think?

Will lovers of this original piece be satisfied when they hear the standard version of the music box?

Frankly speaking, I think it would be difficult.

Why is that?

Is it possible to improve the divergence from the latent image musically and in terms of the music box?

I think it is possible to bring it as close as possible.

One of them is speed adjustment.

Here is a version of the standard music box with the speed adjusted to play slower.

The entire piece is 148 seconds long, or about 50 seconds per revolution.

I am sure that the brightest among you will feel that it is much closer to the image of the original piece.

Once the pin position of a music box is set, it cannot be moved.

Therefore, it is difficult to express a live sound like a human performance.

However, if a complete musical arrangement can be made,

We can play it over and over again without any deviations.

We dream of producing such an ultimate music box,

We are constantly working with craftsmen, technicians, and artists to produce such an ultimate music box.

We hope to present our ongoing project in the near future!

Enjoy the music box!

Takako Japan Store Online