Introducing the GASKET-VALVE System

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EdvinW
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Re: Introducing the GASKET-VALVE System

Post by EdvinW » Thu Jul 04, 2019 9:35 pm

Brendan wrote:
Tue Jul 02, 2019 8:06 am
Good news bad news on the Gasket-Valves, it seems!

Glad you like yours Edvin, but sorry to hear you're having issues Lizzy. What do you mean by the valves sounding?
I'm overall happy with my purchase, and I hope to buy more after some more experimenting with how to best make use of them and how to eliminate the aforementioned sounds.

The worst sound is a kind of "bubbling" sound, or a fluttering, which happens when I blow. The valve is lifted by the wind and partly covers the blow reed, instead of covering the draw reed slot as it should.

I've tried to mount the bottom plate with the valves but leave the top plate off, and when I blow through the hole the valve indeed lifts from it's place. During normal operation preasure builds up when you blow into a hole, pushing the valve closed. If the flow through the chamber is large compared to the pressure, it might be enough to lift the valve. Once a valve has been lifted the valve easily gets bent while flapping so that it remains more or less lifted from the draw plate even when the hole is not in use. This makes the valve even more suseptable to lifting and fluttering, propelling a vicious circle. Placing a fluttering gasket-valve sheet on a falt surface, the valves are clearly lifted.

HOW TO FIX IT:
I've done two things which seem to eliminate the fluttering.

The most straight forward one is to simply bend down the valves so that they point downwards instead. I start to fold them at their base, but stop before an actual fold is formed. There is room for some experimenting here. Maybe it would be better to place the fold/bend some distance into the valve, or do some more complex reshaping, but simply bending at the base seems to work. It might be possible to actually make a fold along all of the sheet; the pressure from the comb should keep it in place anyway,
but I haven't dared to try with one of my sheets.

I've also regapped the harps to have smaller gaps on the blow reeds than I typically prefer. This reduces the amount of air that escape through the blow reed slot when attacking the note. I reason that as this raises the pressure/airflow ratio the valve should be less prone to lift.

Lizzy wrote:
Mon Jul 01, 2019 8:56 pm
Actually, some of my gasket-valves sounds too, and i have done it after the recomendations . The valves to Seydel session are worst. Several of them sounds. Seydel favorite valves are better but still have a couple of holes sounding. I have done the process to fit them a couple of times over again but so far i have not managed to make them silent. :roll:
This is my experience as well. My Lee Oskars did flutter a bit, but trying to check the aligning a few times and regapping them as outlined above was enough to fix it. I think there might be something with the positioning of the screw holes in the SSS model that wrinkles the sheet ever so slightly, which in turn lifts the tips of the valve. I'm not sure though, there might also be some difference in the factory gapping between the models.

There is another more benign sound as well: a slight buzzing that some times sound even when the setup otherwise works fine. To some extent this can be reduced by adjusting the positioning of the sheet and regapping, but I haven't managed to eliminate it completely.
Edvin Wedin

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Brendan
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Re: Introducing the GASKET-VALVE System

Post by Brendan » Sat Aug 10, 2019 3:36 pm

Thanks for the helpful feedback Edvin and others.

For riveted reed harps, it helps to sand the draw reed flat. However since that's beyond the skills of most players I've started to add rivet holes in the Gasket-valves, allowing the rivet stubs to poke through and ensure they lay flat on stock reedplates. The Seydel GVs will be next to get this feature.

I'm surprised at reports of the valves lifting, as they should come with a very slight curve towards the reedplate, giving them a propensity to lay flat. That could be down to distortion from protruding rivet ends perhaps.

I'm finding the Gasket-valves in my harps very reliable, so am a bit surprised and concerned some of you are reporting issues. I'm heartened by the fact that since we started selling them, there have been very few complaints - so most users must be happy. But improvements are always possible, and I'll try to make tweaks to get them more 'slap in and forget'.

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triona
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Re: Introducing the GASKET-VALVE System

Post by triona » Mon Nov 25, 2019 10:46 am

Here is a report about some issue with the gasket valves on a Suzuki Bluesmaster, and how this can be improved (in German):

https://www.harpforum.de/phpbb/viewtopi ... 88#p114888

Synopsis: The user is considering the gasket valves a little bit too soft respectively elastic. He tried to damp the oszillation of some of he valves by attaching an adhesive strip (cellotape 0,03 mm).



dear greetings
triona
Aw, Thou beloved, do hearken to the Banshee's lonely croon!
sinn féin - ça ira !
Cad é sin do'n té sin nach mbaineann sin dó


https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1yI3H ... 9ktgzTR2qg

vesuviation
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Re: Introducing the GASKET-VALVE System

Post by vesuviation » Tue Nov 17, 2020 2:03 pm

Hello everyone.
I have recently started experimenting with the half valved, for now doing the valves by myself with quite good results, but this seems like a fantastic idea to me and I will definitely try it. An other advantage I see is that these valves are easily removable and repositionable, which makes cleaning a lot easier. In particular, I could start using again the ultrasonic cleaning that I had to abandon with the adhesive valves. The only problem would remain for the piece related to the blow plates, Has anyone tryed what happens to the glue with a few minutes in water?

thanks a lot

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Brendan
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Re: Introducing the GASKET-VALVE System

Post by Brendan » Tue Nov 17, 2020 8:12 pm

It should hold I think.

john
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Re: Introducing the GASKET-VALVE System

Post by john » Fri Nov 20, 2020 6:02 pm

Hello, having trouble with the gasket valves on the easttop powerbender (A and C) which I recently fitted. On blow on 1 (and bit on 2) on both harmonicas, the valves add little rattling noise to the sound. Did try to adjust the valves, but no success. Others have same issues? It seems to me that the valves are a bit short. They don't go over the tip of the gap of the reed. Or is that meant to be like that. On my chromatic, windblowers are a bit longer than the reeds. It seems to me that the gasket valves don't completely close the space. But what do I know. Thnx for help.

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Brendan
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Re: Introducing the GASKET-VALVE System

Post by Brendan » Fri Nov 20, 2020 6:27 pm

Hi John,

The valves are deliberately cut flush or slightly back from the ends of the slots. The idea is to minimise the surface area of the valve hitting the reedplate, to reduce noise as well as the possibility of sticking with moisture from your breath.

The valves are also tapered, for the same reason. This means that they need to be carefully centred above the slot, with an equal amount of valve on each side. If they are off centre, buzzing can occur. Please disassemble and have a close look at that. If positioning is correct the noise should disappear.

Let me know! If it persists I'll send you a new set with wider valves that might have a bit more 'slap' factor but give more wriggle room for fitting.

vesuviation
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Re: Introducing the GASKET-VALVE System

Post by vesuviation » Wed Dec 02, 2020 11:55 pm

Received my first set bought for a suzuki harpmaster, a few time for get confidence and now I like the response and bought 3 other so I can try on a Lee Oskar, a Special 20 and a Easttop too. Only thing, it produce a noise, somewhat like distortion, when I try to play very smooth, it disappears increasing volume. Is it normal or I can fix?

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Brendan
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Re: Introducing the GASKET-VALVE System

Post by Brendan » Thu Dec 03, 2020 8:36 am

Can you attach a short recording?

vesuviation
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Re: Introducing the GASKET-VALVE System

Post by vesuviation » Thu Dec 03, 2020 7:03 pm

Sure, here two examples
Attachments
valves 2.mp3
(504 KiB) Downloaded 417 times
recording valves.mp3
(148.9 KiB) Downloaded 432 times

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