This blog is dedicated to the sublime instruments called nose flutes and which produce the most divine sound ever. We have chosen to discard all the native models from S. Pacific and Asia, for they need fingering to be played. We'll concentrate on "buccal cavity driven" nose flutes : the well patented and trademarked metal or plastic ones, plus, by a condemnable indulgence, some wooden craft or home-made productions.

May 21, 2016

Humanatone used in Disney cartoons

A collection of recordings made on acetate was on sale, coming from the private collection of Hal Rees. Hal Rees was one of the first to help invent sound effects. He worked for the Disney Studios, as well as Samuel Goodwin Studios. And indeed, those recodings were made at/for Disney productions. Two of them (3 recorded sides), dating both of of Apr. 18, 1940, clearly mention the use of a Humanatone. So, it should have been a metal one. Unfortunately, I found only pictures of the acetates, no sound track... Yes, small fry.

[note: the Sonovox was a voice effect, by the Wright-Sonovox company (see here)]




Thanks to Mr. Ken Tanaka, who found The Little Whirlwind cartoon on Youtube,we were able to localize what we think to be played with the Humanatone: some very few notes at 5'58…

2 comments:

  1. Great to learn about this, even Disney...! Very funny to see Disney as a standard household name today whilst everybody at the time mocked him about him wanting to build his theme parks. I believe it is quite fitting that such a revolutionary visionary can now be linked to the humanophone. Very smart to arrange the disc pictures in such a way that it represents the iconic image of Mickey Mouse!

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    1. Hahaha! I'm glad someone noticed my little joke, with the discs/Mickey ears :)

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