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Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

DM48 interview with Erik Lekholm and Jason Keene

August 19, 2022 Neil Warren Season 1 Episode 67

Chapters

Erik Lekholm is the creator of the DM48 midi harmonica

What is the DM48 midi chromatic harmonica

Connects via USB on old version, or option to connect wirelessly in new version

Erik initially came up with the idea of the DM48 as a means to practise silently

Possibly the first midi harmonica was the Millioniser 2000, which came out in the late 1980s

Was interested in electronics when younger, so had some of the skills to develop a midi instrument

Worked on a midi instrument for a drum machine as a student

Now works as a Professor at the university in Gothenburg

Came up with prototype of the DM48 and started the company: Lekholm Instruments, alongside his father

Much interest in the DM48 when Erik posted about it on an online harmonica forum Slidemeister

First DM48 batch sold in 2017

What was the learning curve like for Erik to build the DM48

Uses CAD software to print the physical harmonica

Most of development is on software side now

DM48X model brought improvements to the hardware design, released in 2022

Had some experience using piano midi instruments before came up with the DM48

Company is a sideline, not planning on making it his full-time career

Most satisfying part has been seeing good harmonica players use the instrument

The DM48 has 12 breathe sensors across the 12 holes of the chromatic

What is a midi instrument

DM48 is mainly a chromatic harmonica, but it is possible to use it as a diatonic harmonica too (with some limitations)

Bending ability of the DM48

Is it more suited to wind instrument sounds?

Can store 18 different tunings

Slide can be configured to change note in whole tones rather than half-tones, and actually up to 36 half-tones

There are effectively three slides on the DM48

Speed of slider can be configured and new slider design on X model

X model can be played wirelessly and bandwidth issues

The DM48 is highly configurable but the default set-up gets you going quickly

Set-up of software instruments is straightforward using tablets or phones

Hardware synthesisers

HM12 midi harmonica has on-board sounds

What does the DM48 cost

The DM48 is not currently available, with limited stock coming soon

How to get hold of a DM48

Showcased the DM48 at the NAMM music convention in 2020

Meeting Stevie Wonder at NAMM, where he had a play on the DM48

The parallel life that creating the DM48 has brought to Erik

DM48 can become part of your harmonica arsenal

Harmonica sound on DM48 isn’t that great, so unlikely to replace actual harmonica

Jason Keene section start, who sees the DM48 as a game changer

Jason is now based in Los Angeles and has played the chromatic from a young age, mainly jazz

Doesn’t play any diatonic

When did Jason first get the DM48

Differences between original DM48 and X model

Set-up involved with the DM48

Use of the Yamaha VL70 hardware module

Has some experience using midi instruments before taking up the DM48

What are the advantages of the DM48 over a standard chromatic harmonica

Brings great variety to your sound when playing live

Quality of the sound it produces

Can play multiple sounds at the same time, such as different horns, using an additional controller

How do other musicians react to the DM48

How to transfer the techniques needed to play a different instrument to the chromatic

Jason is a lyrical player

Demo sounds from the DM48

Has released an album where DM48 is used

Guitar and piano sounds using DM48

Playing single or double notes on the DM48

Learning curve of the DM48: Jason gives lessons on the set-up

Will Gallison and Mickey Raphael has taken some lessons on using the DM48 from Jason

Cost of buying the software instruments

Cost of the whole package

Jason’s current live set-up

Newer iPad needed to run multiple instruments and more advanced set-ups

Uses Bose L1 amp

Uses DM48 wired (not wirelessly)

Volume level is all good

Don’t need to use a mic with the DM48

Other external accessories that can be used with the DM48

10 minute question

Plans to release an album where Jason is playing only the DM48

Community of DM48 players, including Laurent Maur

What does the future hold for the DM48

Info

Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

DM48 interview with Erik Lekholm and Jason Keene

Aug 19, 2022 Season 1 Episode 67

Neil Warren

Erik Lekholm and Jason Keene join me on episode 67.

Where we talk about the innovative DM48 midi chromatic harmonica, designed by Erik initially as a means to practise silently. He posted his creation on a harmonica forum and it soon gained interest, with people eager to purchase it. So Erik and his father started building and sold the first ones in 2017, with the updated version, the DM48X, coming out in 2022 .

Jason Keene joins me in the second half of the podcast, to provide the perspective of one of the leading players of the DM48, which he describes as a game changer for his music. Jason talks us through the set-up and the limitless possibilities that this midi chromatic harmonica brings.

Links:
DM48 website:
https://www.lekholminstruments.com

Jason Keene website:
http://www.jasonkeeneharmonica.com/

Reviews of the DM48:
https://www.lekholminstruments.com/press.html

DM48 User forum:
https://groups.google.com/g/dm48-digital-chromatic-harmonica

Millioniser 2000:
https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2011/09/23/millioniser-2000-tutorial/

Videos:
Millioniser 2000:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRPI_fD0iKQ

Erik Lekholm demos some of the capabilities of the DM48:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpUpvxRfgXM

Erik Lekholm explaining the DM48 at the NAMM show, 2020:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKHvvudb1S0

Brendan Power compares DM48 to HM12 and gives overview of DM48 features:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCy-0DR6Ikc

HM12 midi harmonica video from Brendan Power:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbD9oRdT3O0

Jason Keene talking about the DM48 being a ‘game changer’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuLcopNVm6Q

Jason Keene demoing using the 8K Controller to combine instruments:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI-GpHTKVCQ&t=3s

Laurent Maur playing the DM48 live:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_rt70dZY1I

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
and Blows Me Away Productions: http://www.blowsmeaway

Support the show

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Erik Lekholm and Jason Keene join me on episode 67.

Where we talk about the innovative DM48 midi chromatic harmonica, designed by Erik initially as a means to practise silently. He posted his creation on a harmonica forum and it soon gained interest, with people eager to purchase it. So Erik and his father started building and sold the first ones in 2017, with the updated version, the DM48X, coming out in 2022 .

Jason Keene joins me in the second half of the podcast, to provide the perspective of one of the leading players of the DM48, which he describes as a game changer for his music. Jason talks us through the set-up and the limitless possibilities that this midi chromatic harmonica brings.

Links:
DM48 website:
https://www.lekholminstruments.com

Jason Keene website:
http://www.jasonkeeneharmonica.com/

Reviews of the DM48:
https://www.lekholminstruments.com/press.html

DM48 User forum:
https://groups.google.com/g/dm48-digital-chromatic-harmonica

Millioniser 2000:
https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2011/09/23/millioniser-2000-tutorial/

Videos:
Millioniser 2000:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRPI_fD0iKQ

Erik Lekholm demos some of the capabilities of the DM48:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpUpvxRfgXM

Erik Lekholm explaining the DM48 at the NAMM show, 2020:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKHvvudb1S0

Brendan Power compares DM48 to HM12 and gives overview of DM48 features:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCy-0DR6Ikc

HM12 midi harmonica video from Brendan Power:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbD9oRdT3O0

Jason Keene talking about the DM48 being a ‘game changer’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuLcopNVm6Q

Jason Keene demoing using the 8K Controller to combine instruments:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI-GpHTKVCQ&t=3s

Laurent Maur playing the DM48 live:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_rt70dZY1I

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
and Blows Me Away Productions: http://www.blowsmeaway

Support the show

Erik Lekholm is the creator of the DM48 midi harmonica

What is the DM48 midi chromatic harmonica

Connects via USB on old version, or option to connect wirelessly in new version

Erik initially came up with the idea of the DM48 as a means to practise silently

Possibly the first midi harmonica was the Millioniser 2000, which came out in the late 1980s

Was interested in electronics when younger, so had some of the skills to develop a midi instrument

Worked on a midi instrument for a drum machine as a student

Now works as a Professor at the university in Gothenburg

Came up with prototype of the DM48 and started the company: Lekholm Instruments, alongside his father

Much interest in the DM48 when Erik posted about it on an online harmonica forum Slidemeister

First DM48 batch sold in 2017

What was the learning curve like for Erik to build the DM48

Uses CAD software to print the physical harmonica

Most of development is on software side now

DM48X model brought improvements to the hardware design, released in 2022

Had some experience using piano midi instruments before came up with the DM48

Company is a sideline, not planning on making it his full-time career

Most satisfying part has been seeing good harmonica players use the instrument

The DM48 has 12 breathe sensors across the 12 holes of the chromatic

What is a midi instrument

DM48 is mainly a chromatic harmonica, but it is possible to use it as a diatonic harmonica too (with some limitations)

Bending ability of the DM48

Is it more suited to wind instrument sounds?

Can store 18 different tunings

Slide can be configured to change note in whole tones rather than half-tones, and actually up to 36 half-tones

There are effectively three slides on the DM48

Speed of slider can be configured and new slider design on X model

X model can be played wirelessly and bandwidth issues

The DM48 is highly configurable but the default set-up gets you going quickly

Set-up of software instruments is straightforward using tablets or phones

Hardware synthesisers

HM12 midi harmonica has on-board sounds

What does the DM48 cost

The DM48 is not currently available, with limited stock coming soon

How to get hold of a DM48

Showcased the DM48 at the NAMM music convention in 2020

Meeting Stevie Wonder at NAMM, where he had a play on the DM48

The parallel life that creating the DM48 has brought to Erik

DM48 can become part of your harmonica arsenal

Harmonica sound on DM48 isn’t that great, so unlikely to replace actual harmonica

Jason Keene section start, who sees the DM48 as a game changer

Jason is now based in Los Angeles and has played the chromatic from a young age, mainly jazz

Doesn’t play any diatonic

When did Jason first get the DM48

Differences between original DM48 and X model

Set-up involved with the DM48

Use of the Yamaha VL70 hardware module

Has some experience using midi instruments before taking up the DM48

What are the advantages of the DM48 over a standard chromatic harmonica

Brings great variety to your sound when playing live

Quality of the sound it produces

Can play multiple sounds at the same time, such as different horns, using an additional controller

How do other musicians react to the DM48

How to transfer the techniques needed to play a different instrument to the chromatic

Jason is a lyrical player

Demo sounds from the DM48

Has released an album where DM48 is used

Guitar and piano sounds using DM48

Playing single or double notes on the DM48

Learning curve of the DM48: Jason gives lessons on the set-up

Will Gallison and Mickey Raphael has taken some lessons on using the DM48 from Jason

Cost of buying the software instruments

Cost of the whole package

Jason’s current live set-up

Newer iPad needed to run multiple instruments and more advanced set-ups

Uses Bose L1 amp

Uses DM48 wired (not wirelessly)

Volume level is all good

Don’t need to use a mic with the DM48

Other external accessories that can be used with the DM48

10 minute question

Plans to release an album where Jason is playing only the DM48

Community of DM48 players, including Laurent Maur

What does the future hold for the DM48