Robert Willis Free Reed Experiments 1828-29

3D models of
On vowel sounds, and on reed organ pipes
by Robert Willis 1828

Robert Willis was one of the first to conduct scientific research using the new variant of the free reed technique in Europe.

A new variant of the free reed technique was developed in Europe at the end of the 18th century (free reed musical instruments have existed in Asia since ~1100 BCE, e.g. Sheng China)

probably first by Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein during and for the development of a speaking machine that could pronounce the vowels a,e,i,o,u.

Willis' experiments dealt with the new free reeds by Kratzenstein from 1780, with the speaking machine by Wolfgang von Kempelen from 1791 (Kempelen used stop reeds) or with the free reeds of the Orgue expressif by Grenié from 1810.

An important contribution to European free reed research.