The chime (chronochime) for meeting place: a very flexible instrument.

Petit & Fritsen manufactures chimes in a wide variety of styles, using materials that the client desires, with computer-operated clockwork and/or moving figures, with melodies programmed according to the client's wishes, to specially blend with the surrounding environment. Petit & Fritsen offers traditional craftsmanship combined with modern electronics to fit in a particular sound architectonic setting. From idea development to design and implementation to installation, anywhere in the world. The music a chime makes has a truly unique character. It is never intrusive, always in tune, somehow fitting in the circumstances in which it finds itself.

Click on this line for recently delivered chimes.

Primeur: Strike sensitive hammers.

An automatic carillon sounds totally different than a hand played carillon because there are dynamic expressions. Every bell is always struck with the same loudness. The performance of the melodies by means of solenoid hammers there does lose some quality.

Petit & Fritsen, however, is capable as being the only one in the world to engineer a new hammer which is completely strike sensitive. These new hammers are struck by midi-signal which regulates the sound volume in 127 paces. This means a gradual adjustment for listening.
This technical innovation does make it possible that the music sounds dynamic with pianissimo (soft) and forte (loud).
A very nice feature of this invention is total volume control increase from a dial, whereby the strike sensitivity is maintained.

Audio examples of a 23-bell Chime with strike sensitive hammers:

A special carillon computer regulates the solenoid hammers. More than 1000 melodies can be stored on a changeable memory module. The computer can be programmed a year in advance, allowing for playing of those melodies at desired times throughout the year.
Automatic reset for Summer and  Winter time, as well accuracy of the time, is done by a radiographic receiver device. All playing functions  can be easily programmed from a clearly visible panel of the Carillon Computer.
At selected time functions, the chime shall strike the time and/or play a melody that was chosen. The Petit & Fritsen computer programs store the requested melodies in the memory of a micro processor.

Keyboard

In addition, the carillon can also be played by the computer on keyboard by midi performance means. For example the bells melody can be simultaneously played with a synthesizer or  with other instruments. The  most best result is then to be had with activation of the strike sensitive hammers.