Payment in advance is required before Sankyo will submit a simulation
For custom tunes, if you have your own recording, please email it to us at info@themusichouse.com
We will immediately begin the paper work for your movement, and within 2 weeks we will send you a sample (keyboard simulation) MP3 file of how your custom movement will sound (the exact musical arrangement). If you approve, Sankyo will begin machining your movement right away.
After approval, within 8 - 10 weeks, we will send you the completed custom musical movement order and charge the remainder of the balance.
If you would like to place the movement(s) in a music box, please let us know which box you would like and the quantity. You can select from music boxes that say "1.18m" next to them. Pricing of the music box depends on the quantity.
18 note movement information:
Your own 18 note movement Miniature Size 1 7/16" x 1 1/16" x 3/8"
Generally it is good practice to have most of the song play only one note at a time, with two at a time interspersed at intervals. You can sometimes play 3 at a time as the last chord of the song. The reason being friction/drag. Each revolution of the cylinder is approximately 16 seconds. (Earlier made cylinders were a bit fatter which allowed for a couple of more seconds) Some movements are somewhat adjustable (slower or faster) It is good practice to arrange the music for a target 8 bars and 16 seconds (the music repeats after the full revolution).
A blank, untuned comb is usually machined to sequentially cover about two octaves in a major key (no sharps or flats). However very few songs can use an untuned comb because of duplicates. Duplicate pitches (teeth) are necessary whenever a note plays again in less than about one second (which happens a lot). Most movement combs have between 4 and 10 duplicated teeth, limiting the overall number of different pitches to about 14 or less. The pitches which are lost are therefore unavailable. Arranging or setting up for a music box is quite difficult because of this.
[For larger orders, please email us]
Obtaining Music Rights
If the song you wish to put in your custom music box is your own composition, you need only send us a simple fax or letter with a short statement saying you are the author of the work, that we have your permission, and your signature.
If the song you wish to use was written by someone else, such as a popular tune played on the air, we will need to obtain permission from the publisher to mechanically reproduce it as a music box movement. This permission is called a synchronization (aka merchandising or novelty) rights license. To obtain this license, We will contact the publisher (or author in some cases) to get that signed permission. We make a quick search of the three major performing rights organizations to see which one handles that song, do a song search for the contact info for that artist/publisher on their website, and contact the artist/publisher for permission. Depending on the tune, the publisher and time spent on legal issues, there could be a charge of $35 to $250.
Occasionally there may be an additional licensing fee and we will notify you before we proceed.
If you have the permission, then just fax a signed copy to us.
Links for your convenience are provided below
BMI Website ASCAP Website SESAC Website
