DIY electro-acoustic sound objects from repurposed materials — looking to exchange ideas
I’m working on small electro-acoustic sound-making objects using materials and parts that were originally made for something else. I’m interested in taking them out of their usual context and finding new ways to use them as sound sources. There’s a bit of a Dadaist impulse behind it: changing the purpose of existing things and seeing what new possibilities that opens up.
The module in the photos is one example. It’s built on a piece of plywood, with three tension springs stretched over a guitar pickup. Plucking or tapping the springs creates an electric signal. But I’m not focused on springs in particular — I’d like to experiment with all kinds of materials, objects and mechanisms.
I’d love to connect with people who make DIY instruments, sound objects or experimental noise devices from repurposed or unexpected materials, and exchange ideas and experience. What have you tried? I’d be interested to see your projects and hear how you approach this kind of work.

Would it be possible to drive a brass instrument with transducers? Like klaxon horns/car horns.

The idea is that a hand crank in the instrument provides power to the transducers.

Each transducer meant work as a specific embouchure.

These transducers would need to have a reduced Q factor in order to have enough bandwith to span all the valve combinations.

Left hand controls the valves and the thumb controls which transducer is receiving power. One button for each transducer closes the contact.

Right hand controls the crank and thus the amount of energy fed to the transducer. Hopefully being able to reproduce loudness dynamics with the spin speed.

The crux of the matter is the acoustic manifold. A brass piece of complex geometry that needs to feed all transducer inputs to a common output while having very high impedance for the back propagation to the unengaged transducers.

What do you think?

thoughts?

Any Tips?

It features tone holes that cover a one-octave range. With a total length of approximately 16 cm, it is much smaller than a sopranino recorder.

I’ve moved a lot of my sub-bass instruments to be stored in my school for the rest of the year, I will get them back during summer and will try to post vids on them when I can.

I got a little DIY synth kit as a present.

At closer inspection, the circuit turns out to be an atari punk console, which I have already built twice. This kit is pretty solid though, with a PCB and a metal enclosure, so I would like to use it, but make it more interesting.

What are some useful and not too difficult extentions for it?

I was thinking about CV and maybe distortion + filter?

The first song features a ceramic horn I made. I can post a picture sometime. It is a length of coiled ceramic tubing with a brass-style mouthpiece (made of clay obviously) and a conical end. Some of the other songs also have weird instruments, there are several on this album with a shruti-box.

Hi,

I need super high tension nylon strings for my trebles on a guitar modification and I don't find any. I tried harp strings (dunno the brand, found them in a box in my house), and obviously tried guitar strings (Savarez 510AJP, Knobloch ADN36.0 and Hannabach 815 red) but it's not enough and now I'm stuck.

Basically I nylon need strings that can be tuned up to E4, B3 and G3, with more than 8.4 kg (18,76 lbs) and .86 mm (.04 inches). And a length of at least 1m (40 inches)

I'm willing to try ANYTHING, so throw ideas and I'll test them out one by one !

*edit : modified Savarez part (500AJP --> 510AJP) and tension min ('cause I'm bad at converting)*

Hii!! So I've had this idea ever since I was kid that I want to make an instrument. But not a d.i.y. one. I'd be willing to pay. I just wanted to ask if you know anything about the process. Let's say I have "a detailed description of what I want the instrument to do and how and which notes it would trigger and where in the instrument and how it looks etc". Do I send this description to some company who makes instruments, or do I first have to get an architects's detailed blueprints and then send. Or should I first try to make a vst using Ableton max for live and present it as a demonstrational synth before implementing onto the physical object. I just don't want to waste unnecessary time :)

Made a subcontrabass flute in C for theatre!

I have a large quantity of fiddleback maple and I am looking for a place to sell it.

I won't be posting pictures here, but if anyone is interested, please reach out to me in DMs and I will provide all the information you need.

I have a lot of it; it is dried and cut into dimensions suitable for making various instruments.

If you know anyone who trades in this wood, I would appreciate it if you could let me know.

Thank you.

PS: I am located in Montenegro.

I got a video of the sound of my previous flute