DIY Band

[Otis Haket]

Anyone want to start up a DIY band in the vein of Blue Man Group or Einst?rzende Neubauten? The idea would be that everyone builds and plays their own instruments. You could build something more traditional, add some unique modifications to an existing instrument, or invent something completely new. Could be electric or acoustic, but should have some means of amplification and/or effects. Genre wouldn't be formed until the instruments come together, but would likely come out rather experimental. Anyone who has the desire but lacks the know-how could always get some help from other band members. Obviously there would be some kind of start-up cost involved, but that would depend entirely on creativity and materials.

Access to tools would be helpful, but I'm sure we can share what we have. I have a power drill, a Dremel, and some soldering shit for electronic installation.

Cool idea?

[tjernobyl]

This could be fun.

[Chuck Lucy Finale]

[Otis Haket]

I'd like to build a stringed bass type instrument. I want it to have thick strings, and very low tuning. It'll sit flat on a stand. The left hand will have a series of levers/keys that will depress the strings at each fret. The right hand will either play percussively with a mallet, or pluck the strings. Since the keys will have to bar the entire fret, and releasing the key will likely dampen the sound, fast note changes will be limited, so I'd have to experiment with tuning, but it should prove interesting.

It might be a bit advanced for a first project, so I'm thinking I may start off with something percussive.

How about:
-A wind instrument made from PVC pipe, played with an air compressor
-Some kind of hurdy gurdy style cranked instrument that struck different notes percussively? Could be used as a mechanical sequencer
-A stringed instrument with flexible neck that altered pitch by bending it, instead of with frets

[Mud]

yeah I often thought about a flexibility necked guitarish thingy but never got very far on the idea

I've been considering tryign to make one of these things,. but with my own twist on it:


something a bit different, less basic:

[Otis Haket]

You could mount snares to things that aren't snare drums.

Darin has the screen from a 52" LCD TV, and when you bend and wave it it makes awesome glissando thunder noises.

How about reverse laser-harp control for a synthesizer that plays different notes when photo resistors are hit with lasers? It would look fucking cool, but would probably take a lot more design than a mechanical instrument. The keyboard keys could be connected to the momentary-on buttons of dollar store lasers.

[Mud]

hmmmmmmmm.

[tjernobyl]

How about reverse laser-harp control for a synthesizer that plays different notes when photo resistors are hit with lasers? It would look fucking cool, but would probably take a lot more design than a mechanical instrument. The keyboard keys could be connected to the momentary-on buttons of dollar store lasers.

Square frame, 12 dollarstore lasers at the top pointing down.  Twelve photocells/photodiodes/photowhatever at the bottom.  Red gels over the photocells to let in only red light.  Each photocell runs to a transistor biased to switch on when light level drops below a certain point.  Diode-resistor matrix selects lowest triggered key and produces pitch voltage. RC integrator to generate your trigger, and you're done.

..Or, I might have read that backwards.  A keyboard that fires dollarstore lasers is trivial, though the circuitry would be backwards for the receiver.

[Otis Haket]

I just meant reverse in the sense that laser-harp notes play when the laser beam is broken; this one would play when the laser beam connects. Seemed simpler to me. Sounds like you got something down already anyway.

Be my guest if you wanna give it a shot. I'll help out any way I can. I'm just putting ideas out there to get the creative juices flowing.

[tjernobyl]

Inverting it is actually remarkably simple.  I'll see if I can work up a schematic.

[Otis Haket]

What to use for a sound source? A simple Atari Punk Console circuit, pitched with different resistance at each key? Even APC's sound good with the right effects. Or were you thinking something more complex, like voltage controlling a proper synth?

[tjernobyl]

Thing about voltage control is that if you do it right, you can control a real synth either directly or by voltage->midi, and if you halfass it, you can still get something usable with a homemade synth.  The design I have in mind can be made trimmable, so it should be possible to get precision out of it.  Or drop $130 for a Doepfer CTM64 and run MIDI to whatever it is that eventually ends up making the sound.

[Otis Haket]

Well if it gets past the drawing-board stage, I'm not too savvy with circuit design, but I can help out on the hardware side of things.

I don't have anything with external voltage control to test it on. Your SH-101 does, right?

[Peaches]

I am interested especially if there is going to be a crazy stage performance

[tjernobyl]

I don't have anything with external voltage control to test it on. Your SH-101 does, right?

Volt-per-octave, positive trigger.