CUSTOM PROJECTS

Showcase of custom projects and bespoke instruments

OSMIUM INSTRUMENTS

X Hildur Guðnadóttir, Sam Slater, James Ginzburg & Rully Shabara

We modified custom string instruments for Osmium. They approached us with an idea about modifying their custom instruments for synchronized action. Together we developed a concept and engineered MIDI-controlled string hitters.

Careful planning and clever technology went into the design of these enhancements. Custom electronics, 3D printed solenoid brackets and MIDI sync made it possible. Each string can be individually adjusted and triggered and enables the band to perform at their absolute best.

SYNLIMB

X Bertolt Meyer

Together with Bertolt Meyer we developed SynLimb. SynLimb is a one of a kind device, a “Mensch Maschine Interface” project that Bertolt himself came up with. Bertolt is (amongst a host of other things) a DJ and live musician. He was born without a lower left arm and with SynLimb he has direct access to various control aspects of his modular synthesizer.

It consists of a custom electronics board and 3D printed plastic parts that make up a neat synthesizer interface which directly plugs into his “empty” prothesis shaft, picking up muscle signals and converting them to control voltage (CV) for synthesizers.

The tip is specifically designed to make moving of faders easier.

LASER MICROPHONE

X SAM SLATER

For Sam Slater we built a laser microphone. This microphone has been used to record samples for the Soundtrack of Battlefield 2042.

This laser microphone consists of a red laser diode, a small exciter and a photo diode. The small exciter has a patch of sticky aluminium foil on it. The laser diode is shining onto the exciter where the red light is reflected onto the photo diode.

The magic starts happening as soon as sounds are played through the exciter (think of a speaker without membrane). It starts vibrating and deflecting the light of the laser. The laser diode picks this shaking up as a difference in brightness. The signal from the photo diode is then turned into a usable audio signal again and can be received at the device’s output.

It sounds unlike any other microphone. It modifies the sounds played through it heavily, strongly coloring them and acting like a strong and distorted physical filter.

D.W.A.Y.N.E. (The ‘Sam Drum’)

X Sam Slater

Together with Sam Slater we developed a custom modified acoustic feedback drum. It is heavily influenced by the work of Halldór Úlfarsson. Contact microphones on the top skin are picking up vibrations. These sounds can be controlled and modified by custom electronics after which they are played right back into the drum by a huge bass shaker mounted to the bottom skin.

The whole instrument is heavy and shakes and vibrates a lot, so we developed a beautiful organic wooden socket to add mechanical stability and to help keep everything in place. The socket was specifically designed to fit the natural look of this particular acoustic drum.