Take your creations beyond the workshop and onto the stage with diy music instruments! Let us show you how these creations range from simple, basic setups that produce beautiful sounds to more complex projects that require a greater level of engineering knowledge. With these tutorials and examples, weโll guide you on this journey to make your own musical instrument for experimental, artistic or everyday use – so whether you’re starting out new or a seasoned sound creator, come explore the wonderful world of making your own music.
Chad VanGaalen makes music with a variety of objects turned instruments, including motorized mallets that bang on old drums and other objects he found while sifting through trash containers. Check out the samples on the link below, especially “Flower Gardens” which has some nice solos from the homebrew devices. Chad Vangaalen on Sub Pop Records
Dug North sent in this video of a Programmable Thumb Piano. I really like the heavy metal gear mechanism and the way you reconfigure the instrument. Check out Dug’s site for more information. [Thanks Dug] This machine uses a series of studded disks to pluck the tongues on an instrument resembling a thumb piano tilted […]
MIDI input added to a classic Dubreq Stylophone by by Diabolical Devices / Class A Electronics. [via Synthtopia]
Singer-songwriter Josh Pyke rode this rather nifty guitar-boat into Australia’s Sydney Harbor as part of a shoot for an upcoming music video. The giant-sized floating six-string is a replica of the musician’s instrument of choice – a Maton brand acoustic. No details on the construction, but I’m guessing Pyke’s a big Roger Waters fan รขโฌยฆ […]
Come along on a whirlwind video tour of musical devices found at Maker Faire Austin 2008. There was much goodness to be seen and heard on the Travis County Fairgrounds this past weekend – a ginormous thanks goes out to all the creative minds that made it happen! Keep on with the makin’ and shakin’! […]
Dorkbot Edinburgh has done a crazy cool pipe organ project: The WaldFlรยถte project is basically a MIDI retrofit of a 1890’s era 16 foot pipe organ. It converts MIDI input into solenoid drive to directly press the keys on one of the manuals – there is no permanent modification to the organ. Members of Dorkbot […]
Diego Stocco is a composer and sound designer who builds interesting objects that both produce sound as well as have an interesting vintage aesthetic. This video shows him discussing the “Typesonic”, a keyboard turned piano that lets you create music by excersizing your QWERTY prowess. Diego Stucco, via RetroThing
