I have recently been getting more and more into analog synths, oscillators, components, DIY stuff etc... Out of everything I have come across in my search of innovation, this is hands down the COOLEST and MOST innovative. a WOODEN LASER synth. 10/10
Man, this base concept has unlimited potential. This and Mark Gutierrez's mechanical sustainer would make a full-on beast string synth you would be able to build upon indefinitely. Congrats my friend! Incredible idea
It's a Laserpiano and it's brilliant and original although I suppose the addition of a string of guitar pedal patches in software technically makes it a synth. I prefer the raw sound you got earlier in the video. Truly you have invented something here.
Fantastic project! Its so cool to see what kind of sound you get from just vibrating bits of metal. I am very curious how it sounds when you press multiple keys together.
Actually, in this case you don’t get any sound at all by vibrating the small pieces of metal. He even said so in the video. The sound is coming from whatever speaker that is playing back the electrical waveform that is produced by the photodiode as it’s being hit by light periodically in relation to the vibrating string.
Wow, I have great respect for your project! I can imagine how much work it was to select the right length and thickness of the metal wires to achieve the right tuning for each key! Greetings from Germany :)
That's an amazing invention but technically not a synthesizer. I wouldn't even put it in that niche because the sound generation in your invention is really unique and doesn't follow any synthesis scheme. It's conception might be best described as a hammered optoelectric musical instrument. You should give it a name though.
Rosophon Rose-O-Phon Forte (Oposed to piano ;) Laserboard Laserphon Basslight Laserkey Optokey I guess shorter is better, piano stuck to the piano not because it made great sense, but because its short and sticks in the mind too. Also: +1 on build a version with at least one filter and reverb before outputting the signal. Also: try splittimg the laser so it shines on all strings at the same time without obstructing each other (fast turning mirror, maybe?) pick up the light for each note individually with each on LDR or the like, ad signals in a an amplified additive mixing electronic, and this can be true polyphonic one of a kind.
I love it! Such a great invention coupled with a very intuitive explanation for how it works and how you put it together. That sound is amazing, and is generated in a much simple way than I expected it to be based on the first minute of your video :-)
me imagino que los odiadores que pusieron sus dedos abajos minimo han descubierto la maquina del tiempo , sino no se explica criticar esta genialidad!!!!
This thing sounds awesome, and the fact that it uses a whole new sound synthesis model is unbelievable. I would love one of my own. An idea, perhaps you could mount the laser pointer or cell on an adjustable mount, that could be aligned up and down with a knob outside the case? Surely changing the alignment has some effect on the sound. To be honest, calling it a "synthesizer" doesn't communicate it well enough. Synthesizers usually have tons of controls to customize their sound, because the software or hardware makes adjustments easy. I saw this posted to DIY groups without knowing the mechanism, and assumed this was a traditional synthesizer which had its controls hidden for artistic simplicity (an idea I'm not very fond of). That idea was much less impressive than the reality you've made.
I am no musician, but I do appreciate very much how musicians are creative, both in their music, and in the instruments they invent to make it. This is a beautifully simple analog device, yet so ingenious, at least to me. I almost thought it was a hoax, but I can't see why it couldn't work. I'd love to see more of how it plays - like, what kind of tones do you get when pressing multiple keys simultaneously, or hold one and play others?
Thanks! In fact, many people want to hear what it sounds like when a few keys are pressed. The problem is that I don't have much space here and as soon as I finish a project I sort and store everything. It's quite cluttered and congested in my place. I have to take the time to find and take out what I'm looking for, I have to clear a little space to put it on and shoot a video. But honestly I'm often lazy. Next week I will try to find the musical instrument among all things and I will make a video specifically about how several keys sound at the same time. The sound is distorted, it sounds like you are playing all the strings of a metal guitar at the same time. For some it may be a defect, for others an effect. Slightly reminiscent of Deep Purple's organ. Reminiscent of this hard rock mood, in fact I really like it. But it also depends a lot on the device you are recording with. My camera is more sensitive to the signal and makes more distortions. When I record with my laptop, the sound is a little softer. I'm not a musician either, but I like to invent musical instruments, I'm a little sad that I can't play something really amazing on them. Maybe if I had more space I would put the instrument in an accessible place and try to play it more often. If a week later I still haven't made a video please remind me :)
Hey awesome video man. I was looking for something similar to these. i have a great interest in music production but cannot afford full size midi keyboard and not even the tiniest ones. I was looking forward to a cheap diy option. Yours kinda feel the infos. If you can make the same thing with just midi that would be great.
@@binface9 If you want higher tones, this can be achieved with strings made of harder material. In the simplest way, the pitch is adjusted by the length of the strings. The shorter they are, the higher the tone. But the shorter they are, the harder they start to vibrate and short time they vibrate. But if we make the strings from a harder material, they will be able to be long enough to vibrate but also to emit high tones. Changing the tones electronically is not a good idea, it is not easy and it is not high quality. It is easier to change the tones by one octave from high to low than from low to high. Binary counters, frequency dividers are used for this work, but the quality is not good. Well, I won't say bad, but the sound changes significantly in another direction
You mean will make a sound by pressing several keys at the same time? Yes it will make a sound, but when a few keys are pressed the sound is much more distorted.
So the sound is made only by photocell picking up frequencies at which strings block the laser and converting it to audio and no additional electronics?
First I want to tell you how much I love your work, I first discovered you by your coke bottle hang drum video a few weeks back. I'mm in the process of building one, as well as incorporating your idea into a series o classes fro various ae school kids on found object/recycled instrument making,. This video just popped up today on my right column suggested videos. This is amazing. And what I like he most is that you talked us through the entire build.I hate those "direstra" style DIY videos that are glorified music videos, with high speed footage, music or sped up video sound, and NO dialogue or directions. It was so nice to have you talk us through this. I do have a question (actually 2- the first one is, when are you going to make some more cool musical instruments?) The main one is- So the output is simply photo resistor wired to a guitar jack? You said you initially plugged directly into your camera's mic jack to test it. Nothing else is needed to convert the resistor output to sound? No circuit like a light theremin circuit is needed? This can be hooked directly into an amp and it will produce sound? It's really that simple???? This is awesome.
Thank you for the nice comment! In fact, I have many ideas for musical instruments, but I do not have the conditions to develop them. All my ideas are from many years ago, I just don't have the opportunity to implement them. Today I finished a simple musical instrument from bottles full of water, it's nothing new, other people have done it but i wanted to make my own version. Soon I will upload a short video about this musical instrument. Regarding connecting the photocell directly to the amplifier, it's simple but not really that simple! It depends on what the amplifier is and what the photocell is. It's a bit complicated to explain, but I saw that you also create musical instruments, so you will understand me. According to my observations, there are 2 types of amplifiers. The first type amplifies the signal of the microphones, they let current through the microphone, when we talk the sound affects the microphone and the microphone conducts a different amount of current. The amplifier amplifies the signal that has passed through the microphone. So here the microphone is a passive element, it just conducts the electricity that the amplifier puts into the circuit. We can successfully and without modifications replace the microphone with any other passive element, such as a photoresistor or photodiode. These elements will simply conduct the electricity that the amplifier emits, when they are illuminated by light they will transmit more, and when they are in the dark they will transmit less. So the easiest option is to connect the photocell to a microphone amplifier. The second type of amplifiers are like guitar amplifiers, also computer speakers, home stereos. This type of amplifier expects an external device to send an electrical signal. For example, when you play the guitar, the coil in the guitar produces little electricity, that electricity enters the amplifier and that the amplifier amplifies . If we put a passive element such as a microphone or photoresistor on such an amplifier, we will not hear anything, because these elements do not generate electricity to enter the amplifier, on the other hand the amplifier does not generate current in the circuit to pass through the passive elements. Here in some cases you can just apply current with a battery, but you will have to comply with the allowable input values of the amplifier, and this may require some additional elements and calculations for which I have no deep knowledge! If we have to go even deeper, some amplifiers expect AC as an input signal. Maybe the guitar amplifiers are just like that, because when the string moves upwards, one of the terminals of the coil becomes a plus and the other minus, when moving in the opposite direction, the poles change. You may also be able to find photocells that produce electricity. They are of the solar cell type. Some photodiodes, as well as LEDs when illuminated by light, also generate electricity, and if you open an old transistor from those with metal caps and irradiate inside with light produces electricity. They can also work with some of the amplifiers of the second type. You have to pick a photocell that reacts quickly, some of the photoresistors are slow. When you irradiate them with light, their conductivity gradually increases, when you turn off the light, the conductivity slowly decreases. It's like heating iron, it heats up slowly and it cools down slowly. Such photocells cannot be used. Also the area of the photocell affects the tone of the musical instrument as well as the thickness of the laser beam. I recently started something like a site, my first post is about this musical instrument, if you are interested you can take a look, I have collected a few more videos from this instrument edward-black-rose.blogspot.com/2021/08/laser-piano-homemade-laser-musical.html
@@Edward_Black_Rose I can't wait to look at your blog. Your work is inspiring... and your non musical art is beautiful as well. Besides building mostly acoustic instruments I've been dipping into circuit bending toys so the combination of photo cell and laser pointer is intriguing. On a different note I am building a version of your coke bottle drum this Saturday as part of International Play music on the porch day.
За да "нацелиш" тоновете,си използвал правилни размери на струните и разстоянията,но от къде ги знаеш?Изчисляване,проба грешка или от някъде имаш схема?Аз лично ако трябваше да го измисля бих нагласил първия и последния тон ,и предполагам другите ще са в една линия между крайните? Или с тунера от програмата?
Просто закачам първата струна на първия клавиш от ляво надясно и дрънвам да чуя кой тон издава, и тествам с програмка за настройка да ми покаже тона. После местя струната да се показва повече или по малко в зависимост от тона който искам да постигна на конкретния клавиш. Струните не са точно отрязани с конкретен размер, по дълги са, като закача най ниския тон първи на следващия струната ще е малко по къса, та за всяка следваща струна отрязвам малко по малко парче струна.
A great design. Your creativity can always give me a lot of inspiration. Would you like to ask if the iron wire you use is just different in length? Is there any difference in thickness and diameter? Thanks~
In the particular instrument, the thickness of the strings is the same, the length is different for each tone. But different thicknesses can also be used to achieve a certain tone. Different length + same thickness = different tones Same length + different thickness = different tones But different thickness not only changes the tone but also the way it sounds. For example, two strings of different thickness are tuned by the length to emit the same tone. The tone will be the same but the sound different. The closest example is like playing the same tone on piano and guitar. The tone is the same but the sound is different.
damn man, I was really surprised/impressed at the laser/photocell pickup system, its fucking genius.. were you inspired by something or did you just make up a new way of picking up string vibration? you could make a 1 string guitar with this system with the laser going parallel to the body and perpendicular to the string, or maybe a 6 string with 6 lasers coming out of the body, like a string-through type pickup. would be seriously cool
Optical extraction of vibrations is not a new method, maybe it has existed since before I was born. But it is not very popular. I like to experiment with this, my invention in this case is the simplicity. There are no complicated mechanisms and complicated electronics as in all other keyboard musical instruments. At short distances as in guitars it is much cheaper and more reliable to use a light emitting diode instead of a laser, the reflection of the string can also be used in guitars.
I don't have a guitar amp and I'm not sure. There are two types of amplifiers. The first are for microphones, they release current, the current passes through the microphone, when you make sounds the microphone changes its resistance, so it passes a different amount of current and the amplifier amplifies this. I use this type because the microphone input on my laptop works like this, I just replace the mic with the photocell. The second type of amplifiers do not supply current to their input. This type of amplifier is used for devices that have their own energy, such as microphones with their own power supply, synthesizers, perhaps guitars. Guitars are based on a coil, when the strings vibrate the coil does not change its resistance, but generates current. So in this case you have two options, to find a photocell that generates current when irradiated with light, or to connect a current source in series with the photocell. But be careful, the power source should give as much voltage as a typical guitar gives. Because you can burn your amp. A primitive but safe way is to connect a guitar coil to the amplifier, and another smaller coil in series to the photocell and power supply. The coil that is connected to the photocell will emit electromagnetic waves so that when it is close to the guitar coil, the guitar coil will produce electricity and activate the amplifier. You can make something like a pedal with which the two coils get closer and further apart. so you will be able to achieve the effect of smooth sound entry and smooth attenuation. All this is only theoretical, I have not made an experiment!
Thanks! I can't produce good enough quality to be used as a real musical instrument. This is just a prototype with a lot of imperfections, it works for the video but with a lot of settings and preparations before that. And I am incapable with my tools and the materials I have access to to achieve sufficient precision and quality that a musical instrument deserves. It will be nice if I find people in my city who have the conditions for such precise production. In fact, I really want to start production, not only on this musical instrument, I have a few more ideas. But in my country it is a bit complicated, my compatriots are not very interested in musical instruments. So I will not have buyers, and if someone wants from abroad it will be much more expensive with delivery.
@@Edward_Black_Rose where are you from? I understand you. I'm Argentinian. But when I saw your instrument it blows my mind because it's so simple and practical.
@@dbkeysOK I'm from Bulgaria. Yes, the device is simple but must be made well and precisely. Because it is very important that the position of the laser does not change and reaches perfectly exactly to the photocell and that the strings always vibrate exactly on the path of the laser. I have problems with this, somehow the wood bends slightly and over time the laser does not reach the photocell.
Nice to see & hear a Person using hand eyes and hearing to create a new kind of musical instrument! Thanks & God Bless U and those watching… Peace I 🙏
I have recently been getting more and more into analog synths, oscillators, components, DIY stuff etc... Out of everything I have come across in my search of innovation, this is hands down the COOLEST and MOST innovative.
a WOODEN LASER synth. 10/10
Man, this base concept has unlimited potential. This and Mark Gutierrez's mechanical sustainer would make a full-on beast string synth you would be able to build upon indefinitely. Congrats my friend! Incredible idea
Simplicity is the king! Still cannot believe it's really THAT SIMPLE. Genius!
The concept is so simple and elegant. Thank you
This thing sounds like something straight from a Deep Purple album! Love it!
sounds like the synth in Lazy intro
If you kept it simple and cheap enough, you could probably go to market with this. I might try making one myself!
He should add more features!!
I second this. I would like to buy one!
It's a Laserpiano and it's brilliant and original although I suppose the addition of a string of guitar pedal patches in software technically makes it a synth. I prefer the raw sound you got earlier in the video. Truly you have invented something here.
Very innovative concept on the laser oscillator. Add some cooler paint and filters, reverbs. This can be a pro-synth!!
Thanks for sharing.
Fantastic project! Its so cool to see what kind of sound you get from just vibrating bits of metal.
I am very curious how it sounds when you press multiple keys together.
Actually, in this case you don’t get any sound at all by vibrating the small pieces of metal. He even said so in the video. The sound is coming from whatever speaker that is playing back the electrical waveform that is produced by the photodiode as it’s being hit by light periodically in relation to the vibrating string.
My friend in music and synth DIY, I love your hat, and I love you video! Very nice!!
Superb Maestro! Your works are very inspiring. Thanks from Argentina !
Thanks :)
Very cool. Love the core principle behind this.
This is one of the best diy synth ideas Ive ever come across...very unique. Great work!
Thanks :)
Like a harsher wurlitzer!
Very impressed. Such a good sound.
wow, great idea withe the laser and photo cell. i would have never thought that this sounds so good!
I got up with a leg cramp, turned on Facebook and there you were.
This is a rad project!!!
Damn dude, that’s AWESOME! I love it!
Thank you :)
Amazing! I can not figure it out how hard it was to tune that the whole synth having those string. Very cool.
Wow, I have great respect for your project! I can imagine how much work it was to select the right length and thickness of the metal wires to achieve the right tuning for each key! Greetings from Germany :)
Thanks :)
i don't say this lightly, you are a genius.
nice work edward
That's an amazing invention but technically not a synthesizer. I wouldn't even put it in that niche because the sound generation in your invention is really unique and doesn't follow any synthesis scheme. It's conception might be best described as a hammered optoelectric musical instrument. You should give it a name though.
Optokeyboard
Optical monophonic keyboard
Laser keyboard
Rosophon
Rose-O-Phon
Forte (Oposed to piano ;)
Laserboard
Laserphon
Basslight
Laserkey
Optokey
I guess shorter is better, piano stuck to the piano not because it made great sense, but because its short and sticks in the mind too. Also: +1 on build a version with at least one filter and reverb before outputting the signal. Also: try splittimg the laser so it shines on all strings at the same time without obstructing each other (fast turning mirror, maybe?) pick up the light for each note individually with each on LDR or the like, ad signals in a an amplified additive mixing electronic, and this can be true polyphonic one of a kind.
It is definitely a synthesizer, just without CV, but you can connect it to laser input, and you can add an lfo
@@Vincedeir filter, eq circuits could be added on the output, too. it would ruin its simplicity but if you need knobs to twiddle - there you go.
filter, eq circuits could be added on the output, too. it would ruin its simplicity but if you need knobs to twiddle - there you go.
Very cool concept and it sounds very nice.
genuinely incredible
You're a bloody genius.
One of the most surprising videos on UA-cam. Came for the circuit diagram, left with a wobbly wire.
I love it! Such a great invention coupled with a very intuitive explanation for how it works and how you put it together. That sound is amazing, and is generated in a much simple way than I expected it to be based on the first minute of your video :-)
Awesome Project & Sound !
Thanks :)
Que projeto maravilhoso ! Parabens pelo resultado !
me imagino que los odiadores que pusieron sus dedos abajos minimo han descubierto la maquina del tiempo , sino no se explica criticar esta genialidad!!!!
Te felicito!!!!
That IS a project ! Great job sir !
This thing sounds awesome, and the fact that it uses a whole new sound synthesis model is unbelievable. I would love one of my own. An idea, perhaps you could mount the laser pointer or cell on an adjustable mount, that could be aligned up and down with a knob outside the case? Surely changing the alignment has some effect on the sound.
To be honest, calling it a "synthesizer" doesn't communicate it well enough. Synthesizers usually have tons of controls to customize their sound, because the software or hardware makes adjustments easy. I saw this posted to DIY groups without knowing the mechanism, and assumed this was a traditional synthesizer which had its controls hidden for artistic simplicity (an idea I'm not very fond of). That idea was much less impressive than the reality you've made.
Felicidades master, tu trabajo inspira/ Congratulations master, your work inspires
Inventive simplicity! I really hope that you already had this idea patented, before you uploaded the video..
This is mindblowing.
It makes Cliff Burton.
I am no musician, but I do appreciate very much how musicians are creative, both in their music, and in the instruments they invent to make it. This is a beautifully simple analog device, yet so ingenious, at least to me. I almost thought it was a hoax, but I can't see why it couldn't work. I'd love to see more of how it plays - like, what kind of tones do you get when pressing multiple keys simultaneously, or hold one and play others?
Thanks! In fact, many people want to hear what it sounds like when a few keys are pressed. The problem is that I don't have much space here and as soon as I finish a project I sort and store everything. It's quite cluttered and congested in my place. I have to take the time to find and take out what I'm looking for, I have to clear a little space to put it on and shoot a video. But honestly I'm often lazy. Next week I will try to find the musical instrument among all things and I will make a video specifically about how several keys sound at the same time. The sound is distorted, it sounds like you are playing all the strings of a metal guitar at the same time. For some it may be a defect, for others an effect. Slightly reminiscent of Deep Purple's organ. Reminiscent of this hard rock mood, in fact I really like it. But it also depends a lot on the device you are recording with. My camera is more sensitive to the signal and makes more distortions. When I record with my laptop, the sound is a little softer. I'm not a musician either, but I like to invent musical instruments, I'm a little sad that I can't play something really amazing on them. Maybe if I had more space I would put the instrument in an accessible place and try to play it more often. If a week later I still haven't made a video please remind me :)
That's really cool, mate!) Keep it up ☺️
GENIUS
I had no idea you could do that with a laser that’s crazy!
Such a ingenious design, and really amazing sound!
Sounds Fantastic!
Very nice. I love it. I hope you already filed a patent
this is genuinely amazing
An optical Rhodes, brilliant.
omg that is so cool and genius...
awesome job bro!
¡Brillante! 👏
Fantastic idea.
Awesome principle!!
Wow, didn't know we could produces sounds from wire like that. Very unique sound in the bass. Was it easy to tune ?
It's easy to tune one string, but it takes a long time to tune it all.
Amazing work
this is crazy good! Now i want to build it 😅. How does it sound when you press multible keys at once?
Amazing!!!!!!!!!!
You need to patent this invent
Hey awesome video man. I was looking for something similar to these. i have a great interest in music production but cannot afford full size midi keyboard and not even the tiniest ones. I was looking forward to a cheap diy option. Yours kinda feel the infos. If you can make the same thing with just midi that would be great.
Is there a way of using analog electronics to modulate the signal from the photocell to increase the frequency of the signal and thus pitch?
Sounds great as it is, I must add
@@binface9 If you want higher tones, this can be achieved with strings made of harder material. In the simplest way, the pitch is adjusted by the length of the strings. The shorter they are, the higher the tone. But the shorter they are, the harder they start to vibrate and short time they vibrate. But if we make the strings from a harder material, they will be able to be long enough to vibrate but also to emit high tones. Changing the tones electronically is not a good idea, it is not easy and it is not high quality. It is easier to change the tones by one octave from high to low than from low to high. Binary counters, frequency dividers are used for this work, but the quality is not good. Well, I won't say bad, but the sound changes significantly in another direction
Nice! How about pressing two or more notes simultaneously?
Shinjuku nice video! :]
Ed, does it work with a chords?)
You mean will make a sound by pressing several keys at the same time? Yes it will make a sound, but when a few keys are pressed the sound is much more distorted.
@@Edward_Black_Rose That would be very interesting to hear! :-)
Do you think a ldr resistor works as photocell? Because I want to try
Can you give information about the electronic part of the project? What kind of sensor are you using and are there any other parts?
So the sound is made only by photocell picking up frequencies at which strings block the laser and converting it to audio and no additional electronics?
A good project but loud . Keep it up
Еха супер е! И аз ползвам Гитар риг 5 .
First I want to tell you how much I love your work, I first discovered you by your coke bottle hang drum video a few weeks back. I'mm in the process of building one, as well as incorporating your idea into a series o classes fro various ae school kids on found object/recycled instrument making,. This video just popped up today on my right column suggested videos. This is amazing. And what I like he most is that you talked us through the entire build.I hate those "direstra" style DIY videos that are glorified music videos, with high speed footage, music or sped up video sound, and NO dialogue or directions. It was so nice to have you talk us through this.
I do have a question (actually 2- the first one is, when are you going to make some more cool musical instruments?) The main one is- So the output is simply photo resistor wired to a guitar jack? You said you initially plugged directly into your camera's mic jack to test it. Nothing else is needed to convert the resistor output to sound? No circuit like a light theremin circuit is needed? This can be hooked directly into an amp and it will produce sound? It's really that simple????
This is awesome.
Thank you for the nice comment! In fact, I have many ideas for musical instruments, but I do not have the conditions to develop them. All my ideas are from many years ago, I just don't have the opportunity to implement them. Today I finished a simple musical instrument from bottles full of water, it's nothing new, other people have done it but i wanted to make my own version. Soon I will upload a short video about this musical instrument.
Regarding connecting the photocell directly to the amplifier, it's simple but not really that simple! It depends on what the amplifier is and what the photocell is. It's a bit complicated to explain, but I saw that you also create musical instruments, so you will understand me. According to my observations, there are 2 types of amplifiers. The first type amplifies the signal of the microphones, they let current through the microphone, when we talk the sound affects the microphone and the microphone conducts a different amount of current. The amplifier amplifies the signal that has passed through the microphone. So here the microphone is a passive element, it just conducts the electricity that the amplifier puts into the circuit. We can successfully and without modifications replace the microphone with any other passive element, such as a photoresistor or photodiode. These elements will simply conduct the electricity that the amplifier emits, when they are illuminated by light they will transmit more, and when they are in the dark they will transmit less. So the easiest option is to connect the photocell to a microphone amplifier.
The second type of amplifiers are like guitar amplifiers, also computer speakers, home stereos. This type of amplifier expects an external device to send an electrical signal. For example, when you play the guitar, the coil in the guitar produces little electricity, that electricity enters the amplifier and that the amplifier amplifies . If we put a passive element such as a microphone or photoresistor on such an amplifier, we will not hear anything, because these elements do not generate electricity to enter the amplifier, on the other hand the amplifier does not generate current in the circuit to pass through the passive elements. Here in some cases you can just apply current with a battery, but you will have to comply with the allowable input values of the amplifier, and this may require some additional elements and calculations for which I have no deep knowledge! If we have to go even deeper, some amplifiers expect AC as an input signal. Maybe the guitar amplifiers are just like that, because when the string moves upwards, one of the terminals of the coil becomes a plus and the other minus, when moving in the opposite direction, the poles change. You may also be able to find photocells that produce electricity. They are of the solar cell type. Some photodiodes, as well as LEDs when illuminated by light, also generate electricity, and if you open an old transistor from those with metal caps and irradiate inside with light produces electricity. They can also work with some of the amplifiers of the second type. You have to pick a photocell that reacts quickly, some of the photoresistors are slow. When you irradiate them with light, their conductivity gradually increases, when you turn off the light, the conductivity slowly decreases. It's like heating iron, it heats up slowly and it cools down slowly. Such photocells cannot be used. Also the area of the photocell affects the tone of the musical instrument as well as the thickness of the laser beam. I recently started something like a site, my first post is about this musical instrument, if you are interested you can take a look, I have collected a few more videos from this instrument edward-black-rose.blogspot.com/2021/08/laser-piano-homemade-laser-musical.html
@@Edward_Black_Rose I can't wait to look at your blog. Your work is inspiring... and your non musical art is beautiful as well. Besides building mostly acoustic instruments I've been dipping into circuit bending toys so the combination of photo cell and laser pointer is intriguing.
On a different note I am building a version of your coke bottle drum this Saturday as part of International Play music on the porch day.
Best Video I oove you
За да "нацелиш" тоновете,си използвал правилни размери на струните и разстоянията,но от къде ги знаеш?Изчисляване,проба грешка или от някъде имаш схема?Аз лично ако трябваше да го измисля бих нагласил първия и последния тон ,и предполагам другите ще са в една линия между крайните? Или с тунера от програмата?
Просто закачам първата струна на първия клавиш от ляво надясно и дрънвам да чуя кой тон издава, и тествам с програмка за настройка да ми покаже тона. После местя струната да се показва повече или по малко в зависимост от тона който искам да постигна на конкретния клавиш. Струните не са точно отрязани с конкретен размер, по дълги са, като закача най ниския тон първи на следващия струната ще е малко по къса, та за всяка следваща струна отрязвам малко по малко парче струна.
@@Edward_Black_Rose Изключително креативно,браво!
how many time it took to finish this project?
Can you connect it to a speaker?
In before a million views
A great design. Your creativity can always give me a lot of inspiration. Would you like to ask if the iron wire you use is just different in length? Is there any difference in thickness and diameter? Thanks~
In the particular instrument, the thickness of the strings is the same, the length is different for each tone. But different thicknesses can also be used to achieve a certain tone.
Different length + same thickness = different tones
Same length + different thickness = different tones
But different thickness not only changes the tone but also the way it sounds.
For example, two strings of different thickness are tuned by the length to emit the same tone. The tone will be the same but the sound different. The closest example is like playing the same tone on piano and guitar. The tone is the same but the sound is different.
@@Edward_Black_Rose Thank you very much! ~ ^^
damn man, I was really surprised/impressed at the laser/photocell pickup system, its fucking genius.. were you inspired by something or did you just make up a new way of picking up string vibration? you could make a 1 string guitar with this system with the laser going parallel to the body and perpendicular to the string, or maybe a 6 string with 6 lasers coming out of the body, like a string-through type pickup. would be seriously cool
Optical extraction of vibrations is not a new method, maybe it has existed since before I was born. But it is not very popular. I like to experiment with this, my invention in this case is the simplicity. There are no complicated mechanisms and complicated electronics as in all other keyboard musical instruments. At short distances as in guitars it is much cheaper and more reliable to use a light emitting diode instead of a laser, the reflection of the string can also be used in guitars.
Does the photocell work if I connect it on a guitar amp jack socket?
I don't have a guitar amp and I'm not sure. There are two types of amplifiers. The first are for microphones, they release current, the current passes through the microphone, when you make sounds the microphone changes its resistance, so it passes a different amount of current and the amplifier amplifies this. I use this type because the microphone input on my laptop works like this, I just replace the mic with the photocell. The second type of amplifiers do not supply current to their input. This type of amplifier is used for devices that have their own energy, such as microphones with their own power supply, synthesizers, perhaps guitars. Guitars are based on a coil, when the strings vibrate the coil does not change its resistance, but generates current. So in this case you have two options, to find a photocell that generates current when irradiated with light, or to connect a current source in series with the photocell. But be careful, the power source should give as much voltage as a typical guitar gives. Because you can burn your amp. A primitive but safe way is to connect a guitar coil to the amplifier, and another smaller coil in series to the photocell and power supply. The coil that is connected to the photocell will emit electromagnetic waves so that when it is close to the guitar coil, the guitar coil will produce electricity and activate the amplifier. You can make something like a pedal with which the two coils get closer and further apart. so you will be able to achieve the effect of smooth sound entry and smooth attenuation. All this is only theoretical, I have not made an experiment!
Cool
When did Gru start making synths?
Hey. You are a genius. It's so simple... You can made me one ?
Thanks! I can't produce good enough quality to be used as a real musical instrument. This is just a prototype with a lot of imperfections, it works for the video but with a lot of settings and preparations before that. And I am incapable with my tools and the materials I have access to to achieve sufficient precision and quality that a musical instrument deserves. It will be nice if I find people in my city who have the conditions for such precise production. In fact, I really want to start production, not only on this musical instrument, I have a few more ideas. But in my country it is a bit complicated, my compatriots are not very interested in musical instruments. So I will not have buyers, and if someone wants from abroad it will be much more expensive with delivery.
@@Edward_Black_Rose where are you from? I understand you. I'm Argentinian.
But when I saw your instrument it blows my mind because it's so simple and practical.
@@dbkeysOK I'm from Bulgaria. Yes, the device is simple but must be made well and precisely. Because it is very important that the position of the laser does not change and reaches perfectly exactly to the photocell and that the strings always vibrate exactly on the path of the laser. I have problems with this, somehow the wood bends slightly and over time the laser does not reach the photocell.
@@Edward_Black_Rose have tried 3d printing
Technically you didn’t build a synthesizer
A synthesizer takes a sound source and modulates it
You just made the sound source…
needs more presets
10:22 sounds like de begining of Daft punk - fresh