I build the WORLD'S LONGEST monochord (probably)

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 10 січ 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 191

  • @VA-zr6xw
    @VA-zr6xw Рік тому +155

    Wouldn't piano strings work better? This is incredible.

    • @EchoBuildsThings
      @EchoBuildsThings Рік тому +18

      I think they are such high tension that building a frame to support them would be a lot of work

    • @Montrius91
      @Montrius91 Рік тому +17

      ​@@EchoBuildsThings The thinnest piano string you can find is basically the same as the thinnest guitar string (0.2mm or 0.008"). It's just a steel wire, after all

    • @Adamant_Consternation
      @Adamant_Consternation Рік тому +35

      Harp strings might also be an option.

    • @werewolf74
      @werewolf74 Рік тому +5

      was just thinking this .

    • @stevestogsdill5791
      @stevestogsdill5791 Рік тому +4

      Why not start with a piano and modify it into a multiple dan bau instrument?

  • @theortetproject4174
    @theortetproject4174 Рік тому +70

    Metal suppliers will sell big rolls of spring steel wire in any gauge. And it's cheap. Sometimes it's called "music wire" because it's the same alloy they use for piano strings, and maybe also guitar.

    • @prentrodgers
      @prentrodgers Рік тому +11

      Back in 1975 I built a 300' electric guitar with 0.80" music wire between the balconies of a college dorm at U.C.S.D. It was awesome.

    • @defenestrated23
      @defenestrated23 Рік тому +10

      ​@@prentrodgersthat's so sick. Apocryphal story from my engineering school. One time some students got into the maintenance tunnels. The campus is all hills so the buildings are anchored to uphill foundations with giant cables. They found the resonant mode of these cables and hit them with a sledgehammer in time. The geology department thought it was an earthquake!

  • @avelkm
    @avelkm Рік тому +65

    Weights on a strings (where you tie them) completely mess up overtones but make crazy sounds) Piano string or double bass string would produce clean overtones being long enough, or just look for spring steel wire as already suggested in the comments. As a suggestion for more interesting sounds and a lot more overtones try using sitar-stile bridge (like piece of a metal tube with big diameter).

    • @Alkatross
      @Alkatross Рік тому +2

      That must be why the first string sounded strange. The ball ends are basically weights in odd places.

  • @markfdesimone
    @markfdesimone Рік тому +28

    Bart Hopkin has a couple great videos about adding weights to strings to give them bell-like harmonics. Like you said, the guitar string loops were the reason for the messy overtones. I wonder what that first string would sound like with a bandpass filter, wah pedal, or other effects!

  • @williamcurwen7428
    @williamcurwen7428 11 місяців тому +1

    One heck of a talented musician - such an exciting sound.

  • @frmadiot
    @frmadiot 8 місяців тому +1

    J'adore cette expérimentation, principe ultra simple, résultats déments ! Tes expériences sont toujours inspirantes

  • @horstdunoch3546
    @horstdunoch3546 Рік тому +1

    pfouuu ça sonne comme un modulateur en anneaux

  • @Clarionut
    @Clarionut Рік тому +8

    You should investigate the Tromba Marina - a 15th century monochord played using harmonics

  • @capnskustomworks
    @capnskustomworks Рік тому +1

    That was absolutely what my soul needed. Such an awesome feel to the sound that one has, what a cool build!!! Have ye experimented with winding your own strings ever? I’ve done a little experimenting with just a drill and swivels, and I plan to try more, but that’d be one way to handle an application like that. It’d take some serious work and patience for one of that size though!

  • @recursr1892
    @recursr1892 3 місяці тому +1

    Sounds like the dan bao effect gets stronger with more length from a slight vibrato in your last video to a serious wobble. The steel stick needs to get thicker as the forces of the string get bigger, or other ways of controlling the wobble.
    If you touch the string just slightly, and then pluck with the other hand, two notes are created? Never thought of this! Cool!

  • @InflatableRobot
    @InflatableRobot Рік тому +14

    I saw a band called Sleepytime Gorilla Museum that had a bass type thing like this back in the mid 2000's. I think they called it a 9 foot slide bass. Kinda a evil vaudeville vibe. They made a lot of their own instruments.

    • @3leggedsharkkickssurferinballs
      @3leggedsharkkickssurferinballs Рік тому +4

      Dude! I instantly thought of them! The track "powerless" came to mind straight away. Good taste in music, btw :)

  • @customfreak81
    @customfreak81 Рік тому +1

    For strings I would contact newtone strings in the uk, they offer custom made strings and the prices are very reasonable, I've been using thier acoustic strings for about 15 years and they are very high quality. I'd expect they could help.

  • @kaitlyn__L
    @kaitlyn__L Рік тому +3

    Some of these sounds near the end remind me of the Blaster Beam, though that was made with long tight springs instead of a wire. I bet you’d be able to build your own blaster beam pretty easily with all this experience! If you wanted to, of course.

  • @dessiplaer
    @dessiplaer Рік тому +7

    You must have a blast building all of these cool instruments. Great videos on this channel.

  • @MarkMcCluney
    @MarkMcCluney Рік тому +3

    My mistake - his name is Huxley and the Blasterbeam has been used in several films. Your instrument reminded me of some of its sounds. Thanks again Nic.

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Рік тому +1

      You beat me to it by 45 minutes! Love the blaster beam. I bet replacing the wire with a spring on this would yield even more similar results! (That crashing sound and long tail in a blaster beam is basically what happens in a spring reverb. I guess the blaster beam is basically a really long reverb tank…)

  • @nickjanczak9665
    @nickjanczak9665 Рік тому +2

    I don't remember the name of the musician but many years ago, a specially made piano string was stretched between opposite doors of a church.

  • @erikhiser6600
    @erikhiser6600 Рік тому +1

    Great video as always. This is getting into the spirit of the blaster beam. (Very different design so not the same at all, but instrumental cousins).
    If you wanted to go deeper but shorter, you could try thicker wound wire, like bass strings, piano wire, or even wire meant for high tension physical (non musical) applications or even transition to metal springs. The problem you may run into as you go deeper is that the strength of the wood may not balance with the tension you will need to maintain on the strings if you do take this to it's all the way to it's amazingly absurdist destination you could try taking a page from the blaster beams design and create a metal frame.

  • @philmcglass450
    @philmcglass450 Рік тому +1

    Awesome sound sauce!!!! Would be awesome if you ran a couple more strings and turned it into an industrial Octobass!! Must admit it was the popcorn instrument that I first watched. Keep up the good work and sending out those awesome vibes.

  • @therealzilch
    @therealzilch Рік тому +1

    Nicely explained. I built a lyre a couple of years ago with strings 2.4 meters (8 feet) long and i can get up to the 16th harmonic without any problems, playing with a bow.
    Two suggestions: one, use 7 strand stainless steel cable for strings- it's easily available, cheap, and sounds great. Two: it's more logical to regard the fundamental tone as the 1st harmonic, the octave as the second harmonic, and so forth. That way the math for the vibrating length and the frequencies works out correctly.
    Keep up the good work. Cheers from cloudy Halle an der Saale, Scott

  • @Rouverius
    @Rouverius Рік тому +2

    Wild sounds!
    As others suggested, try piano wire... also please try an overstrung piano wire used in lower notes (like found on a bass guitar)

  • @stev231
    @stev231 Рік тому +1

    Making a guitar string with kanthal wire allows you to choose your gauge, and a drill can be used to help wrap the wire.

  • @MLoerAudio
    @MLoerAudio Рік тому +6

    Beautiful and strange sounds. Run it through some fuzz pedals, please!

  • @blortmeister
    @blortmeister Рік тому +2

    Really interesting and thought-provoking as usual.I always love the final result and all the different ways you find to generate sound.

  • @pdmc333
    @pdmc333 3 місяці тому

    This is so cool !
    I love the sound.
    Robert Fripp and Brian Eno would like this I think.

  • @JNaysh
    @JNaysh Рік тому +3

    I imagine you've probably heard of Ellen Fullman's long string instrument but it could be cool to do something like this on that scale! Also I reckon the nuts on the guitar strings are introducing their own harmonics that make the effects of the dan bau a lot less pronounced. I don't know where you'd be able to find strings that long, but maybe a pack of harp strings could help, chinese guzheng is pretty long compared to guitar, but I don't know if they're magnetic.

  • @d4ro
    @d4ro Рік тому

    crazy sounds, from such simple construction. if you need very long strings you can get either plastic fishing line (instead of nylon) or piano wire, both are available in unlimited length and all different thickness.

  • @old_pork
    @old_pork Рік тому +1

    Just the right kind of eerie. I love this

  • @spastickitchen
    @spastickitchen Рік тому +1

    There are companies like Kalium (Canada) and Newtone (UK) that make very long guitar strings. However, for instruments like tambura and sitar, you can buy string by the spool that you cut yourself.

  • @lazylazerrsp8781
    @lazylazerrsp8781 Рік тому

    I think the idea of a really long wire works better as a distortion effect. The cup and string is an easy way to explain what I mean. You use the wire to transmit a signal/sound and then pluck the string to apply weird effects. It already exists in amps and as a module in the synth world but I highly doubt anyone's tried making a mega sized one yet.

  • @AlbySilly
    @AlbySilly Рік тому +6

    I've made a couple of flutes and modified a cheap guitar, but I've never made a string instrument from scratch, a monochord might be my first thing I'll try to make

  • @FyreWolfMusic
    @FyreWolfMusic Рік тому +2

    I know that bass strings tend to be longer than guitar strings, or you could possibly get some bass piano strings for 2m+ long instruments

  • @semsmeb9745
    @semsmeb9745 Рік тому +1

    awesome as all of your projects

  • @Neotoribaru
    @Neotoribaru Рік тому +1

    J'utilise de la corde à piano pour ce genre d'instruments, on en trouve de tous les diamètres en magasin de pêche, de 0.1 à 1 mm en longueur de 5m (ou 10 je suis plus sûr)

  • @AngryMrFixit
    @AngryMrFixit Рік тому +1

    hi dude! longtime fan. i've seen a few videos where the stringed instruments were several meters long. one was played with friction - player rosined their hands and pulled along the string. it was wild.

  • @patrikkarlsson3115
    @patrikkarlsson3115 Рік тому +7

    This is just incredible. I would like to build Gastons version of a harp after this video ( comic albums).

  • @pastiesandagstring
    @pastiesandagstring Рік тому +1

    Should ask “that1guy” what he uses. He’s got that big weird 1 stringed instrument that might have a comparable strong length.

  • @sooth15
    @sooth15 Рік тому +1

    You could get natural gut lines in various widths (used for clock weight lines) up to about 12 feet.

  • @JaredUnashamed
    @JaredUnashamed Рік тому +1

    Very gothic and dark. Love it man, keep it up!

  • @jasonshults368
    @jasonshults368 Рік тому

    Incredible sci-fi sounds from such a simple instrument.

  • @stevestogsdill5791
    @stevestogsdill5791 Рік тому +1

    I just recently discovered your videos and thoroughly enjoy your work. Also recently, the Car company Genesis released a commercial featuring Onuka and the song Zenit as the music bed of the commercial. I honestly thought it was one of your musical arrangements! It does remind me of your outro music to your videos. Keep up the great content. Thanks for the inspirations.

  • @VedunianCraft
    @VedunianCraft Рік тому +1

    An alloy wire would work at any desired length. Steel/silver, or nickel. Brass mixes even.
    Alternatively you cold use synthetic material such as dacron, fishing line, etc.. but would need a piezo pickup for those to work.

  • @mikoajp.5890
    @mikoajp.5890 Рік тому +1

    Try piano string, a.k.a. music wire, a.k.a. spring steel. Easy to get, costs literally cents per metre, used outside of music industry more often than in it. Would definitely fit this channel and produce better sound at the same time.

  • @bogdantodchuk277
    @bogdantodchuk277 Рік тому +1

    awesome!
    One time I want to create huge resonator with scale length more than 2 meter. And I Use stainless rope. When you use wire, because of widness you lose some high harmoniks (because of low flexybillyty) .
    And, when you use several strings linced tougether - you have multiple wibraiting system linked with ich other. Every linc become wibration center
    So, I think next step in your reserch will be another material of base (pine is not musician wood :) ), using steel rope, and maybe another toss rod. Maybe find someone, whom can quench this toss rod.
    ones more, thank you for this video!

  • @viridian_meridian
    @viridian_meridian Рік тому +1

    Have you ever put fishing line weights on a string before? I know Bart Hopkin experiments with these weights alot... I think the two strings conjoined is functioning similarly? Really cool, I love this really long Dan bau idea

  • @charliemopps4926
    @charliemopps4926 Рік тому +1

    Track and field for the blind use very long metal wires for the blind to use as guide-wires while they're running. I remember plucking the wire and it sounded like a cheesy laser sound effect. It was really cool. Pew! Pew! You can find them at schools for the blind.

  • @christianeb8494
    @christianeb8494 Рік тому +2

    Very good explanations, i like your acoustic research. The sound is so amazing. I'm waiting for your following video. Hello from France.

  • @realrebelli0n
    @realrebelli0n 10 місяців тому

    The piece of music at the end reminded me of the band Einstürzende Neubauten.

  • @wooden_lord
    @wooden_lord Рік тому

    Everything is clear - the longer the string, the closer the musician is to becoming a necromancer.

  • @Jinkaza1882
    @Jinkaza1882 Рік тому +1

    I can imagine an array of these with pedals that do the bending and finger pics. WhaWha Harp.

  • @Thaumh
    @Thaumh 11 місяців тому

    The part of Peter will be played by the violins, the Wolf will be played by French Horns, and as always, V'GER will be played by Nicolas Bras' three meter đàn bầu.

  • @people_wrestling6829
    @people_wrestling6829 3 місяці тому

    Someone has probably already said it, but harmonics are stronger closer to the bridge of a guitar. if you put your pickup beside the string rather than below it you could get it closer to the bridge, and get stronger clearer harmonics.

  • @pausevideoreportage7117
    @pausevideoreportage7117 Рік тому

    T’arrêtes pas Nicolas même si je pige rien en musique j’adore tes folies ! ;) j’espère pouvoir un jour te commander une BO ! A bientôt en Guyane j’espère 😊 maxime

  • @oliviercastel476
    @oliviercastel476 Рік тому +1

    the projects are getting larger and larger x)
    next step: the basement is the resonator

  • @Earthenfist
    @Earthenfist Рік тому

    For anything up to 2 meters, I could imagine that an upright Bass string (or as mentioned, piano or harp) could work. I think a lot of the strange harmonics are due to your quick-n'-dirty splices giving weighted node points on the string. A clean string would provide a cleaner sound.

  • @Longyearbye
    @Longyearbye Рік тому

    The Dokumentation is GREAT as always!!! If you want to watch this vid, reduce the Playback speed on 0.75! Its more compfortable to follow.....

  • @zhou_sei
    @zhou_sei Рік тому

    your junt always hits

  • @confuseatronica
    @confuseatronica Рік тому +1

    find a broken piano, harvest lifetime supply

  • @werewolf74
    @werewolf74 Рік тому

    Right before you got to the slide part, i was like MAKE A SLIDE !!!!

  • @AllBeingsAreLoveAmen
    @AllBeingsAreLoveAmen Рік тому +1

    sounds very muddled, would probably be better with one string as you suggested. where can you make a string? make your own. maybe at a machine shop they can help you?

  • @KingfisherTalkingPictures
    @KingfisherTalkingPictures Рік тому

    There’s an instrument called a slapperoo which uses a steel strap instead of a string. Wonderful long bass notes.

  • @kindpotato
    @kindpotato Рік тому +1

    I've already used a string on a construction site as an instrument. You had to put your ear to it though

  • @RelaxEnBulle
    @RelaxEnBulle Рік тому

    Wow le son est envoûtant ! Belle idée, comme d'habitude. Pour la corde tu peux demander à un fileur de corde. Philippe Carrère est très sympa. Je l'avais contacté quand j'avais le projet de faire une table de massage monocorde.

  • @benluna1474
    @benluna1474 Рік тому +1

    Music On A Long Thin Wire, Electric Boogaloo!

  • @Master_Yort
    @Master_Yort Рік тому +1

    Horror music vibes... love it!

  • @DeltaBlazeGaming
    @DeltaBlazeGaming 10 місяців тому

    Like you said! After the first extension it sounded... oddly bell like? Like large bells, having that resonant deep sound to them. Not what I expected! Fascinating noises it makes :V
    Ah... and and then the second and third extensions came in and it becomes the background music for a fever dream lol

  • @ZeshXD
    @ZeshXD Рік тому

    Une cloche qu'on peut pitch-bend, incroyable, comme d'hab!!

  • @AutoNomades
    @AutoNomades Рік тому

    Délire !! ^^ ça fait penser à l'instru de cordes frappées utilisée en trad que j'ai vu dans les Cévennes par exemple.. Super pour faire du rythme bourdonnant transesque à souhait !

  • @lowendranger
    @lowendranger Рік тому +1

    Very cool! Check out Ellen Fullman - Long String Instrument.

  • @picksalot1
    @picksalot1 Рік тому +1

    Wonderful creativity and sounds. Has me wondering if something like that could be implemented for single strings on a Strat? 🤔

  • @AJBlockVideo
    @AJBlockVideo Рік тому +1

    You rock bro

  • @athko
    @athko Рік тому +1

    i didnt know 2-op fm synthesis was possible with a string (around ~4:00) :P

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Рік тому +2

      I was definitely reminded of increasing the coarse ratio in my FM synths at parts. The extra weights from tying strings together adds all these extra nodes to produce inharmonic overtones, a lot like the fine ratio setting or some bells.
      A fun thing is, that’s technically possible with all acoustic resonators if you tune the geometries just right! Some people have added extra weights along piano strings for a similar effect throughout the piano’s history.
      The work on additive and FM synthesis in the 70s was chasing those kinds of funky harmonics (as opposed to the very basic harmonic selection allowed by filters) after all. (But as you probably know they then pushed far beyond what’s physically possible!)

    • @athko
      @athko Рік тому

      @@kaitlyn__L o thats cool :O
      i wish i could learn more abt prepared piano...

  • @lamain3209
    @lamain3209 Рік тому +1

    Kalium strings font des cordes de 37 pouces de longueur ;) autrement une corde de piano. Dernière solution, demander une corde sur mesure à un fabricant. Bonne continuation !

    • @lamain3209
      @lamain3209 Рік тому

      Ha si j'ai vu des gens faire leurs cordes eux-mêmes, il ya des vidéos sur YT

  • @TallPaul7771
    @TallPaul7771 11 місяців тому

    I love your musical innovations. Who said music has to fit inside the traditional musical scale box? Not me.

  • @eighthourlunch
    @eighthourlunch Рік тому +1

    I *think* I've seen guitar strings for sale that are meters long and you cut them yourself. I've never purchased them myself because I don't go through strings that fast.
    That might change now with the guitars I'm building. Thanks for the inspiration!

  • @kenmilne2379
    @kenmilne2379 Рік тому +1

    The man is crazy! But cool !! 😂

  • @EchoBuildsThings
    @EchoBuildsThings Рік тому +4

    I don’t quite understand how it works but it would be great as a background track in a stressful scene

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Рік тому

      The way he describes it with nodes is accurate to a degree, but the main part which hopefully will help you is that strings actually vibrate along all those nodes simultaneously rather than only one at a time like in the animation.
      The harmonic series (which he showed the first few of in the animation) is present in all instruments, be it a piano, guitar, flute, etc - every resonating body will have those higher multiples of the frequency. Different geometries make various upper harmonics/overtones (it’s the same thing here) louder or quieter than others, and that determines an instrument’s timbre. The only thing separating a piano from a guitar from a violin is that harmonic ratio.
      The fundamental frequency is usually louder than its harmonics, so what is happening here and in the guitar demo at the start is actually the cancelling-out of the loudest frequencies to allow the upper harmonics to be more audible. That is also why they get quieter as they get higher pitched.
      It’s a lot like sending white light through blue glass, to block the red and make the blue and green components more apparent. A little more complicated than that but it’s a similar idea of removing one part to make another part more visible.
      This principle of harmonics applies to a lot more than just sound - it’s also part of why some white LEDs have “spiky” emissions rather than broad spectrum white light, or the audible interference on an old radio from a modern power supply, or the “echoes” in the wake of a boat which pile up behind the main one!

  • @raenfox
    @raenfox Місяць тому

    As mentioned before, piano strings may be an option. Or, crazy idea, Theorbo strings? Though I don't know if there are metal strings for it.

  • @Dornul
    @Dornul Рік тому

    Mattias Krantz, here on UA-cam, also needed long guitar strings for one of his instrument projects. I think he got them from a manufacturer eventually. Maybe he could help.

  • @frankstanley7079
    @frankstanley7079 Рік тому

    I just found your channel. This is so cool!!

  • @MacroAggressor
    @MacroAggressor Рік тому +2

    I think you can get piano wire in long spools.

  • @andreylarin
    @andreylarin Рік тому

    OMG, nice idea!

  • @K0r0n1s
    @K0r0n1s Рік тому

    Maybe the guys at Kalium Strings could help you out? They do unusual string gauges and I think lengths, too. I think it's worth checking out^^

  • @adriensantamaria3368
    @adriensantamaria3368 Рік тому

    GENIUS

  • @4xdblack
    @4xdblack Рік тому +1

    Try playing it with a bottleneck and a bow!

  • @machinate
    @machinate Рік тому +1

    I would think your channel is big enough to get like an Ernie Ball/D'Addario sponsorship or something, where you can get spools of it? That's the direction I would go. Might make for good content, too.

  • @billybilly8054
    @billybilly8054 Рік тому

    Tu peux utiliser des lignes de canne à pèche en métal, les plus épaisses font le diamètre d'une corde de guitare.

  • @seanstephens4359
    @seanstephens4359 Рік тому +1

    I love that

  • @AnnaandStanleyFNF
    @AnnaandStanleyFNF Рік тому +1

    Piano strings or double bass strings and even gauge wires will work I think

  • @archloy
    @archloy Рік тому

    Le son de cloche est sympa je dois dire.
    Me demande ce que ça donnerait avec un fil de fer plus fin ou plus épais. Aussi, à quel point la rigidité de l'ensemble influence le son. En tout cas, c'est fun ce machin :) (juste le micro qui doit se demander ce qu'il fiche ici :D)

  • @CurvedVacuum
    @CurvedVacuum Рік тому +1

    Interestingly the 'joined up' guitar strings sounded quite piano-like esp. at the longer lengths.

  • @joladouille2400
    @joladouille2400 Рік тому

    regarde dans les vap shop et demande du fil clepton pour des resistance reconstructible. ça à le mérite d'être isnpiré des corde de guitare et tu le trouve en bobine.
    Il y a plusieurs diamètre possible avec un peu de chance ça peut marcher

  • @lucblanc4384
    @lucblanc4384 Рік тому

    Excellent travail de construction et de recherche sonore !
    J'ai fait un montage similaire, mais sans micro avec un ressort en forme de bande qu'on trouve dans les mètres à ruban, utilisant comme résonateur un bidon de colle cylindrique, vide et nettoyé bien sur, de la taille d'une boîte de conserve d'1/2 litre. Pensez vous que sur ce ruban d'acier on peut sortir les harmoniques ?

  • @1963pipo
    @1963pipo Рік тому

    Hello 😃 you can use harpsichord strings. They exist in different diameters and steel or bronze.

  • @Treellet2056
    @Treellet2056 Рік тому

    Hello Nicolas, I was thinking, what about the drones from a Theorbo?

  • @greg5730
    @greg5730 Рік тому

    My dad has told me about this concert he went to once where they made had made stuff like this with piano wires I think that spanned an entire airplane hangar

  • @1.4142
    @1.4142 Рік тому

    Basically how the star wars laser blaster sound was invented

  • @robinjandu
    @robinjandu Рік тому +1

    Dulcimer strings are sold in spools.

  • @althejazzman
    @althejazzman Рік тому

    So now we know why people don't extend strings by tying them together. Huge difference with the steel wire.

  • @kyrioz2z834
    @kyrioz2z834 Рік тому

    1:40 every project start with a palet

  • @densondirosa4497
    @densondirosa4497 Рік тому

    Roll music wire is an option. Whatever length you want. Whatever diameter you want. Cut length about a foot longer than need so you can have enough wire to tension the string you’ve made….