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010 : acoustic laptops - how to make your own
wood boxes with tiny sound objects attached inside
presentation
- make your own - orkestra
- workshops
photos in the art collection
- download zipped documentation
2012 > The various documentation of the acoustic laptops has been collected HERE
A]
hardware; find or make your own wood box
try out different woods as they change the sound notably | hard wood
carry sound better | sounds sharper | oak | teak | the softer wood the
rounder the outcome | balsa | try out old wood new | firm birch - cheap
plywood | cigarboxes | artist boxes | those little cupboards to hold
your keys | chinese wonders | domino brick boxes | toolboxes (in my
case a deluxe anniversary version of the norwegian lutheran invention
of the cheese slider) | if the bottom of the box is in direct contact
with the table (or floor) it also picks up the sound from it | if there
is air between the sound become more isolated but with a different resonnance
| put knots under | try plastic boxes with softer objects for children
| try metal boxes for a more "industrial" or noisy sound approach |
hammer your own...
B]
real-time connection; add microphone then plug-n-play
use a contact-mike (piezo) to permutate the whole box into a microphone
| not hard to find | check out cheap guitar pick-ups at your local music
store | or if you have minimal funds for this - do not despair; get
one of those greetingcards that play some beepy song when you open them
| tear out the little metal loudspeaker plate that's hiding inside |
with the two tiny chords it's fixed to | use a normal jack cable | cut
off one plug | connect the two chords inside with the two from the plate
| twist or solder them together | then glue the plate tight onto the
wood | can be wise to cover it with a bottlecap | plug the cable to
any amplifier or any system with a microphone gain | use two to go stereo
(pan left/right) | if equalising; middle down to avoid too much feedback
| or not...
C]
software; putting things inside
rub this page between your fingers close to your ear to get an idea
| find tiny objects that create sound | another good reason to park
the car and take a walk | borrow children's eyes | fix items in various
distances from the pick-up | several identical ones will give off different
dynamics | listen closely for the tonal span between the different items
(you soon have enough to kick off many songs, ta-de-dum) | metal spring
| stone | paperclip | cardboard | rusted iron | rubber | string | needle
| sandpaper | wood | plastic (don't expect miracles) | comb | egg slicer
| pull-back fishing line | toys | cotton | bells | bits of a tin-can
| more advanced; "electro-acoustic laptops" | armed and earthed with
circuit-bended stuff inside | broken radio parts | motors | walkie-talkies
talking together | burglar alarm and mcdonald-synth | beware; these
are second to the first-hand-on experience...
D]
playing; fingerspitzgefühl
sounds are made by gently brushing | plucking | picking | scraping |
stroking | drag fingertip | brush | sponge | pencil | plastic rose |
feather circular motions create drones | stroke the box gently along
the sides | get an e-bow (electrical guitar pick) for strings | play
finger football with a paper ball | drop grains of rice | pour sand
over it | use the box itself as percussion (don't break the lid like
i once did) | a gentle touch alter atmosphere radically | play softly
like it's your lover's nipple | or in abrupt flamenco-style | with other
acoustic laptops over highspeed internet | sing along | voices to be
heard | use micro-screwdriver | chopsticks | palmleaves (or other plants)
| write or draw or cut-out scores | use for dub embellishment in any
kind of music known to mankind...
presentation
- make your own - orkestra
- workshops
photos in the art collection
- download zipped documentation