Tag Archives: sound

Acoustic panels uses textile waste for sustainable production

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With the popularity of fast fashion, there is also a lot of textile waste that ends up in landfills and have not been recycled or upcycled. There are several groups that have been advocating for more eco-friendly fashion that includes not supporting these kinds of manufacturers and looking for ways to have better use for household textile waste. You don’t even have to create new clothes from them but find other uses outside of fashion.

Designer Name: Sze Tjin Yek

The Sorbet acoustic panels is one such project, turning all these shredded textile waste into acoustic panels that can be used for homes, offices, and other commercial spaces. Panels like these are important to minimize noise pollution within closed areas for both the mental and physical health of users. But instead of the usual acoustic panels made from open cell polyurethane, these are made textile waste which have the second lowest recovery rate in Australia after plastics.

These panels are made from 100% laundered and upcycled household textile waste. These are durable enough but of course they need to be bonded together and the inventor used a starch-based glue. And since the textile used have different colors and textures, there are three aesthetic options created: Blueberry Lemonade (blue and gold), Red Velvet (red and black(, and Hundreds and Thousands. The third one uses more color options since textiles are of course varied.

This kind of panel is of course more sustainable than your usual ones that use recycled PET and textile fibers bonded with mycelium. The next step would be to create a process that can make this commercially viable and also look at installation methods for it.

The post Acoustic panels uses textile waste for sustainable production first appeared on Yanko Design.

Wood Bugle Cube comes with layers of hand-carved birch plywood to produce sound

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If you are a musician, you may have already imagined building a custom instrument at one point in your career. It is not an easy dream because musical instruments are constructed around a precise form and accurate controls to produce the desired sound. You might be able to create a working version, but it will not be as good as the one made by professionals. Yet, this does not mean you cannot think outside the box, as the Wood Bugle Cube shows. The custom-made instrument comes in an unconventional shape but delivers the same sounds and functionality as a real bugle.

Designer: Henry Hanson

Wood Bugle Cube in Action

Wood Bugle Cube Details

A bugle is a trumpet-like brass instrument often used for sending military signals. It is typically designed without a valve or other parts for pitch control. The Wood Bugle Cube is a similar instrument in an unusual form for a musical device. This project by Henry Hanson is a follow-up to his previous one called the Concrete Trumpet, which is a similar-sounding object in an unorthodox design.

The Wood Bugle Cube looks like another portable, wireless speaker you could bring outdoors. It has the same function as the Concrete Trumpet but is different in its look and construction. The wooden model evokes a more natural, homey, and warm feeling. In contrast, the Concrete Trumpet offers a more elegant mood.

Wood Bugle Cube

Wood Bugle Cube Designer

The Wood Bugle Cube is a functional instrument housed in a stack of 20 layers of squares of 9mm-thick birch plywood. Each layer is carved according to tracing lines determined by the same CAD model used for the concrete version. The cut squares are grouped for sanding to keep the insides smooth. The layers are then glued with a sealant to create a more solid structure and better moisture resistance.

Wood Bugle Cube Design

Like most brass instruments, the sound is made by blowing air into the mouthpiece at one corner of the Wood Bugle Cube. The act causes the lips to vibrate and control the air traveling through the instrument. This Wood Bugle produces similar, yet softer and warmer sounds compared to a brass bugle or trumpet.

Design Wood Bugle Cube

Wood Bugle Cube Demo

This Wood Bugle Cube is made of a medium that is not usually used for brass instruments. However, it still offers the same desired experience as a trumpet without looking like one. The sound it produces is not as refined but just enough to make a signal be heard. The tedious process of making the musical instrument gives it a unique personality, and the meticulous work of the creator put into this is something to be admired.

Design Wood Bugle Production

Wood Bugle Cube Production

The post Wood Bugle Cube comes with layers of hand-carved birch plywood to produce sound first appeared on Yanko Design.

This alarm clock wakes you up to the music of Grammy award-winning artists!

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In 2017, NASA engineer-turned-YouTuber Mark Rober took it upon himself to redesign the car horn. It’s no secret that car horns are a major contributor to road rage. There’s nothing quite as alerting and annoying as a ‘honk’ sound (even though it’s by design), and listening to enough honking can completely mess with your stress levels as you try to pay attention to your driving. While sleeping isn’t as difficult as driving, it still requires the mind to remain relaxed – and the alarm clock’s loud ringing often defeats that purpose. Loud clocks jolt you out of your sleep, making you feel groggy, grumpy, and under-rested even if you’ve slept your 7-8 hours.

OneClock rejects the notion that an ‘alarm’ clock should be ‘alarming’. Instead, it replaces the clock’s screeching siren-like sound with something more melodious. Partnering with Grammy Award-winning artist Jon Natchez, the OneClock coaxes you out of bed using a series of original musical arrangements designed to gently wake you up without shocking your senses. Instead of the jarring sound often associated with alarm clocks (and even the alarm apps on your phone), OneClock focuses on transitioning you into wakefulness and uplifting your spirit too in the hopes that your day begins on a positive note.

In its mission towards being a better clock to wake up to, OneClock intentionally opts for an analog, WiFi-free, Bluetooth-free, non-IoT design. It’s pretty easy to snooze your smartphone’s alarm and slip right into checking your notifications, browsing social media, and just starting your day with a screen right in your face. With its classic, analog approach, OneClock ensures you don’t wake up to a smartphone screen inundated with messages, mails, and notifications. The clock comes with a relatively minimalist design, sporting an outer body made from aluminum, with wooden panels on the front and back. The front face features a Swiss-made timepiece, a knob that lets you set your alarm time and trigger the night light, and finally, a speaker which plays the alarm music. The back features two knobs, letting you set the clock’s time, and control your alarm’s volume. On the inside, a PCB runs OneClock’s AI algorithm that automatically selects, alternates, and remixes the OneClock’s music, giving you something new to wake up to every day… and unlike your traditional alarm clock, or that app on your phone, OneClock gently ushers you into wakefulness by playing the music softly before bringing it to a crescendo… and its impact ends up positively influencing the rest of your day too, allowing you to be more chipper and even more productive!

Designer: OneClock

Stool with an accordion-shaped seat plays a musical note when you sit on it!

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The Xia Stool, or as I call it, the Philharmonic Whoopie Cushion Chair, is a fun little seat that uses an accordion-shaped cushion to turn the act of sitting down into something rather surprising and entertaining. Seat yourself down on the Xia Stool and it instantly emits a note, concertina in an allusion to traditional Portuguese music.

Designed by Soraia Gomes Teixeira, a Portuguese designer from Oporto, the Xia Stool aims at revitalizing the common seating object through the power of sound. The accordion-shaped cushion provides an ample visual warning to the user, priming them to expect a sound as they sit, so they’re never caught unawares. Even though the accordion-shaped cushion acts as a visual indication, it’s still incredibly fun and entertaining to actually have the seat meet your expectations, letting out a friendly honk as you sit down! Soraia mentions, “[The] Xia Stool is a fun object that makes people smile and unleashes their imagination.”

The Xia Stool is made from wood, Burel fabric, and 100% Pure Sheep Wool. Each stool emits a high-pitched ‘A’ note, although it would be fun if different stools played different notes, creating chords as multiple people sit down together!

Designer: Soraia Gomes Teixeira

Muzen Wild Mini Bluetooth Speaker Review: Small But Mighty Good

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There are countless Bluetooth speakers to choose from these days, so if audio companies want people to take notice, you have to do something pretty different. The Muzen Wild Mini speaker is just that. Measuring about 3″ high x 2.25″ wide x 1.375″ deep, this ultra-compact speaker is small enough to carry in the palm of your hand, but this tiny speaker punches way above its class in build and sound quality.

The Wild Mini comes packaged in a sturdy plastic case that’s substantially larger than the speaker itself. The rugged, foam-lined case is a nice touch but given the speaker’s own rugged look and feel, I’m not sure I’ll ever be putting it back in its packaging.

The speaker is the true star of the show, featuring a high-quality body made from high-density zinc alloy, and a design inspired by military radios. With the exception of a couple of trim pieces and buttons, everything on the Wild Mini is made from metal. Combined with the weight of a battery that can last up to six hours at full volume, the little speaker feels incredibly substantial and weighs in at over half a pound.

Despite being a pre-production model, my review unit feels really well built, with no gaps or rattly bits. The 5-watt amplifier and speaker produce a surprisingly big sound, without discernible distortion even at high volume levels. Physics prevent a speaker this small from ever producing booming bass, but it handles low end admirably for its size, and mids and highs are clean and pleasing to the ear. Overall sound quality is much better than I expected for a speaker this small, and I think the metal enclosure and rubber feet help to eliminate unwanted vibrations.

Every detail of the Wild Mini’s case and controls are smartly designed and engineered. There’s a satisfyingly clicky knurled metal thumbwheel for adjusting volume, a spring-loaded flip switch for powering the unit on and off and Bluetooth pairing, and a pushbutton surrounded by a bi-directional ring for pausing and changing tracks.

A MicroUSB charging connector hides beneath a hinged door that keeps moisture out. The speaker enclosure is IPX5-rated, which means it’s water-resistant, so it’s fine if it gets rained on or splashed at the beach, but you don’t want to submerge it.

In addition to its above par audio capabilities, the Wild Mini serves double duty as a flashlight. There are three modes – high, low, and SOS. It’s not an exceptionally bright light even at its highest setting, but it does provide enough light to guide your way on a pitch-black trail, or to find your keys in the dark. Plus, it can be operated at the same time as your music plays. The speaker’s case also has an “n”-shaped loop on its top, which lets you lash it to a backpack or belt loop with a piece of paracord or a small carabiner clip.

I absolutely love this little speaker. It’s got a unique look, is built really well and sounds very good considering its size. You can pre-order the Muzen Wild Mini Bluetooth speaker now over on Kickstarter. While the MSRP for the speaker is $99, there are still a number of Super Early Bird and Early Bird deals available, priced at $69 and $79, respectively.

This Weird (Mewsical?) Instrument Has Fur and Meows and Growls Like a Cat

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Up until now, I thought the weirdest musical instrument was either the theramin or the otamatone. But I was wrong. This. This is the weirdest musical instrument ever. This curious looking pile of grey fur isn’t a cat that’s been flattened by a steamroller. Nope, it’s a interactive piece of audio art.

What you’re looking at is “Mew.” Basically, when you get near it, it emits a soft and comforting purr. Then if you get closer and start petting it, a series of meow sounds come out. But these aren’t just cute and cuddly cat noises, no. This thing sounds like a clowder of cats in heat in the alley behind my house. And by that I mean, it’s not a pleasant sound. Push it around too much, and it might even hiss at you.

Mew was designed a few years back by a group of product design, information experience design, and visual communication students at the Royal College of Art in London. Their rectangular kitty has a brain powered by an Arduino, and a voice box powered by MaxMSP. The best thing about this weird noisemaker is that it doesn’t need a litter box.

[via Boing Boing via Born in Space]

This Simple Touch Synthesizer Makes Some Crazy Sounds

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Electronic musicians are always looking for new ways to expand their arsenal of sounds. There are lots of different off-the-shelf synthesizers out there, but some of the coolest instruments are the homebrew designs out there. I recently stumbled onto this cool little touch-based synth, and it offers up some really nifty analog sounds.

Designed by Michael Rucci, the Touch Synthesizer has 15 contact points on its front. The monophonic noisemaker automatically plays the highest pitch of the keys being touched, and it’s both touch sensitive and sensitive to the resistance of its player’s fingertips. In addition, it has a couple of effects points at its ends – one for modulation, and one that makes a sort of scratch effect by altering frequencies. It’s also got control knobs for modulation speed, volume, and a low-pass filter. You can listen to some example sounds it can make in the video demo below:

The little synth runs off of a 9V battery, and has a mono 1/4″ output for connecting to an amplifier or mixing board. Best of all, it’s a bargain at just $45 over on Rucci’s handmade musical instruments Etsy shop.

Make music with any conductive object – fruits, water, even your own body!

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While we have the miracle of technology, why not use it for fun and games too? Unusual designs like Playtronica show us that simplicity can be powerfully innovative too. Playtronica describes themselves as a digital playground that uses technologies to unleash a whole new world of possibilities for humans in terms of experiences with audio. Their purpose is to give sound a tactile dimension, and they rock it like Bowie! No really, the fruits literally rock it like Bowie and Let’s Dance is a fineapple (get it?!) song!

Playtronica’s most recent audio-tech is a midi device that can fit in your mom and lets you create music with pretty much anything. They have a list of 16 objects you can experiment in your first try but hey, let your imagination run wild because that is exactly what Playtronica was made – to encourage the creative genius in you. The midi device system has 2 boards with ample cables and alligator clips that you can plug into multiple objects like fruits, water, even your friends and then connect the other end to a computer. As long as the object is conductive in nature, Playtronica will have a sound for it. You can literally even measure the intensity of touch if you form a human chain which is actually the change of electric resistance. That signal can be captured with various online synthesizers via the web MIDI API – our minds are blown! Now you can connect with people in the literal sense.

The cool tech toy requires a 5 minute set up, anything in your house (including yourself) and a computer to hit your first note. I find this is something that the ASMR industry can take over and turn into a goldmine. It’s unique sensory experience really lets you see and feel sound in a whole new way, that is why you can find this stimulative piece of tech in museums like Pompidou, Exploratorium, and even at music festivals! Playtronica has collaborated with brands like Nike, Boeing, Mercedes Benz, Google in the past to conjure immersive audio experiences. Make music with anything – holding hands, your lunch, coffee (I am curious if the Monday cup yawns harder than the Friday one), the movement of paint on paper when you make art, or wind in your hair…curiousity will not kill this musical cat.

Designer: Playtronica

Click Here to Buy Now!

playtronica

Pour Your Booze into the Minibar Guitar Effect Pedal and Get It Drunk

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Do you like to have a drink while you’re playing the guitar? Well, if you’ve got any booze left over, you can now put it to good use as part of your performance. Yep, this unique guitar effects pedal is designed to sip liquids and uses them to influence its sounds.

Simply unscrew the watertight lid on its top, pour the beverage of your choice into the Rainger FX Minibar Liquid Analyzer, and the conductive properties of said liquid will be used by its circuit to affect signal gain. In addition, the opacity of your drink will affect the equalization of the sound.

So your IPA will sound dramatically different than your chocolate stout, and your Kentucky bourbon will most definitely make different sounds than your Highlands single malt scotch. It works with other kinds of liquids too, like soda pop, coffee, or even nail polish remover.

The Minibar stomp pedal is available direct from Rainger FX for roughly $150. Booze not included.

[via Guitar World – Thanks, Mike!]