i call this the generic idiophone. it is a triangular box with
legs and foam around the top edge. it makes a handy support for
xylophone and marimba bars, etc. these sorts of solid-bar
instruments are traditionally classified as idiophones.
the stand materials are from a local home-supply store. the
legs are banister rails; the sides and bottom are scrap
lumber/plywood, and the foam is self-adhesive weatherstriping.
the triangular shape is not really correct; a well-designed
instrument would have a logarithmic shape to allow equal spacing of
the bars. however, this was a cheap solution, and makes it easy to
experiment with bar placements. the foam helps prevent damping of
the bars, and the triangular box provides some resonance to improve
volume and timbre. the box is also makes for handy storage.
pictured are bars made from 2x2in redwood deck railing and steel
conduit, as well as some ceramic floor tiles. the mallets are made
from superballs, wooden dowels, and music wire; this is a design
from Bart Hopkin's essential "Musical Instrument Design", available from
ExMI
examples:
samples:
samples, loops, and Reason/Mach5 banks coming soon...
i call this the generic idiophone. it is a triangular box with legs and foam around the top edge. it makes a handy support for xylophone and marimba bars, etc. these sorts of solid-bar instruments are traditionally classified as idiophones.
the stand materials are from a local home-supply store. the legs are banister rails; the sides and bottom are scrap lumber/plywood, and the foam is self-adhesive weatherstriping.
the triangular shape is not really correct; a well-designed instrument would have a logarithmic shape to allow equal spacing of the bars. however, this was a cheap solution, and makes it easy to experiment with bar placements. the foam helps prevent damping of the bars, and the triangular box provides some resonance to improve volume and timbre. the box is also makes for handy storage.
pictured are bars made from 2x2in redwood deck railing and steel conduit, as well as some ceramic floor tiles. the mallets are made from superballs, wooden dowels, and music wire; this is a design from Bart Hopkin's essential "Musical Instrument Design", available from ExMI