I am always developing my skills and knowledge. Most of this is done fairly informally through experiments that are documented on Twitter and occasionally on YouTube. Here is a selection of these posts.
As with all the work shown on this site, if something shown here is of interest, please get in touch to discuss it. Or feel free to use anything you see here to develop your own work. I am always keen to hear about it if you do.
One of the things the Mammoth Beat Organ does best is SLOOOOOOW! Which—of course—means DOOM!
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) September 4, 2019
s/o to @zeffii for suggesting two scrapers. DOOM CHORDS! pic.twitter.com/8qCOgrjlrK
Scale up for Poundshop Nancarrow. pic.twitter.com/PTnUEbPM0G
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) September 3, 2019
Now having my own Floor Tom Fest.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) September 2, 2019
Clown horn and floor tom. Twitter video length edit of a 5 minute piece. I reckon 10 mins is maximum I could muster with my own puff :) pic.twitter.com/btagFkEEAN
Multiphonics through an accordion reed. As one does. pic.twitter.com/fTJGhwGqMr
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) August 27, 2019
For anyone who can’t be bothered with a video on YouTube, here’s the •Higgs Bow Sound Collider• in slightly shorter video form on here.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) August 2, 2019
Come and have a play at @fullofnoises 👍🏼 pic.twitter.com/eqlqNTzXQi
Hard to demo but remarkably effective. Nice and directional and a good dose of amplification.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) July 31, 2019
Scccrrrreeeeech! pic.twitter.com/jmWGaGDu4e
Rather satisfying tombola for the crazy golf hole I am working on. pic.twitter.com/L9d1SjcZxa
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) July 24, 2019
Bloody thing :) pic.twitter.com/CG3hoyQiUq
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) July 12, 2019
I always want to hear them all at the same time but can never be arsed. Today, I was half-arsed. 🎵 🎶 pic.twitter.com/wFM2gLOPJP
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) July 10, 2019
Building this instrument I made for the #LateJunction I was part of into a wider “ensemble instrument”. The whole thing is rather wonky right now, which has created this lovely lilting, wonky 78 tone. pic.twitter.com/xNPoionoUm
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) July 4, 2019
The full ensemble! pic.twitter.com/yU3QeYXgLm
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) June 12, 2019
Today’s experiment #3. Talkbox.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) June 8, 2019
(I should probably stop now…) pic.twitter.com/YqEz5wKGIL
Today’s experiment #1. Bubble synth. pic.twitter.com/9xXWBHvgUv
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) June 8, 2019
That @jarkman chap has just left. His car was making a similar noise to the thing we had a mess about with earlier. pic.twitter.com/XRAQmgI2kt
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) June 7, 2019
Prototype of The Buzzer. A second wheel on the spiny pipe module. Needed something more playable / user controllable but still part of the main modules. Here it is.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) June 6, 2019
Delightful racket 😫 Though the end is dooooomy if you get that far. pic.twitter.com/pWW1gZOrqz
Sometimes you just get lucky. Was tweaking this unit when my hoodie cord dropped onto the spinning pipes. This is a re-enactment. pic.twitter.com/AXKWZgkXpS
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) June 5, 2019
Wonky pan pipe sequencer thingy. pic.twitter.com/ZcsM2Khcfm
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) May 24, 2019
Big rework of the tappers in this today. Some fettling still required but behold, a wind-up sequencer of tappy things! pic.twitter.com/loQ5exw5mY
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) May 23, 2019
Ha ! 👀 @grahamdunning pic.twitter.com/bmPcBtyZPc
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) May 9, 2019
My First Organ Pipe. pic.twitter.com/freHUx67B6
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) February 21, 2019
Gradually getting somewhere with the overtone beast… pic.twitter.com/w19xL3XPq5
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 13, 2019
Now with added noise! pic.twitter.com/zXqhGbUdMH
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) April 23, 2019
Just your regular reminder that cranked bat detectors make mighty fine noise synths. pic.twitter.com/XlBpAxE6o2
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) April 13, 2019
This is why I am so slow at getting stuff done. I put three broom handles down for measuring and then this happens. pic.twitter.com/70nMaP00c4
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) April 20, 2019
Video doesn’t get the bass across very well but shows how the mallet is used and held like a cigar between index and middle finger. pic.twitter.com/ItviyKDAdG
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 12, 2019
Oh the joy of an acoustic feedback sustainer and a two-stringed drone resonator instrument. pic.twitter.com/ZY5ChLzTQR
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 20, 2019
Here’s a not very good demo. pic.twitter.com/N04bHpndBa
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 19, 2019
Have been working on this wire and magnet rhythm machine for this year’s COLLAB FEB with @ranjit …
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) February 26, 2019
Time to bang some decent cameras and mics on this! pic.twitter.com/kYSngrktau
Am particularly pleased with the reed sucker! pic.twitter.com/PVEJw9utdP
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) February 26, 2019
And your regular reminder that a piezo element as speaker stylus (with amp stage) also makes a mighty fine noise synth.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) April 13, 2019
Nowt to stop you attaching an audio out for a feed to other kit either. pic.twitter.com/YNkRQiA0W9
But what does it do? Well, it’s a sort of rotary string sequencer.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 19, 2019
cc/ @jarkman pic.twitter.com/GYm80shRnn
Gotta throw some decent mics at it annnnnd the transducer is getting mighty warm (!) but a fine start down the Tuba Through Gong road. Sounds sweeeeet in the room. pic.twitter.com/TbJAuF5BWp
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) December 11, 2018
Hah. Because the sounds this DJ thingy makes when bent has always reminded me of Mark Fell and because it has an audio in…this happened. pic.twitter.com/4bwsify4Nb
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) October 31, 2018
And with a drone-sack…that needs a bit of refinement.@LeafcutterJohn pic.twitter.com/hUQSAiuj1r
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) November 9, 2018
Today's experiment #1.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) November 28, 2018
Better implementation of Mammoth Beat Organ concussion bellows, using both sides of blower. Still room for many improvements (!) but have never been able to run close to this slowly before! 👍🏼@grahamdunning pic.twitter.com/qv3PoQ3j5B
Today's #Makevember is all about organ pipes, again. A somewhat more refined (ish) reed pipe and a fipple pipe.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) November 6, 2018
Interestingly the reed one bends the note when overblown, whereas the fipple pipe jumps to a higher harmonic. pic.twitter.com/fIB2lRCEUy
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) December 8, 2018
Snippet of me dabbling with it. pic.twitter.com/dqXCDMTZZk
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) September 6, 2018
Today’s experiment #1. Putting it all together. Beats / strings / bike! pic.twitter.com/BiJWnOPjhO
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) July 31, 2018
Update. MORE COWBELL! pic.twitter.com/6LnMxcXiKw
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) July 30, 2018
Today’s experiment #1. Hacksaw blade drum machine. Complete with slapstick ending. pic.twitter.com/ejlsAMG0sN
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) July 30, 2018
Today’s experiment #2.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) July 19, 2018
(This one—inexplicably—in vertical format) pic.twitter.com/XIXju3RhWQ
Today’s experiment #1.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) July 19, 2018
The moment you attach a thing to a proper (or even a shonky) drive system instead of handcranking it is always joyful! pic.twitter.com/ofgF3RT5Zg
Today’s experiment #1. Testing this inverse hurdy-gurdy drone thingy for my installation with Sarah Kenchington at @fullofnoises
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) July 18, 2018
(Using some prototype parts from the first ever @MUInstruments commission) pic.twitter.com/g86s43r6ZT
Meanwhile, today’s experiment #1. Me bowing a filler scraper. pic.twitter.com/1EKopZZsEH
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) July 13, 2018
Still can’t record due to THE BELLS! But preparing some stuff for when they finally STFU. pic.twitter.com/eNOIyES7z6
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) July 12, 2018
Paging @grahamdunning !
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) June 14, 2018
(Pheasant approves anyway ;) pic.twitter.com/tq2Tqmu9e0
Well, it’s nothing if not a prototype :/
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) April 11, 2018
Next step, bigger auspuff! pic.twitter.com/qUI4QhHueS
Testing a birdsong instrument for a workshop. One that doesn’t require participants to have a degree in musical instrument / watch making. Not bad for how simple it is. Bit more alarm call than song maybe? pic.twitter.com/CVXwUFklGM
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) April 10, 2018
More instantly rewarding than I anticipated; although it worked better before I washed my hands. Has no rosin on though! And Bonus Long String Twang. pic.twitter.com/rAcSFtoDwf
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) April 10, 2018
Today’s experiment #2
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 21, 2018
Eerie string drones with outer edge of same disc. pic.twitter.com/pfrXOyNnwA
Humble beginnings…@grahamdunning pic.twitter.com/5fbNXzayoZ
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) February 23, 2019
Not playing quite as I’d like yet but can you imagine @heather_roche or @themadwort tearing it up on this thing? pic.twitter.com/0z6NruuNjl
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 11, 2018
Yup! Much quicker to express and capable of greater range with a piece of spring/piano wire through the middle.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 10, 2018
(Some of us have this stuff lying about @GuyBirkin :)) pic.twitter.com/ORBBpaQGiv
Could do with being springier but does a half decent job as a drum scraper too. #DRONE pic.twitter.com/9tE003Esbf
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 10, 2018
One of the most immediately rewarding areas of instrument design for me is that of exploring beaters and scrapers and bows and the like.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 10, 2018
Just a bouncy ball attached to a bike spoke. pic.twitter.com/2jaWbC1Cgm
Uhhh, yep! Needs a bass amp though. Goes stupidly low. Rattled my pre-amp onto the floor :( pic.twitter.com/vDcZ7OSwOG
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 9, 2018
Nah. Was not anticipating this! Could sound BIG with a guitar pickup I imagine. pic.twitter.com/CgY2oH9vLO
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 9, 2018
This sample set is going to have some wild organic sounds on it. Some barely playable instruments and experiments. This wheezy beast for example. pic.twitter.com/gIhQprm72L
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 9, 2018
Ooh! An initial prototype of a step-sequenced windchest thingy!
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 8, 2018
As with all good prototypes, plenty learnt / to develop. pic.twitter.com/2N1I4XXbrU
As I record all these things properly for this @ZERO_G_LTD sample collection, with @sibegg, I am left wondering why I don’t make my “electronic music” like this normally…duh! pic.twitter.com/XYcnX9uvYs
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 4, 2018
Letting gravity (and the vibration of the transducer) shape this drone by moving the contact mic across the cymbal.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 3, 2018
(One for you @sibegg) pic.twitter.com/KVq4wQ5J6T
Have made a machine that wheezes. A lot of effort for that but a very useful first prototype in a project @grahamdunning and I hope to start in earnest dreckly. pic.twitter.com/0CmOoqwYhD
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) February 20, 2018
Ohhhh, how embarrassing am I? Am thinking of playing this piece of plumbing alongside @onoryoko’s delightful 🎷 pic.twitter.com/RpbWzB7bxy
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) February 15, 2018
Today’s experiment #1. Round bead in a balloon.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) February 13, 2018
Was expecting percussive sounds…not playable pitched sounds. This is why we experiment :) pic.twitter.com/Nwy1XYRArK
A somewhat convoluted demo.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) February 8, 2018
(Need a hardware sine generator. My old one broke. Phone ok as substitute until you want easy video option!) pic.twitter.com/oAl63VZ0vR
Turning to this old @MUInstruments prototype for my last seed piece for @onoryoko to play over.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) January 23, 2018
I am sure @dhmorton will be chuffed to see it used :) pic.twitter.com/9voPuifZJ8
Awww, the cable is a bit heavy for her… pic.twitter.com/G1SxkYPWRN
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) January 23, 2018
Test #2. Power starve. Instant Mark Fell. pic.twitter.com/uj2aCiHXcr
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) January 12, 2018
Today's experiment #1.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) September 22, 2017
FEEDBACK HAMSTER! pic.twitter.com/CzGGEM5C0D
Today's experiment #4.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) September 22, 2017
Snippet of some organic droney feedback. pic.twitter.com/YXMqYU267b
Today's experiment #1.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) October 15, 2017
Testing the circuit. WIN! pic.twitter.com/Lkax9TVvSh
Today's experiment #3.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) September 22, 2017
…which of course means FILTHY PENDULUM MUSIC! pic.twitter.com/Y8yUa0oTcJ
Today's experiment #3.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) September 29, 2017
Some dirty MIDI controlled motors. pic.twitter.com/kZcCr30b4j
Today's experiment #1.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) September 29, 2017
Ultrasonic audience participation! pic.twitter.com/KOPtOFhl20
Today's experiment #2.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) September 29, 2017
From audience member point of view and through the feedback cymbals. pic.twitter.com/AjFIFGHRv5
Oh dear, Feedback Hamster may have had his day. This is sounding bonkers good and more direct visually too. Hmmm. pic.twitter.com/BWSB9hQyKu
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) October 17, 2017
Today's experiment #2.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) October 15, 2017
Hmmm. It came with a nice box and a clever roll-feeder for playing music but… pic.twitter.com/OzBeJTEjZJ
This sort of thing.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) September 28, 2017
(And yes, I do always were those clothes when twatting about in the studio.) pic.twitter.com/h52p1YhZ0O
Today's experiment #6.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) September 8, 2017
Feedback mouse. pic.twitter.com/KhTOlL69PI
Today's experiment #2.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) June 25, 2017
DRONE! pic.twitter.com/CMgNyOm8eJ
Today's experiment #4.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) September 8, 2017
Astable drone drum. pic.twitter.com/WWEMMqrXVl
Today's experiment #1. pic.twitter.com/2KeCKOjaoR
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) June 25, 2017
Today's experiment #3.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) June 24, 2017
SNARE RUSH! pic.twitter.com/Mlx07CquNN
Today's experiment #2.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) June 24, 2017
It's a vicious sod! Lid off already. Let's add more off-centre weight to the "flywheel"… pic.twitter.com/X6t1R5nHIC
Today's experiment #1. pic.twitter.com/X8a2gvxVqa
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) June 24, 2017
Today's experiment #3c.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) June 14, 2017
Fidget Spinner horn with acceleration! Should work without glitch with one set of stronger magnets… pic.twitter.com/AH5Cl1UwUT
Today's experiment #3b. And then there were two!
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) June 14, 2017
Fidget Spinner pipes. pic.twitter.com/0eBNdy2qMP
Today's experiment #3. My favourite.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) June 14, 2017
Fidget Spinner blocking air. pic.twitter.com/RpJcPVBXOz
Today's experiment #2.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) June 14, 2017
Fidget Spinner blocking light. pic.twitter.com/t72JUXDEVb
Today's experiment #1.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) June 14, 2017
Fidget spinner with neodyms, pickup and bass amp. pic.twitter.com/7cs1gx3htZ
Today's experiment #1.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) May 16, 2017
Arse-controlled pitch. pic.twitter.com/9ETSNrd4j3
Today's experiment #2.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) May 9, 2017
Hmmm. In the words of Julius Sumner Miller, "an experiment never fails…" pic.twitter.com/ssp57rIsBu
Today's experiment #3.
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) May 7, 2017
The Urnophone. Don't sweat it, he'd have definitely approved ☺️ pic.twitter.com/WR5gmhKEk1
Today's experiment #1. Ouch. pic.twitter.com/EgoUUBdd1K
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) May 7, 2017
The bonus though is what they sound like together! Covering the holes changes the resonance of the cavity, so BEATS by moving them around :) pic.twitter.com/hUrHMMCMMQ
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) April 13, 2017
Today's experiment #2 pic.twitter.com/CFkxlIvahS
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) April 10, 2017
Played this way it sounds rather like a tape-based synth. pic.twitter.com/voPhATZuiZ
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 23, 2017
Today's experiment #1 pic.twitter.com/uYPvEp6ZmV
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) March 23, 2017
Added some tone holes to the straw sax I am making for the @cheltfestivals Ear Candy sonic vending machines! #Jazzhttps://t.co/o2neKR51zV pic.twitter.com/I92LAuYf9v
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) February 21, 2017
Posted without comment… pic.twitter.com/GVXww0EgKd
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) July 20, 2016
Testing out some multiphonics with the signalling horns I made as part of @grahamdunning's thing at @fortprocess pic.twitter.com/b3YbdQfSmO
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) October 1, 2016
[THSH AiR006] Angry bird Sonic Graffiti: https://t.co/GFGoVUAcUj | pic.twitter.com/yOVBPGmavm
— Sam Underwood (@misterunderwood) July 9, 2013