I have started to log key areas of my research in, what will eventually become, sprawling posts on the subject. These will feature the latest findings at the top and act a some sort of replacement for my now defunct Twitter feed, where I would often post rambling threads on a topic that featured multiple video demos. Where relevant, they will also feature design files, links to parts etc…for those wishing to build on my experiments.

Machines perform some musical tasks with ease but others are out of reach. One could spend a lifetime trying (and failing) to perfect a motorised embouchure and air pressure control system that could play a brass instrument, or you could design something that works better within the context. This is where my exploration of latex sounders began. I had been using balloon membranes with my tuba mouthpiece for years, since first seeing Sarah Kenchington using this approach to sound her ‘trumpets’, so I knew the potential in this context.

When Miles The Intern came to work here, we set about exploring the opportunities presented by latex as a vibrating membrane. This holds a lot of appeal to me both for use in my machines and more broadly. I love any instrument approaches that provide immediate access to sound making – lowering the barrier to entry.

Starter for 10…

After a day of playing with ideas here Miles turned up on Day Two with this. We both fell in love with it but neither of us knew where it might lead…