2024... May all your wishes be in 3D
3D printed Christmas Tree by Orpheus Instituut
A 3D holiday wish printed just for you... but you might be wondering why we even have a 3D printer on the premises. It's not like every music institute has one. So, instead of telling you about all the incredible cool research we do that involves 3D-printing, let us show you.
Electroacoustic Clavichord by Nicholas Brown © N.G. Brown 2023
Bebung I by Nicholas Brown
In his latest musical venture, Nicholas Brown unveils 'An Instrument in Dialogue with the Circumstances of its Construction,' the inaugural piece of his BEBUNG album, supported by a grant from The Arts Council of Ireland. Brown's innovative electroacoustic clavichord, completed in 2023, serves as the canvas for a unique exploration. A standout feature is the incorporation of 3D-printed keys, a deliberate choice reflecting Brown's endeavour to blend 15th-century clavichord plans with 21st-century technology. The musical material, sourced from a 3D printer's production of twenty-five key levers using polylactic acid, forms the foundation of BEBUNG I. Brown's transformative approach involves translating the printer's rhythmic creation into standard musical notation using the 'Ears' library from the Bach Project in Max, revealing a fascinating intersection of musical creativity, technology, and the tactile nature of 3D printing for musical research.
3D Musings by Paulo Dantas.
Throughout this year's last semester, Paulo Dantas has designed and printed tools to help him create prototypes of electronic instruments. Also, the resulting instrumentarium itself contains 3d printed objects that function as supporting pillars, as "analogue wavetables" and as ornaments. These electronic instruments interact with field recordings - mainly taken in urban contexts -, the combination suggesting a sort of extended city.
The making of...
Here you can watch the very satisfying making of the star of this year's holiday card: our Christmas tree. Of course, we couldn't just print any tree. Have you found the hidden G clef yet?