Experiment with spring steel
Sound machine called "Snapper"
This is an experiment I did with a 3" wide band of spring steel animated by a servo motor. The steel is clamped onto 2 shafts that can rock back and forth at varying speeds. Changing the speeds causes the steel to move in a rhythmic manner varying from steady to unstable.Video was shot in my studio
Side story The Snapper is an example of 3"x .025" spring steel placed under evolving tension
Matt Heckert
: Machine,sound,instrument builder
I began building machines and crating soundtracks with Survival Research Laboratories in the 1980s. During this approximately 8 year period, working on performance machines and soundtracks led me to attempt building machines for their acoustic qualities, I began imagining entire performances with only sound machines.
Eventually I set out with the intention to pursue this idea machine sound performances. I wanted to have computer control over the motions as a compositional aid and would only use sound that could be generated in the moment and not use recorded or synthesized sound. I called these performances Mechanical Sound Orchestra. I staged performances in the US and Europe for more than a decade. Along the way I did sound installations and some collaborations with other artists. eg Paul Drescher Ensemble and Time's Up! in Austria.
Eventually I set out with the intention to pursue this idea machine sound performances. I wanted to have computer control over the motions as a compositional aid and would only use sound that could be generated in the moment and not use recorded or synthesized sound. I called these performances Mechanical Sound Orchestra. I staged performances in the US and Europe for more than a decade. Along the way I did sound installations and some collaborations with other artists. eg Paul Drescher Ensemble and Time's Up! in Austria.
Connect with Matt Heckert