This instrument combines pipe organ and Theremin. The pipes are sound generators and sensors for proximity at the same time. Accordingly a distant position sends a small amount of air through the pipes, which creates soft overtones, fffffrrrrs, humming and hissing. Thus getting closer produces a full note sound.
Experimental instrument building
Technically there are three intertwining components:
– pipes that function as capacitive proximity sensors,
– hand-made arduino controlled valves that regulate the wind supply in place of an organ’s usual open/close key mechanism and
– a detailed PD programming that shapes the interaction.
Soundart
The instrument may either be played ‚plain‘ with a direct relation of proximity and the amount of wind (air in organ building jargon), or in addition extented with further reaction details which may be programmed as part of the composition.
This novel organ gives composers and musicians direct access to overtones, noise, microtones, and microtonal shifts.
Originally created for the sound installation close | distant, it has since formed the basis for the installation none, NOISE of WAR and the projects Intertones 1, 2 & 3.
The project is open to collaborations. If you’re interested—or would like to build an organ like this yourself—please feel free to get in touch.
people involved
The project was startet in 2021 as a collaboration of Heike Kaltenbrunner and Mathias Lenz and was furhermore realised from 2022 – 2023 in Vienna , Berlin and Linz with the help of various artists and makers.
idea, concept | Heike Kaltenbrunner
mechanical engineering, wind-control | Mathias Lenz
arduino / C | Mathias Lenz, Frank Dietrich
sensors | Mathias Lenz, Sukandar Kartadinata, Frank Dietrich
PD-programming | Oliver Stotz, Marcus Zepp, Heike Kaltenbrunner
pipes | Walther Vonbank
electrotechnical advancements, 3D printing | Boris Shershenkov
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Many thanks to:
all contributors! and Manuel Mayr for music theoretical advice, Kunstverein das weisse haus for hosting our prototyping session in vienna, Schrattenberg for accomodation in Styria, our families for all the suppurt: Florian, Erika, Christine, Carola und Jutta; Networking support by: Michael Thieke, Burkhard Stangl & Michael Vorfeld; Kirche zur Heimat for letting me exploring on their organ; Lisbeth Kovacic for the photo documentation, Sabine Marte for the stand; Manfred Miersch & Medienwerkstatt Berlin for help and for providing this wonderful infrastructure; Todd Anderson for English translations, Rainer Nass for soldering, Alexander Moosbrugger; Westbahnstudios, Peter Kutin, Chukwudi Chime, Errant Sound, Steffi Weismann, TAM-Lab;
