How to Make Embedded Acoustic Instruments

Edgar Berdahl

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract

An embedded acoustic instrument is an embedded musical instrument that provides a direct acoustic output. This paper describes how to make embedded acoustic instruments using laser cutting for digital fabrication. Several tips are given for improving the acoustic quality including: employing maximally stiff material, placing loudspeaker drivers in the corners of enclosure faces, increasing the stiffness of ``loudspeaker'' faces by doubling their thickness, choosing side-lengths with non-integer ratios, and incorporating bracing. Various versions of an open design of the ``LapBox'' are provided to help community members replicate and extend the work. A procedure is suggested for testing and optimizing the acoustic quality.

Citation

Edgar Berdahl. 2014. How to Make Embedded Acoustic Instruments. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1178710

BibTeX Entry

@inproceedings{eberdahl2014,
 abstract = {An embedded acoustic instrument is an embedded musical instrument that provides a direct acoustic output. This paper describes how to make embedded acoustic instruments using laser cutting for digital fabrication. Several tips are given for improving the acoustic quality including: employing maximally stiff material, placing loudspeaker drivers in the corners of enclosure faces, increasing the stiffness of ``loudspeaker'' faces by doubling their thickness, choosing side-lengths with non-integer ratios, and incorporating bracing. Various versions of an open design of the ``LapBox'' are provided to help community members replicate and extend the work. A procedure is suggested for testing and optimizing the acoustic quality.},
 address = {London, United Kingdom},
 author = {Edgar Berdahl},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.1178710},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {June},
 pages = {140--143},
 publisher = {Goldsmiths, University of London},
 title = {How to Make Embedded Acoustic Instruments},
 url = {http://www.nime.org/proceedings/2014/nime2014_551.pdf},
 year = {2014}
}