An exercise in muscle powered sound synthesis

We will convert hand-crank powered flashlights to off-grid sound machines. What could be the hurdy-gurdy of a post-apocalyptic world, will be built from used electric torches and scrapped electronics. The outcome of this endeavour will be situated anywhere between musical instrument and ritualistic artefact of cacophony.

When playing the sound tool, the movement of the hand directly translates to the voltage the synthesizer receives, enabling the musician to explore soundscapes at the fringe of a working circuit.

The project imagines a world without batteries, where hand-held devices only receive power generated in situ.

An exercise in muscle powered sound synthesis is a project by Thomas Preindl.