I really wanted to make myself a primitive oboe, but when I was crazy about the complexity of making a reed for it, I had to abandon this idea. It will be necessary to try to make at least a membrane clarinet.
Use a plastic drinking straw! I've had good success using that with PVC and some styrofoam to stop the end. All you really need to do is flatten the end of the straw with your teeth, and then you can mess with the embouchure to get a decent sound. (Another tip: minimize the distance between the end of the straw and the instrument, as the straw can vibrate in the exposed air and mess with your sound)
@@mantis9875, yes, I have had several experiments with it. Nothing particularly useful came out. Somehow, if I'm not too lazy, I'll look for a pack of straws and will continue to "have fun" with them.
A friend of mine makes excelent reeds for bag pipes from zylindrical jogurt cups (poly styrol). Best are cups that weren´t heated all the way throu the forming process, so the lower part of is stiffer whilst the upper part is a bit more flexible. Cut out two identical stripes with strongly trimmed corners on the lower (more flexible) end it can even be the shape of a stripe with a triangle at one side. Sand an angle on the long edges, so when you put them over each other they have more contact surfice. Fixate a small part (ca. 1/5 of the whole length) of the triangle side on a tiny brass pipe with some thin wier, also one turn of wire around the middle of the stripes, squeezed flat to aligh with the surfice of the stripes to regulate tention. Dont damage the edges. My friend used "leysing tape" to wrep around the lower half to seal the edges to the side, but this is hard to get by. PVC tape works as well (I think maybee heat could do the trick, but you can´t control the results as good). Waxed string goes around the lower part of the brass pipe for an air tight joint in the instrument. For tuning you can carefully sand the sufice of the opper third so that the reeds get lighter. Carefull, the lighter they get the more likely they are to close off.
Idea: use a slide like a trombone at the end instead of drilling holes for notes. If you're not sure where to hit the correct notes, use a tuner and slide gradually to the correct position and then use a paint pen to mark the locations.
@@NicolasBras Valves. That is the "easy" solution but multiplies the piping needed. Slides are not that easy to make, they are finicky, basically requires thin metal pipes with very fine tolerance, they need to be easy to use but strong enough to last, the weight is a huge factor. Valves are easier in that sense, they are crude and simple in that sense.
It would have to be taken from an actual trombone, it is not easy to make slides without specialized equipment. The tolerances are very fine, the weight of the thing matters and the action has to be easy without leaking. Valves are far easier to do.
I did something similar to this in high school physics class. We were told to make instruments from anything. I used a bunch of PVC pipes, a trash bag, some duct tape, and the membrane balloon idea to make bagpipes with 3 separate drones and a variable horn. They weren't tuned very well, but my physics teacher was definitely surprised.
Love what you're doing. My favourite class in university was The Physics of Music. Can't wait to see what you create next. Also impressed with the idea of sampling some of your instrruments to make new VSTis. Fantastic idea.
This is perfect to teach a child a method of sound production and how actual instruments create their sound. I bet a funnel on the end would make it sound similar to a saxophone with the plastic bag as a membrane. Subscribed.
I've folowed some of your builds in the past even though I'm not musical and can't play them. I love the sounds you produce. I'm amazed you haven't been approached by movie producers about making musical scores with sounds no one else is making, it would be incredible.
Everyone can be musical! It just takes enough interest and practice to stick with it! Keyboard is the easiest to understand theory on. A good entry level synth is a blast to just mess around on. There is a synth on the nintendo ds. Download an emulator and have some fun. Cheers.
So amazing I had to dive in head first! If you're like me and in the US and don't have easy access to metric PVC, here's some useful info I wish I'd known! According to the Construction Metrication Council, 1/2" US piping is equivalent to 15mm, and 3/4" to 20mm. Imperial measures are not exactly what they say, but short hand for their actual sizes (like 2x4 wood), hence the discrepancy. These got me close enough to at least get a 1-note instrument functioning. Also I used all pressure pipe fittings, as the other seems to be a whole other standard of sizing, despite the same numbers.... I'm about to shave down my primary pipe to get to an E. Not sure how much the slightly smaller diameter will effect the distances of the other bore holes, but fingers crossed!
The T looks like PVC Schedule 40, 1/2". By my measurements, the PVC tube is 21 mm OD / 15 mm ID. You might be talking about PEX 1/2". That's about 16 mm OD / 12 mm ID. The PEX just fits inside the PVC tube. PEX 3/4" is nearly the same size as the PVC 1/2".
@@arthureames9715 Here's how I made one: 1 1/2" Schedule 40 PVC T 2.5" 1/2" Schedule 40 PVC (white) 14.5" 1/2" PEX B or CPVC. Cut it a little long. 1 Rubber band Plastic from a shopping bag (whatever you like) Office tape 1. Insert the 2.5" PVC into the PVC T 2. Put some tape on the outside of the PEX tube so that it will seal against the PVC. Put it between 2.5" and 3.5" from one end. It will probably take more than 1 layer. 3. Push the PEX into the PVC tube taped end first. Adjust the end so that it is about even with the end of the T. 4. Put the membrane of the end of the T. Hold it in place with the rubber band. This will play G 3, the G below middle C. You can cut the tube with PVC cutters. It's much easier and cleaner than using a saw. In place of PEX B, you can use CPVC tube. It is cream colored. In my Lowes, it is in the back beyond the lawn mowers, nowhere near the white PVC tubes. CPVC is about 2x as expensive as PEX. I can't find anything in the US that looks like his conduit. I think the metric conduit doesn't meet the US electrical code.
@@arthureames9715 I haven't drilled the holes, yet. I planned on scaling the measurements in the video to 14.5 inches. The chart is at 5:23 Edit: PEX is closer to the metric sizing than CPVC.
20mm T connector (internal diameter: 20mm) 20mm coupling (internal diameter: 20mm) 20mm length of pipe >100mm (internal diameter: 16mm) 16mm length of pipe >475mm Membrane material easy to get Hope this helps! Am getting all the parts. Can't wait to try this
Oh man, perfect timing. Dad is retired woodwind repair and we have been looking for exotic instruments for a possible product. Dad is now making machines to make wooden flute head pieces (because they are ridiculously expensive..), this would fit right in as alternative head and mouth pieces for various instruments.... We got all the tools to make these from about any material... Really looking forward of seeing what you have found. And i think i'll fire up CAD and start drawing... 3D printers are AWESOME at exactly this.
3d printing was my first thought too. I wonder if using a thread to secure the membrane would help keep the tension consistent? Seems like even tension would be critical for keeping it in tune
@@mirr0rd Have first version ready and it works great.. I mean, it is just 90 degree pipes and very simple rubberband holding the membrane but.. the sound is surprisingly rich. I made a slit, not holes so i can get some "tuned" notes out, allows to mark the notes. I also found that very thin latex glove sounds better than balloon. It has its own ring so i can slot it in, that also can be used to adjust the tension. I checked the recorded waveforms and boy, does it have saxophone and clarinet written all over it. Same kind of signature, two main frequencies and then loads of harmonics, strong fundamental. It is still its' own thing, somewhere in the sax, oboe, clarinet world of sounds. My sound is very, very close to what is in this video. Am now designing a new one, it is not simple to get two pipes curved.. I was thinking of using magnetic strip for the action, so it would be stepless (there is a clarinet made using that method, its somewhere in youtube...I do have another idea too for that, too complicated to explain with words..hinged curve in a slot..) but first i have to figure out the head, that is where all the magic happens. You can also use a horn on top of the membrane to make it louder ;) Or long pipe, it gets more oomph for the bass. Also: this thing is a baritone... at the size of a freaking tin flute... It is tiny and low and also surprisingly loud if you crank up the tension. Can be played very softly too, with loose membrane but that affects tuning. Tomorrow: i'll go to my dads shop and hook me head+mouthpiece to a clarinet and saxomaphones.. Also, maybe some horns, i know from experience that you can use clarinet mouthpiece in a B horn... And the best thing? You don't have to suffer months to get a decent sound, it takes very, very little time, just breath evenly, and when the membrane tension is correct, it is very, very forgiving. You do run out of breath fast, that needs lots of tweaking to get the balance right. I'm also thinking if round shape is the best, or could it be another shape... Really excited, this is exactly what i have been looking for. I see a real product in this, both as full instrument and as exotic sax/clarinet mouthpiece.
Wow! That sounds really cool and I like how simple the membrane "reed" is. I would have never thought of that! Also, the different sounds you can get just by changing the length and/ or membrane is nice! Very cool!!
This sounds REALLY good! Would be interested in seeing the dual reed version with 2 different types of reed (glove and balloon, or glove and bag) to get a more complex timbre
Damn i've been looking into diy instruments for a couple of years now, even made some flutes which didn't work so well, but this seems like the perfect one to try again, simple, yet sounds like a propper instrument. really love the one with the drone.
I’ve been meaning to make one (or ten) of these for years. I could really stand to add some more melodic instruments to my repertoire for recording projects. I’m mostly competent at fiddle and recorder and saw for my melodies, and you really don’t wanna overdo any of those.
at 5:00, I'm curious if anyone else thinks of the ancient Greek Aulos. It worked the same way. This would be a great way of demonstrating to history and even theatre students how the aulos worked since it was integral to both practices.
Great instrument and most importantly: very very easy to build The only difficulty would be to find the right pipe and fittings in your local hardware store I'm currently working on a 3d printed "Mouthe part" so that you'd only need to buy the 16mm tube (provided you have access to a 3d printer) It also features a small screw-cap to adjust the tension of the membrane I'll post a link when it's finished
when you add that bass extension, it almost sounds like some moon hooch. As usual, another impressive instrument! I can't wait to mess around with the sample pack
I was literally waiting for this video because I saw this instrument a few times on your channel and it amazed me instantly what a beautiful sound it creates. Just like a real clarinette. Thank you very much!
Amazing, I'd like to build this some time! Regarding the blueprints: would you mind making a tutorial on how to make these some time in the future? Like, how to calculate where the tone holes should be? Do you calculate it, or just experiment with loads and loads of tubes?
The holes follow a some kind of patron related with the waves of the sound/length of the instrument, he likely took lessons on physics of music to have an idea on how to tune all that without a mess of try and error
@@Alexjandro1991 yeah i get that, i know how the physics of this works, but what i don't know is how to calculate the positions of the toneholes, especially accounting for things like the width and shape (cylindrical x conical) of the tube. There's got to be some formula for this or something, because even if you understand the physics of it very intimately, you can't just guesstimate where the toneholes should be and make the instrument perfectly in tune. some calculations need to be done, and if not, lots of iterations do.
@@mymo_in_Bb : I don't know if anyone has worked out a formula (and if so, it should depend on shape), but essentially you do the same measurements with all of the other dimensions, because they roughly speaking just affect which harmonics/overtones are generated. You can emphasise some for "sweet" tones, or others for "sour" tones. Lengths "downwind" of the note you're covering should, if I recall correctly, do the same, so the extra length from your last tone hole to the end of the instrument _can_ matter & be tuned. A good place to look is probably anywhere that talks about organ pipes, as they use both cylindrical ones _and square._ Also of note, cylindrical, conical, parabolic, and hyperbolic sections should all produce different emphases on the harmonics, and if you look up "impedance mismatching", that should apply to mixing different sizes and shapes of sections- essentially, you're just producing a filter for wind (DC) and sound (AC), so if you're really interested in the math then all of that stuff should apply.
Please never stop this ! Your passion is passionating and ins-pirating even the way you play music captivate my imagination. Thanks you for your work !
I was experimenting and found a unique sound that's smoother and less horn-like. Using a T-connector with locking ends used in plumbing, I found I can very easily add a membrane just as before. But, because I don't fasten it all the way down (I can't or it tightens too much) there is a hole left open. I put a NERF rival ball inside the small cup end and taped it (making sure there was enough of the gap for air to escape) , and it added tension to the membrane. I could almost compare it to a snare (and you can hear it with less air the vibration like a snare drum) but it makes it a smooth sound. I also noticed it made the pitch VERY consistent. Usually with less pressure the note changes drastically. But this modification retains pitch with pressure. This is such a fun instrument to make. I love your work. Thank you!
0:58 eat your heart out, Charley Parker 😊 The red balloon bagpipes ... The sound of it reminds me of a grumpy old man. I get an image of the old man from the Up moonlighting as a street musician. 😊
I just made one of these (right after discovering this video) using materials I had handy, including a thin-walled plastic tube I had already prepared (long ago) to make a low whistle, but never got around to figuring out a mouthpiece. Getting the membrane to sound was easy - but the math for where the holes go and how big they have to be is completely different from a whistle! (And you can't get an octave by overblowing, in fact overblowing seems to bend the pitch *down*.) I had to stop adjusting the tuning when some of the holes reached the maximum size my fingers can cover, and now it's in kind of a weird but funky scale. Maybe I'll try again with another tube later.
I was thinking the one with a drone sounded kinda like a bagpipe, and then you just went and made a single-bag bagpipe from it! Legend! I love those beat frequencies.
Holy shit this makes so much sense though! Like, the physics behind this is *astonishingly* elegant. The membrane moves to permit the passage of air but shuts in an oscillating motion. Once you have an oscillation, creating notes is merely a matter of controlling the frequency. And it sounds _so fucking beautiful!_ Somehow it seems incredibly futuristic, like a sci fi instrument... And yet the mechanics behind it are so simple, almost _maximally, optimally simple,_ like some kind of ideal platonic distillation of sound itself...!
holy wow. so cool! I've been kicking around the idea of building a PVC midi pipe organ after seeing look mum no computer's organ. First I want to build one with my kid, and the I want to build hundreds with different membranes and make an organ.
I just subscribed to you + i have lots of memories coming trough my mind right now, when i was like 5 or 6 i always used to make a membrane instrument when my mother used to end parchment paper or aluminium foil, she gave me the inner cardboard tube and i always asked hed for a glove to make a very primitive bagpipe instrument, by perfecting this i discovered that the glove membrane could vibrate and i just enjoyed those evenings playing this instrument. THANKS a LOT for just the memories you just gave me!
I had a medium sized pvc pipe and a bigger one, so i cut a hole in the bigger one to put my mouth, used an elastic band to put the membrane in place and a piece of rubber to make the seal. Works great! I then eyeballed the holes and managed to have a sort of arabic melody. Lots of fun!
This is really interesting! I hadn't thought of that. I've made fipple flutes before -- I was lucky to have an opportunity to work with a Native American flute master in Oklahoma who taught me how to do it. But I've never made a reed instrument despite clarinet being my primary wind instrument. The expressiveness of this instrument makes it a very tempting thing to try to build! I wonder if I could make the reed assembly modular so they can be swapped out quickly for different timbres. The engineer in me wants to experiment with adding keys instead of just holes. I'm curious if it's possible to find a conical pipe for a reasonable price to make it more of a saxophone. I'm no good at sax (my clarinet embouchure already has too much pressure, I was up to #5 reeds at one point, and I struggle so much with sax embouchure) but a soft reed version that doesn't have that problem might be cool.
Here's an idea: put a check valve in between the mouthpiece and the rest of the instrument, attatch 3 extra tubes tuned to either 1 5 1 or 1 5 3 and put a balloon on the instrument side, then tune the membrane up really high. Now you don't have to hold your mouth on it anymore and you have an autobagpipe-clarinet-horn thing.
This is exciting to me because I have been pondering for decades on how to make a "Trumpet" sound without making the original Brass instrument Embouchure.
Dude you are amazing, the amount of times i just stumble on your channel because of the sheer presence of your knowledge and work is stunning , great work!
Finally got it together today. I tried both options - both clarinet and saxophone. It's amazing how the same technology can simulate two different instruments! Still, the plastic doesn't sound very nice. Then I will try to use cardboard and metal tubes, and if I get completely excited, I will cut it out of wood.
Excellent instrument and explanation, as always. Now try this: stretch a wider membrane (eg cling wrap) over a salad bowl, bring it to your lips as if drinking from it and blow. The sound is amazing. Slowly swelling and cross-fading harmonics. Warning: it takes a lot of air! I have also seen some drummers (eg Tatsuya Nakatani) turn their snare drum into an aerophone by pressing a mouthpiece onto the drum head.
For the bagpipe effect you need a non return valve dummy! Now build it because i cannot wait to hear what it will really sound like. Well done on creativity. If you had the same passion for the bible, you would have been able to recite it word for word by now. Thanks for the video, totally enjoyable. .
I've been experimenting with this instrument with different pipe lengths for the last few days and i'm really happy with the results, i'm really impressed with your work, thanks for sharing your work with us, The only problem i noticed with my version of the membrane flute is my T conector is a little bit bigger than my pipe and that single thing changed the fundamental note, i'm using a 13 mm pipe and a 25 mm T conector because for me 20 mm T conectors was too tight and hard to work with, it still gets the job done but the whole scale gets affected by the size of the conector. Saludos desde méxico 😁
Nicolas ...Just when I thought I'd seen everything you come along and shatter my illusion !!!! I am a bit vexed though. Why oh why didn't I discover this amazing phenomena many years ago when I was involved in children's kazoo bands ? I was also involved in pipe bands. Oh the fun I could have had. Perhaps this would have been a life changer for me. What if the singing pitch is altered as well as the fingering ? The mind boggles over the possibilities 😱 This is now my next project. Thank you so much. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Awesome. About a year ago I watched a video about making a reed thpe instrument from a straw, which was great, but this is the video that needs to extend on that for young and old learners. Great work
I've also had a lot of fun with this concept - my five cents: 1) the tone height and quality can be affected and manipulated by touching/pressing the membrane directly - good for producing glissandi or forcing overtones (my instruments did not have finger holes so I had free hand for doing so...) 2) finger can be inserted into the end of the tube for pitch change (horn players know the trick :-) 3) this is an excellent instrument for learning and practising circular breathing - especially when using a small-diameter plastic tube as air inlet instead of open hole; no embouchure, the air consumption is quite low and the resistance of the membrane can easily be adjusted.
Conversion from Metric to US sizes: Size PEX CPVC PVC Sch. 40 16mm 1/2" 1/2" 3/8" 20mm 3/4" 3/4" 1/2" 25mm 1" 1" 3/4" These conversions are approximate. None of them match exactly. The PEX dimensions are closest to the metric tubing. PEX = Cross-linked Polyethylene CPVC = Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride PVC = Polyvinyl Chloride
J'en ai fabriqué une aujourd'hui, et franchement, ça sonne fort !!!! Le problème, ce sont les trous dont on doit trouver les emplacements par rapport a l'ergonomie... Le prototype est bon cela dit, merci Nicolas ! Continues, c'est magique
I really wanted to make myself a primitive oboe, but when I was crazy about the complexity of making a reed for it, I had to abandon this idea. It will be necessary to try to make at least a membrane clarinet.
Use a plastic drinking straw! I've had good success using that with PVC and some styrofoam to stop the end. All you really need to do is flatten the end of the straw with your teeth, and then you can mess with the embouchure to get a decent sound. (Another tip: minimize the distance between the end of the straw and the instrument, as the straw can vibrate in the exposed air and mess with your sound)
Yeah 1 Reed always easier than 2
@@mantis9875, yes, I have had several experiments with it. Nothing particularly useful came out. Somehow, if I'm not too lazy, I'll look for a pack of straws and will continue to "have fun" with them.
🍝
A friend of mine makes excelent reeds for bag pipes from zylindrical jogurt cups (poly styrol). Best are cups that weren´t heated all the way throu the forming process, so the lower part of is stiffer whilst the upper part is a bit more flexible. Cut out two identical stripes with strongly trimmed corners on the lower (more flexible) end it can even be the shape of a stripe with a triangle at one side. Sand an angle on the long edges, so when you put them over each other they have more contact surfice. Fixate a small part (ca. 1/5 of the whole length) of the triangle side on a tiny brass pipe with some thin wier, also one turn of wire around the middle of the stripes, squeezed flat to aligh with the surfice of the stripes to regulate tention. Dont damage the edges. My friend used "leysing tape" to wrep around the lower half to seal the edges to the side, but this is hard to get by. PVC tape works as well (I think maybee heat could do the trick, but you can´t control the results as good). Waxed string goes around the lower part of the brass pipe for an air tight joint in the instrument. For tuning you can carefully sand the sufice of the opper third so that the reeds get lighter. Carefull, the lighter they get the more likely they are to close off.
Idea: use a slide like a trombone at the end instead of drilling holes for notes.
If you're not sure where to hit the correct notes, use a tuner and slide gradually to the correct position and then use a paint pen to mark the locations.
I have a slide for the drone part, but only for fine tuning!
@@NicolasBras Valves. That is the "easy" solution but multiplies the piping needed. Slides are not that easy to make, they are finicky, basically requires thin metal pipes with very fine tolerance, they need to be easy to use but strong enough to last, the weight is a huge factor. Valves are easier in that sense, they are crude and simple in that sense.
It would have to be taken from an actual trombone, it is not easy to make slides without specialized equipment. The tolerances are very fine, the weight of the thing matters and the action has to be easy without leaking. Valves are far easier to do.
@@squidcaps4308 pvc slides are disturbingly simple and easy to make. 2mm wall thickness, 5mm inner pipe 7mm outer pipe and boom, perfect slide.
@@squidcaps4308 wait, so my cardboard tubes and PVC pipes count as specialized equipment now??
Sweet!
After watching a video on Hanz Zimmer's work on Dune, he needs to hire you! This kind of creativity should not go unrecognised!
If Hans call I'll come!
@@NicolasBras how could you not?
@HansZimmer
I did something similar to this in high school physics class. We were told to make instruments from anything. I used a bunch of PVC pipes, a trash bag, some duct tape, and the membrane balloon idea to make bagpipes with 3 separate drones and a variable horn. They weren't tuned very well, but my physics teacher was definitely surprised.
The Duduk sound is so haunting. Impressive that you can create this sound with DIY materials.
Love what you're doing. My favourite class in university was The Physics of Music. Can't wait to see what you create next. Also impressed with the idea of sampling some of your instrruments to make new VSTis. Fantastic idea.
Thanks a lot!
The simple balloon instrument is utterly fascinating
This is perfect to teach a child a method of sound production and how actual instruments create their sound. I bet a funnel on the end would make it sound similar to a saxophone with the plastic bag as a membrane. Subscribed.
I've folowed some of your builds in the past even though I'm not musical and can't play them. I love the sounds you produce. I'm amazed you haven't been approached by movie producers about making musical scores with sounds no one else is making, it would be incredible.
Everyone can be musical! It just takes enough interest and practice to stick with it!
Keyboard is the easiest to understand theory on. A good entry level synth is a blast to just mess around on. There is a synth on the nintendo ds. Download an emulator and have some fun.
Cheers.
probably 'cause a fair amount of well-known composers already use improvised instruments, like Mick Gordon
So amazing I had to dive in head first! If you're like me and in the US and don't have easy access to metric PVC, here's some useful info I wish I'd known! According to the Construction Metrication Council, 1/2" US piping is equivalent to 15mm, and 3/4" to 20mm. Imperial measures are not exactly what they say, but short hand for their actual sizes (like 2x4 wood), hence the discrepancy. These got me close enough to at least get a 1-note instrument functioning. Also I used all pressure pipe fittings, as the other seems to be a whole other standard of sizing, despite the same numbers.... I'm about to shave down my primary pipe to get to an E. Not sure how much the slightly smaller diameter will effect the distances of the other bore holes, but fingers crossed!
The T looks like PVC Schedule 40, 1/2". By my measurements, the PVC tube is 21 mm OD / 15 mm ID.
You might be talking about PEX 1/2". That's about 16 mm OD / 12 mm ID. The PEX just fits inside the PVC tube.
PEX 3/4" is nearly the same size as the PVC 1/2".
Any luck with imperial measurements and building one of these in the U.S.?
@@arthureames9715 Here's how I made one:
1 1/2" Schedule 40 PVC T
2.5" 1/2" Schedule 40 PVC (white)
14.5" 1/2" PEX B or CPVC. Cut it a little long.
1 Rubber band
Plastic from a shopping bag (whatever you like)
Office tape
1. Insert the 2.5" PVC into the PVC T
2. Put some tape on the outside of the PEX tube so that it will seal against the PVC. Put it between 2.5" and 3.5" from one end. It will probably take more than 1 layer.
3. Push the PEX into the PVC tube taped end first. Adjust the end so that it is about even with the end of the T.
4. Put the membrane of the end of the T. Hold it in place with the rubber band.
This will play G 3, the G below middle C.
You can cut the tube with PVC cutters. It's much easier and cleaner than using a saw.
In place of PEX B, you can use CPVC tube. It is cream colored. In my Lowes, it is in the back beyond the lawn mowers, nowhere near the white PVC tubes. CPVC is about 2x as expensive as PEX.
I can't find anything in the US that looks like his conduit. I think the metric conduit doesn't meet the US electrical code.
@@peterbonucci9661 Thank you; that is awesome. One more question; how did you figure out your finger hole size and placement?
@@arthureames9715 I haven't drilled the holes, yet. I planned on scaling the measurements in the video to 14.5 inches. The chart is at 5:23
Edit: PEX is closer to the metric sizing than CPVC.
20mm T connector (internal diameter: 20mm)
20mm coupling (internal diameter: 20mm)
20mm length of pipe >100mm (internal diameter: 16mm)
16mm length of pipe >475mm
Membrane material easy to get
Hope this helps! Am getting all the parts. Can't wait to try this
AMAZING! You made some pipe sound like Terry Riley! My project for Christmas! Thank you, Nicolas!
Thanks, have a good DIY!
Oh my God, he just showed so many ideas in just one video!! This is simply super
You're the best, man. I love these instruments that don't take tons of practice or talent but are still fun to mess around with.
My favourites too!
it reminds me so much of early computer sounds, I love seeing such a distinct bridge between analogue and digital.
Just magnificent as always Nic. I've heard a few 'proper' clarinets that didn't sound so good. Thanks so much, very enjoyable.
Oh man, perfect timing. Dad is retired woodwind repair and we have been looking for exotic instruments for a possible product. Dad is now making machines to make wooden flute head pieces (because they are ridiculously expensive..), this would fit right in as alternative head and mouth pieces for various instruments.... We got all the tools to make these from about any material... Really looking forward of seeing what you have found.
And i think i'll fire up CAD and start drawing... 3D printers are AWESOME at exactly this.
3d printing was my first thought too. I wonder if using a thread to secure the membrane would help keep the tension consistent? Seems like even tension would be critical for keeping it in tune
@@mirr0rd Have first version ready and it works great.. I mean, it is just 90 degree pipes and very simple rubberband holding the membrane but.. the sound is surprisingly rich. I made a slit, not holes so i can get some "tuned" notes out, allows to mark the notes. I also found that very thin latex glove sounds better than balloon. It has its own ring so i can slot it in, that also can be used to adjust the tension. I checked the recorded waveforms and boy, does it have saxophone and clarinet written all over it. Same kind of signature, two main frequencies and then loads of harmonics, strong fundamental. It is still its' own thing, somewhere in the sax, oboe, clarinet world of sounds. My sound is very, very close to what is in this video.
Am now designing a new one, it is not simple to get two pipes curved.. I was thinking of using magnetic strip for the action, so it would be stepless (there is a clarinet made using that method, its somewhere in youtube...I do have another idea too for that, too complicated to explain with words..hinged curve in a slot..) but first i have to figure out the head, that is where all the magic happens. You can also use a horn on top of the membrane to make it louder ;) Or long pipe, it gets more oomph for the bass. Also: this thing is a baritone... at the size of a freaking tin flute... It is tiny and low and also surprisingly loud if you crank up the tension. Can be played very softly too, with loose membrane but that affects tuning.
Tomorrow: i'll go to my dads shop and hook me head+mouthpiece to a clarinet and saxomaphones.. Also, maybe some horns, i know from experience that you can use clarinet mouthpiece in a B horn... And the best thing? You don't have to suffer months to get a decent sound, it takes very, very little time, just breath evenly, and when the membrane tension is correct, it is very, very forgiving. You do run out of breath fast, that needs lots of tweaking to get the balance right.
I'm also thinking if round shape is the best, or could it be another shape... Really excited, this is exactly what i have been looking for. I see a real product in this, both as full instrument and as exotic sax/clarinet mouthpiece.
Wow! That sounds really cool and I like how simple the membrane "reed" is. I would have never thought of that! Also, the different sounds you can get just by changing the length and/ or membrane is nice! Very cool!!
This sounds REALLY good! Would be interested in seeing the dual reed version with 2 different types of reed (glove and balloon, or glove and bag) to get a more complex timbre
Damn i've been looking into diy instruments for a couple of years now, even made some flutes which didn't work so well, but this seems like the perfect one to try again, simple, yet sounds like a propper instrument. really love the one with the drone.
I’ve been meaning to make one (or ten) of these for years. I could really stand to add some more melodic instruments to my repertoire for recording projects. I’m mostly competent at fiddle and recorder and saw for my melodies, and you really don’t wanna overdo any of those.
He has created a one man wind section for folk and Celtic music. Love it, keep it up.
at 5:00, I'm curious if anyone else thinks of the ancient Greek Aulos. It worked the same way. This would be a great way of demonstrating to history and even theatre students how the aulos worked since it was integral to both practices.
As an engineer with a love for weird instruments, this is insanely cool, and I'm heading to the hardware store tomorrow
My first thought with the plastic bag membrane was "Oh, that sounds vaguely like a bagpipe" and then you went and turned it into a bagpipe, bravo.
Great instrument and most importantly: very very easy to build
The only difficulty would be to find the right pipe and fittings in your local hardware store
I'm currently working on a 3d printed "Mouthe part" so that you'd only need to buy the 16mm tube (provided you have access to a 3d printer)
It also features a small screw-cap to adjust the tension of the membrane
I'll post a link when it's finished
I am definitely interested in this, let us know when it's ready! Thank you!!
when you add that bass extension, it almost sounds like some moon hooch. As usual, another impressive instrument! I can't wait to mess around with the sample pack
This is a great video - very clear and demonstrates well how it changes with small modifications. Also the instrument sounds great.
Thanks a lot!
I was literally waiting for this video because I saw this instrument a few times on your channel and it amazed me instantly what a beautiful sound it creates. Just like a real clarinette. Thank you very much!
I absolutely adore this. Reminds me of the Fisher-price "build your own instrument" kit I had as a kid
This. Is. Stellar. I especially appreciate the speed with which you present your information...get to the important bits. Bravo!
Amazing, I'd like to build this some time! Regarding the blueprints: would you mind making a tutorial on how to make these some time in the future? Like, how to calculate where the tone holes should be? Do you calculate it, or just experiment with loads and loads of tubes?
The holes follow a some kind of patron related with the waves of the sound/length of the instrument, he likely took lessons on physics of music to have an idea on how to tune all that without a mess of try and error
@@Alexjandro1991
yeah i get that, i know how the physics of this works, but what i don't know is how to calculate the positions of the toneholes, especially accounting for things like the width and shape (cylindrical x conical) of the tube. There's got to be some formula for this or something, because even if you understand the physics of it very intimately, you can't just guesstimate where the toneholes should be and make the instrument perfectly in tune. some calculations need to be done, and if not, lots of iterations do.
@@mymo_in_Bb : I don't know if anyone has worked out a formula (and if so, it should depend on shape), but essentially you do the same measurements with all of the other dimensions, because they roughly speaking just affect which harmonics/overtones are generated. You can emphasise some for "sweet" tones, or others for "sour" tones. Lengths "downwind" of the note you're covering should, if I recall correctly, do the same, so the extra length from your last tone hole to the end of the instrument _can_ matter & be tuned. A good place to look is probably anywhere that talks about organ pipes, as they use both cylindrical ones _and square._ Also of note, cylindrical, conical, parabolic, and hyperbolic sections should all produce different emphases on the harmonics, and if you look up "impedance mismatching", that should apply to mixing different sizes and shapes of sections- essentially, you're just producing a filter for wind (DC) and sound (AC), so if you're really interested in the math then all of that stuff should apply.
@@absalomdraconis
yes thanks, i understand how wind instruments work. i just don't know how to calculate the exact measurements.
I really want to build one as a bagpipe! Would be fun to whip out at our annual swedish bagpipes meet! 😆
this is so cool! You make it look so easy to play something awesome, but I suspect I would have much greater difficulty.
Please never stop this !
Your passion is passionating and ins-pirating even the way you play music captivate my imagination.
Thanks you for your work !
merci pour ton énergie, tes idées, et les textures sonores que tu proposes avec tes instruments. C'est beau !
RUclips algorithm finally did me right. Never heard or seen this guy but I super enjoyed this!! Now I have to make it!
I don't play any instrument since leaving preschool. But this, this looks waay to fun to miss :) I'll try it with my kids in summer.
I was experimenting and found a unique sound that's smoother and less horn-like. Using a T-connector with locking ends used in plumbing, I found I can very easily add a membrane just as before. But, because I don't fasten it all the way down (I can't or it tightens too much) there is a hole left open. I put a NERF rival ball inside the small cup end and taped it (making sure there was enough of the gap for air to escape) , and it added tension to the membrane. I could almost compare it to a snare (and you can hear it with less air the vibration like a snare drum) but it makes it a smooth sound. I also noticed it made the pitch VERY consistent. Usually with less pressure the note changes drastically. But this modification retains pitch with pressure.
This is such a fun instrument to make. I love your work. Thank you!
0:58 eat your heart out, Charley Parker 😊
The red balloon bagpipes ... The sound of it reminds me of a grumpy old man. I get an image of the old man from the Up moonlighting as a street musician. 😊
Just made mine today! Cannot believe how it sounds!!!
I just made one of these (right after discovering this video) using materials I had handy, including a thin-walled plastic tube I had already prepared (long ago) to make a low whistle, but never got around to figuring out a mouthpiece. Getting the membrane to sound was easy - but the math for where the holes go and how big they have to be is completely different from a whistle! (And you can't get an octave by overblowing, in fact overblowing seems to bend the pitch *down*.) I had to stop adjusting the tuning when some of the holes reached the maximum size my fingers can cover, and now it's in kind of a weird but funky scale. Maybe I'll try again with another tube later.
I was thinking the one with a drone sounded kinda like a bagpipe, and then you just went and made a single-bag bagpipe from it! Legend! I love those beat frequencies.
i just put medic gloves on Egyptian Kaola (low D) and got Tenor SAX!! Amazing LOW sound!!! Thanks!
Holy shit this makes so much sense though! Like, the physics behind this is *astonishingly* elegant. The membrane moves to permit the passage of air but shuts in an oscillating motion. Once you have an oscillation, creating notes is merely a matter of controlling the frequency. And it sounds _so fucking beautiful!_ Somehow it seems incredibly futuristic, like a sci fi instrument... And yet the mechanics behind it are so simple, almost _maximally, optimally simple,_ like some kind of ideal platonic distillation of sound itself...!
Insane in the membrane :)
tres cool ....
holy wow. so cool! I've been kicking around the idea of building a PVC midi pipe organ after seeing look mum no computer's organ. First I want to build one with my kid, and the I want to build hundreds with different membranes and make an organ.
I just subscribed to you + i have lots of memories coming trough my mind right now, when i was like 5 or 6 i always used to make a membrane instrument when my mother used to end parchment paper or aluminium foil, she gave me the inner cardboard tube and i always asked hed for a glove to make a very primitive bagpipe instrument, by perfecting this i discovered that the glove membrane could vibrate and i just enjoyed those evenings playing this instrument. THANKS a LOT for just the memories you just gave me!
I had a medium sized pvc pipe and a bigger one, so i cut a hole in the bigger one to put my mouth, used an elastic band to put the membrane in place and a piece of rubber to make the seal. Works great! I then eyeballed the holes and managed to have a sort of arabic melody. Lots of fun!
An organ made of these would sound incredible!
That's the most Duduk sounding Not Duduk I've ever heard! Saved me about a hundred bucks!
that sounds so unreasonably good for what it is, I may actually make this
The different sounds from these are cool
That bass extension is so dope!
This is really interesting! I hadn't thought of that. I've made fipple flutes before -- I was lucky to have an opportunity to work with a Native American flute master in Oklahoma who taught me how to do it. But I've never made a reed instrument despite clarinet being my primary wind instrument. The expressiveness of this instrument makes it a very tempting thing to try to build! I wonder if I could make the reed assembly modular so they can be swapped out quickly for different timbres.
The engineer in me wants to experiment with adding keys instead of just holes.
I'm curious if it's possible to find a conical pipe for a reasonable price to make it more of a saxophone. I'm no good at sax (my clarinet embouchure already has too much pressure, I was up to #5 reeds at one point, and I struggle so much with sax embouchure) but a soft reed version that doesn't have that problem might be cool.
OMG I LOVE THIS, Thank you so much! I'll try to build launeddas (sardinian bagpipe) with a balloon to help the circular breathing
Here's an idea: put a check valve in between the mouthpiece and the rest of the instrument, attatch 3 extra tubes tuned to either 1 5 1 or 1 5 3 and put a balloon on the instrument side, then tune the membrane up really high. Now you don't have to hold your mouth on it anymore and you have an autobagpipe-clarinet-horn thing.
Check the channel a few video ago, already done!
@@NicolasBras oh shoot what a legend!
Wow, that is super cool! Would be really fun for kids to make and learn about crafting and music.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING!!!
You, sir, are incredible.
This is exciting to me because I have been pondering for decades on how to make a "Trumpet" sound without making the original Brass instrument Embouchure.
I’ve made one using thin leather for the membrane, it makes a very subtle sound!
Arrived at this construction independently having dismantled a pneumatic horn, the leather works great for larger diameters of pipe
Easter Europe vibes ! Amazing woodwinds instruments! I would create them on Kontakt VST sampler
I love how @3:50 the plastic bag sounds like a cheap child synthesizer yet with much more playability... Awesome 😎👍
Membrane clarinet sounds suprisingly nice
the super low bass sounds like a hyperpop bassline. love it.
This is so cool. I wonder if it could be retrofitted as a mouthpiece for a real clarinet, allowing it to be played chromatically
This is actually very similar to a Dizi Flute! Love your channel!
Dude music is my life and you are one of my favorite people, it's amazing what you do and truly inspiring.
Beautiful!
It's probably the nicest experiment in mechanical vibrations !
Way better than measuring car chasse...
I very rarely comment on videos but you have no idea how happy I am to stumble upon your channel!
I have no idea how I got here....but I literally think I just found the end of the interwebs. Subscribed.
Dude you are amazing, the amount of times i just stumble on your channel because of the sheer presence of your knowledge and work is stunning , great work!
Finally got it together today. I tried both options - both clarinet and saxophone. It's amazing how the same technology can simulate two different instruments! Still, the plastic doesn't sound very nice. Then I will try to use cardboard and metal tubes, and if I get completely excited, I will cut it out of wood.
You are on an entirely different level. I am continuously amazed.
I know I won't be able to play it well, but I'm so hyped to build it!
Cher Nicolas, j'attends ce tuto depuis 2 ans !! Vous avez fait ma journée !!!
Another thing: If you forgo the big pipe & just use a T-pipe and membrane you can make a Kazoo.
amazing what a beautiful tone color these instruments have, well done
Excellent instrument and explanation, as always. Now try this: stretch a wider membrane (eg cling wrap) over a salad bowl, bring it to your lips as if drinking from it and blow. The sound is amazing. Slowly swelling and cross-fading harmonics. Warning: it takes a lot of air! I have also seen some drummers (eg Tatsuya Nakatani) turn their snare drum into an aerophone by pressing a mouthpiece onto the drum head.
For the bagpipe effect you need a non return valve dummy! Now build it because i cannot wait to hear what it will really sound like. Well done on creativity. If you had the same passion for the bible, you would have been able to recite it word for word by now. Thanks for the video, totally enjoyable. .
Those bass notes 🤩. And the drone 😵
RUclips Algorithm just recommended this - you had me at the wall of DIY instruments and youtube plaque guitar
Solid Flute Guy energy - love it man
I'm constantly amazed at your inventiveness.
4:45 finally, an Acoustic Instrument for Trap
What tune is that?
I've been experimenting with this instrument with different pipe lengths for the last few days and i'm really happy with the results, i'm really impressed with your work, thanks for sharing your work with us,
The only problem i noticed with my version of the membrane flute is my T conector is a little bit bigger than my pipe and that single thing changed the fundamental note, i'm using a 13 mm pipe and a 25 mm T conector because for me 20 mm T conectors was too tight and hard to work with, it still gets the job done but the whole scale gets affected by the size of the conector.
Saludos desde méxico 😁
4:43 is some great analog dubstep.
What tune is that?
Nicolas ...Just when I thought I'd seen everything you come along and shatter my illusion !!!!
I am a bit vexed though. Why oh why didn't I discover this amazing phenomena many years ago when I was involved in children's kazoo bands ? I was also involved in pipe bands. Oh the fun I could have had. Perhaps this would have been a life changer for me. What if the singing pitch is altered as well as the fingering ?
The mind boggles over the possibilities 😱
This is now my next project.
Thank you so much. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
I've made these! They are so much fun, reliable, and relatively simple to build.
i recently found a 3d printable inline membrane mouthpiece it works great
Awesome. About a year ago I watched a video about making a reed thpe instrument from a straw, which was great, but this is the video that needs to extend on that for young and old learners.
Great work
This thing sounds unreasonably good, and I may just build one myself.
I've also had a lot of fun with this concept - my five cents:
1) the tone height and quality can be affected and manipulated by touching/pressing the membrane directly - good for producing glissandi or forcing overtones (my instruments did not have finger holes so I had free hand for doing so...)
2) finger can be inserted into the end of the tube for pitch change (horn players know the trick :-)
3) this is an excellent instrument for learning and practising circular breathing - especially when using a small-diameter plastic tube as air inlet instead of open hole; no embouchure, the air consumption is quite low and the resistance of the membrane can easily be adjusted.
with this single 5 minute video I've suddenly understood how wind instruments work, just amazing
That’s awesome. The original x-man intro music would sound great on the alto version
Conversion from Metric to US sizes:
Size PEX CPVC PVC Sch. 40
16mm 1/2" 1/2" 3/8"
20mm 3/4" 3/4" 1/2"
25mm 1" 1" 3/4"
These conversions are approximate. None of them match exactly. The PEX dimensions are closest to the metric tubing.
PEX = Cross-linked Polyethylene
CPVC = Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride
PVC = Polyvinyl Chloride
Love the bagpipe balloon!
I'm asking myself: HOW did I get here? And you know what? I like it! Great stuff Nicolas!
I love your craftiness
Literally was thinking about making instruments today and you popped back into my feed 🙏
J'en ai fabriqué une aujourd'hui, et franchement, ça sonne fort !!!! Le problème, ce sont les trous dont on doit trouver les emplacements par rapport a l'ergonomie... Le prototype est bon cela dit, merci Nicolas ! Continues, c'est magique