Didgeridoo Modded To Include Electronic Manipulation

didgeridoo-sound-synthedsizer

It’s not a bazooka, but this altered instrument makes it look like the player is toking off of some type of weapon. [Kyle] wanted to take the already mysterious sounds produced by a didgeridoo then capture and alter them electronically.

The physical build of this project is nothing short of beautiful. He’s mounted several curved control boards to the outside of the instrument. The controls feature six push buttons, five toggle switches, and six potentiometers that interface with an Arduino. The sound is picked up by the device then sent along with the switch settings to a computer via Bluetooth. The computer then works its magic to create the wicked audio effects heard in the video after the break.

His article, linked above, includes several diagrams detailing the synthesis process. They’re a little beyond our understanding but if you know what’s going on, please share your insight in the comments.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1VB1vA-UsI]

68 thoughts on “Didgeridoo Modded To Include Electronic Manipulation

  1. The only problem with this is that every didgeridoo is different. This is because they are created with a natural process- they are made from a eucalyptus log which has been carved with termites.

  2. This is not the first time I have seen an electronic didgeridoo. The owner called it a cyberdidg.

    Some years ago a fellow who modified a genuine didgeridoo traveled by kayak/canoe around the top end of Australia showing this instrument to the Aboriginals, pretty much to get their ideas and permission to use it. Not that he really needed permission. It was a respect thing.

    It was a documentary that I have yet to find again. With it he could also change and make any sound you can imagine including animal noises, like a lions roar etc.

  3. Isn’t this basically:
    1. Use a pickup of some sort to get the sound.
    (2. Convert to digital.)
    3. Run through an effects rig of your choice
    ?

    I bet that a less sophisticated rig of didge, mic or piezo, and multieffects processor can offer a less tech-savvy user interesting results.

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