If you’re a musician and you want a reverb effect, there are lots of ways to go about it. You can use software plugins, all kinds of rack-mount effects, or pedals. Or, as [David] has done, you could go with a lamp.
[David’s] build is straightforward enough in concept—he just chose a relatively unconventional item to use as a reverb tank. The lamp might seem like an odd choice, but it actually does a decent job at resonating because of its metal construction and the multiple springs that tension the structure. [David] turns the lamp into a reverb by fitting it with a Vidsonix Ghost audio transducer to put sound into the structure—picture the magnetic driver of a loudspeaker without the cone fitted, and you get the idea. Piezo elements were then used as contact mics to pick up reverberations from the lamp itself. Everything was assembled with a bunch of lab stands that give the build a rather nice aesthetic. The reverb time isn’t particularly long, but the sound is hauntingly beautiful.
You can use all kinds of random stuff as a reverb tank, even a trash can if so desired.
Poor Pixar lamp.
Wouldn’t that qualify for the component abuse challenge?
thanks a lot of information keren
Right, many guitar stage amps used to have those preinstalled.
One funny thing to try on stage (whilst waiting behind the curtains during performance) were walking by one and giving it a tiny indiscreet kick – it would launch into oscillation, and if there was some kind of quiet moment on the main stage (say, a choir just finished their song, and is in the processes of leaving the stage), this would introduce a mysterious sound coming out of nowhere. Ask me how I know : – ]
Another interesting thing with these was suddenly resonating with certain spillover frequencies from the monitor speakers. It worked like this, certain sound would make these oscillate a little bit, usually just below hearing, but then the main mikes would pick that up, amplify and return through the monitor speakers. If the distance between the mikes and the stage amp were just perfect, the phase-shifted return sound would actually match one of the resonating frequencies, and entire enchilada would launch into ever-increasing well-known feedback loop : – ] What was funny about it that it was not entirely clear which frequency, since string reverbs can resonate on many at once. Sometimes all it would take would be some singer hitting certain note, sometimes not even singing, hitting a humble triangle would be good enough : – ] (funnily enough, playing electronic keyboard – we are talking 1970s – wouldn’t trigger anything, actually, the band I was playing in ALWAYS had keyboard standing right next to the mentioned guitar amp – together with its own stage amp, btw).
Ah, the kick drum pedal attached to a Fender Twin Reverb. I saw a performance that included that at one of the white column noise fests , probably around 1980.
“the sound is hauntingly beautiful.”
Seems then that beauty is in the ear of the beholder.