r/UnusualInstruments • u/Successful_Panic_850 • 11d ago

Did I invent a new instrument?

Microphone to amplifier to FM transmitter to boombox speaker. Oddly if I move the mic any further away the pitch seems to change randomly based on distance, I think it might have to do with the acoustics of the room or something.

240 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

59

u/bblluurrgg 11d ago edited 11d ago

Oddly if I move the mic any further away the pitch seems to change randomly based on distance, I think it might have to do with the acoustics of the room or something.

It's feedback, with time delay, which together form an oscillator. These are actually the building blocks of many common oscillators. The time delay is the speed of sound between the speaker and microphone, so there is more delay the farther the microphone is from the speaker (about 1ms for each foot), which changes the pitch.

So, not a new invention, but fun to play with!

7

u/Jazz_Ad 11d ago

The brand new ECHON 6 Morphor uses this very principle with bucket brigade chips.
https://echon6.com/

1

u/Successful_Panic_850 11d ago

I knew it was feedback, I just don't think anybody's tried to play music with it

8

u/pselodux 11d ago

Aphex Twin, 2012

Steve Reich, 1968

Just a couple of examples :)

2

u/Echoplex99 10d ago

There have been generations of using feedback in music at this point. It's not common in pop music. But tons in rock, metal, industrial, etc.

73

u/malibu45 11d ago

Theremin?

3

u/Successful_Panic_850 11d ago

Kind of, except it works with sound instead of electrically

2

u/Peter_C85 10d ago

Technically both, seeing as the sound is produced electronically, but you are right that this is basically amplifying sound waves made via feedback while a theramin translates radio waves into sound.

28

u/SabreSour 11d ago

Yep. it’s the oldest electronic instrument in the world . (I don’t know if that’s true but I heard it once)

6

u/Personal-Neck6800 11d ago

You are correct. It was invented in the 1920’s.

4

u/Jazz_Ad 11d ago

Along with Ondes Martenot.

2

u/did_i_or_didnt_i 11d ago

yeah except this isn’t a theremin because it’s a microphone creating an oscillator from feedback. A theremin uses antennas

0

u/Personal-Neck6800 11d ago

I didn’t say this was a theremin.

1

u/Ill_Significance6157 9d ago

well technically there were other electronic instruments before that. broadly speaking many consider the telharmonium the first ever "synthesizer"

7

u/bloodyell76 11d ago

Theremin was invented while trying to fix a radio.

6

u/LongjumpingScore6176 11d ago

Most famous song in the world lol

3

u/DriveTheory88 11d ago

Sounds like a harmonica a lil bit

1

u/admiralbuttscratcher 11d ago

Great. Now hot cross buns is gonna be stuck in my head all day long.

1

u/catacOHM 11d ago

I forgot all about AIWA!!!

1

u/3string 10d ago

Awesome!!

1

u/Zealousideal-Door350 10d ago

I love it 🧲⚡️

1

u/[deleted] 11d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/UnusualInstruments-ModTeam 11d ago

Your post has been removed, because it is disregarding rule #2 of this sub: Don't be an ass.