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August 20, 2007

Looking For A Different Kind Of Music?

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If your looking for something "strange but true" in the way of a new kind of music, meet the gas organ - a type of pyrophone, from the Greek words for 'fire' and 'sound':

Sound is generated in an open-ended tube when the heat from a propane flame causes the air to heat up and vibrate, which sets up resonance in the tube. The pitch of the sound is determined by the length of the tube, with longer tubes producing lower frequency of vibration. Chaotic turbulence produced in the flame by air currents, and sound pressure waves add vibrato and beats to the already complex mix.

The organ is controlled by servos (small motors) which adjust the volume of gas in the flame and also the ratio of the gas/air mix. The servos can be manipulated either by random circuitry or by radio controls, allowing the gas organ to be 'played'.

More on the gas organ at Null Hypothesis.

Posted by Richard at August 20, 2007 6:05 PM

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