Georgia Tech Announced The Finalists In Its Wild Musical Instrument Competition

Georgia Tech has announced nan finalists successful its yearly Guthman Musical Instrument Competition. Every year, for nan past 28 years, nan schoolhouse invites inventors from astir nan world to taxable caller instruments of their ain creation to compete for $10,000 successful prizes. Past finalists person included founding members of Teenage Engineering, Artiphon, and Roli. And last year KOMA Elektronik won for their creation nan Chromaplane.

This year’s finalists are an awesome postulation of oddballs. There’s Amphibian Modules, a modular synth that swaps spot cables for a crockery of saltwater. The Gajveena, which combines a double bass pinch a accepted Indian veena. And Fiddle Henge is, well, a henge made of fiddles. Four greenish violins are mounted to a bass drum and played pinch a spinning disk.

And past there’s nan Demon Box, a chaotic triangle of evil that turns electromagnetic radiation into music. Unlike astir of nan remainder of nan finalists, it’s already a commercialized merchandise you tin acquisition from Eternal Research for $999. Beyond turning invisible EMF into audible sound, it tin besides power different synths by converting nan invisible radiation from your cellphone aliases TV distant into MIDI and power voltage (CV).

Other finalists see nan Lethelium, a benignant of alloy drum / harp hybrid made from a motorcycle wheel, and an RFID-enabled open-source synth called The Masterpiece, designed for players pinch disabilities. Check retired nan video supra for little demos and specifications connected each 10 finalists. The victor will beryllium announced pursuing a title performance connected Saturday, March 14th.