Sound_1

I have decided to post the results of some of my experimentation with sound. Every now and then i have time to play with various sonic instruments and it is my goal to... well i don't really have a goal, but i deeply enjoy it. The good sounds that come out of my tinkering are cataloged and could later be used for music composition or sound design for moving image.
Hopefully with each sound that i post, i will be able to explain the process and technical equipment involved to produce what you hear. The material may vary somewhat as i am interested in recording many different instances of sound from natural soundscapes to the abuse of electronic instruments.
So here goes....

Sound_1




The crux of this sound is made by an old dulcimer like instrument called a guitar zither or sometimes harp zither. I found the zither at a local Saturday market, its a bit battered and out of tune but despite its dogged looks I'm sure it will fuel many future sounds. I electrified the dulcimer by taping a handmade contact microphone to the inside of the sound hole which along with a mic pre-amp gave a pretty good starting sound. I then transformed the dulcimers small acoustic sound hole into a cavernous cathedral like space, by drenching it in Reverb (not a very good one) and adding a bit of EQ and a Filter.
The knocks and bangs that resemble the sound of a piano lid being shut at the far end of a cathedral were made by hitting the metal tuning pegs with a metal bracelet.