sonic reed beds - update

Here are some pics from the developments of the Sonic Reed Beds...

Last month, I visited Jony Easterby for a couple of mini-residencies at his amazing place up on the Welsh hillside - Penrallt. It was great for us both to be working in the same space - and also have access to the Welsh Wind - of which there was a varying amount..  However,  we had a definite dosage of snow - which was quite beautiful.

I spent time experimenting with sprung steel rods, fixed in aluminium  / galvanised steel meshes, trying out different gauges, different heights and mounting stones and various different 'tops' to act as mini-sails to catch the wind and help the metal rods to move in the wind. The 'tops' on these pictures are made with wire and clingfilm - as a temporary measure to experiment with size and shape. I also tried feathers and foil. With these 'tops', there was a lot of movement when the wind got up (too much!!) - but still a fair amount of movement in low wind. I learnt a lot about the subtleties of how the thickness, height, spacing, weight of attachments effected the movement of the metal rods.

 

I then started to experiment with attaching the stones right at the top of the rods, at various heights, and on different gauges of metal rod. They actually had a very nice movement in the wind - even without  the sail 'tops' to help catch the wind.  In fact - I like the higher rods, which move with just the stones on, and work better than with 'sails' ... - so this is quite pleasing.  I continued to experiment a bit further with 'sails' by coating leaf skeletons with PVA and latex - which moved the thicker steel rods a nice amount - but were way to much for the thinner rods, causing them to bend right over. I decided I much prefered to have the stones at the top of the rods (visually) - and so I followed that line of thought. I plan to use different stones (beach stones) - and make a much larger expanse of them. What I like about the stones is that they form a floating 'surface' that gently clicks and clacks together - and i'm excited about how it will work on Brighton beach especially.... aiming for a gentley moving surface of stones about 1m60 above the ground.

I also tried amplifying this in various ways - the first was to attach piezo contact mics to the metal base - which picked up the rhythmic qualities and collisions - but was not really picking up the quality of stones touching.  I also tried using small lavalier mics in discreet positions to amplify the actual stones - but this did change the look of it.  I'm still considering this further - and won't really know until I have constructed a much larger expanse of stones. I really hope it can be acoustic - and if in a secluded location, hopefully it will be an invitation for people to listen closely to the stones.  - Or, alternatively, embrace the more metallic, colliding, rhythmic qualities of the amplified base.

I am working with a metal fabricator on the main base of the work - it will be round rather than square, and I also have a solution for adjusting it to work in different wind levels. (a circular hoop that can be raised up the metal rods in high wind to reduce large movements).

I returned to the studio after making a few visits to metal spinners (thanks to accompanying Jony) and also a place that sells a whole range of tibetan bells and singing bowls.

I started to experiment with bell-like tops using a set of 14 bells from dismantling a 'bell-tree' - and mixing these with a 115mm diameter brass hemisphere from the Metal Spinning workshop. I tried them both ways up - upturned like tulips and downturned like domes - both work well - but I'm preferring the tulip arrangement at the moment - but may have both versions present. The bells are very bell like (surprise!!)  and high pitched - in contrast to the the brass bowl which is much more subtle. It has a wonderful low ring with many over tones - and works extremely well when amplified.  I am ordering a wide range of spun brass hemispheres in different gauges of brass to work with the varying sounds this will bring.

I had originally planned to make a large expanse of metallic reed beds as one complete cluster - but now I think they will work much more effectively as small clusters, that an be walked through and amongst.  I will be able to place them closer or further apart depending on the site.

I plan for the stone version to be one large cluster  - to be walked around, rather than amongst.  The third variation is currently working with tubes (wooden at the moment) - although it will have a bassy metallic sound, because I am modelling it on the thunder shaker, and have been using a variety of coiled guitar and piano strings and springs.  I would like this piece to create a bassy drone - to add to the pure tones with many harmonics from the metal bells... meanwhile I need to think about how the quiet subtle stone sounds work with this emerging soundscape...  

All in all, my plan to have 3 large dense clusters of reed beds -  (each using a different material)-  I am now planning to spread out the arrangements of these smaller reed clusters so they can be walked amongst and in between - varying the size and heights of the clusters.

For amplification, I am currently making up Electret mics using capsules from here, small preamp kits from Maplins, Minirigs for powered speakers and mini 12Volt mixers. - or I've just also found these 4 channel microphone mixers which look worth trying out

Any comments - thoughts - suggestions on any of the above - much appreciated!