Pipe Dream

MU3999 – Independent Study | Music Minor Capstone – D24

James Obermaier

“Pipe Dream” is a musical robot which uses electromagnetic actuation to resonate aluminum bars, producing a beautiful, glass-like tone reminiscent of a finger rubbing the edge of a wine glass. The project began with the testing of different actuation methods, ultimately settling on electromagnetic actuation for its simplicity and effectiveness. This choice significantly reduced the mechanical complexity and noise, allowing the focus to be on the purity of the sound.

In its development, “Pipe Dream” went through several iterations, each refining the instrument’s capabilities. The first version tested the optimal distance and current for resonance, while the second iteration introduced polyphony by using an Arduino to control multiple electromagnets. Despite challenges with digital signal outputs, the project overcame them by utilizing PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) to generate a simulated continuous signal. The final iteration saw the transition to a Teensy 4.0 microcontroller, which allowed the instrument to accept MIDI input, enabling more complex musical expressions and seamless integration with digital audio workspaces.

The result is a fully functional proof-of-concept that can play a full octave of notes, from C6 to B6, with an ethereal and bright tone. The importance of this project, for me, is its flexibility. By using the simple pairing of an electromagnet and a permanent, almost any object can be actuated to produce music. “Pipe Dream” represents just one application of this actuation method and can help inspire not only future iterations of this project, but new instruments/installations that require an ethereal/dream-like quality of tone. To accompany this project, I wrote a paper which documents the progress of the project as well as a video which includes visuals and audio to better understand each step. I look forward to seeing how far this project can go!

Link to the progress video

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