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From: hydraulist
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  • I love the way it sounds!! The water gives me a lot of internal piece. I would love to go there and play some peacefull melody, close my eyes and enjoy the moment... This looks amazing!!!

  • it sounds similar to an ocarina.

  • Interesting concept but it seems like a real waste of good water. Unless it's brackish/salt water of course.

  • @mauiboynokaoi I invented the hydraulophone as a water conservation technology. It uses less water than any other aquatic play feature. When nobody's playing it the water consumption is close to zero (all the water recirculates). When played the usage is very small, especially if played by fully blocking the jets. The only time it uses much water is when you try to bend the notes by partially covering a water jet. Other aquatic play features use hundreds of times more water.

  • @hydraulist You invented this thing? What is it and where is there one in public?

  • @mintyfresh9080 Some I know of are at the Ontario Science Centre (Toronto, Ontario), at Mayborn Museum (Texas), Chicago Children's Museum, Legoland Carlsbad, and there's others in waterparks, museums, etc. (I'm not sure where they all are, as WhiteWater West is licensed to sell them to waterparks around the world, so they might know if there's one near to where you live, etc.).

  • where is this hydraulophone... ???? at 2:30....

  • @mickeys17m It is the main architectural centerpiece out in front of the building, at Ontario Science Centre, 770 Don Mills Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, near the intersection of Don Mills and Eglington,

  • @hydraulist ok thx, but it's too far away. i live at france. is it a ontario science center's invention?

  • @mickeys17m The hydraulophone was invented and patented by S. Mann, and this one was built for the Ontario Science Centre in response to an international Call for Artists, which was evaluated by a jury of internationally known architects, artists and designers.

  • 1:48 sounds like old computer game sounds. :-)

  • GET LOST!!!! IT IS NOT A NEW INSTRUMENT!!!! THE FIRST CIVILISATION TO CONSTRUCT A HYDRAULOPHONE WITH KEYS WERE THE ANCIENT GREEKS! IT IS CALLED HYDRAULIS (ύδραυλις)! THEY DID IT 2000 YEARS BEFORE THE INVENTION OF THE ORGAN!

  • @agger382 The hydraulis was merely a water-powered air organ. The water in the hydraulis was neither used as a source of the original sound production, nor was it used as a user interface (i.e. the hydraulis was played by pressing wooden keys to admit air into wind-blown pipes). Hydraulophones use the water itself in all 3 ways: (1) in the initial sound producing mechanism; (2) as the user-interface (instrument played by touching water), and (3) as a source of power to power.

  • 4:30

    U can wash Your feet for free pretending You are playing ^^

  • I just found tech info in the file 'acmmm2006presement_as_publish­ed.pdf'.

    The general principle of the simplest acoustic Hydraulophone seems to resemble a mechanical siren - each hole has a hose that squirts the water jet at an own concentric ring of holes in a spinning disc to modulate it with sound frequency. So (like a tonewheel organ) the instrument can not get out of tune within itself by chalk or dirt, which looks quite reliable so long the motor keeps its speed.

  • Holding fingers into the water jet causes overpressure in the hose to deflect the jet sideways to the hose to the siren disc. (Imagine an up facing garden hose with a hole that lets most water leak away unless it is shut by fingers.)

    The jet target certainly can be changed to other sound sources. Do you remember the urinals in old train station WCs those had that oxidized brass bell with center screw to protect the sink hole from cig butts?! To pee on the bell made it ring!

  • I think it would not be too hard to build a simple sort of hydraulophone as a DIY project. Imagine a bath tub toy attached to the shower hose or inside a shower head etc... Perhaps water jets moving over rims of a plastic panflute (causing air flow by Bernoulli effect) would work also for a simple toy version. (I don't know how well it would sound or how pressure sensitive the playability would be - chalk may make trouble, but for a homemade experiment it certainly would be ok.)

  • this is definetly a place I need to go to before I die!

  • The childrens at 5.23 are italians... my State.... :)

  • wow!!! so beautiful!! i wish i was there to play with it.

  • what is the song at 2:28???

  • @isp10man Pachelbel's Canon.

  • wooaaw pechelbel nice !!

  • what is the point?!?!?! just play a keyboard.

  • Guess you wouldn't have to worry about sweaty palms going into a performance.

  • Extremely interesting and entertaining. Thanks for the post!

  • The Ancient greek instrument called hydriavlos was the first musical instrument that used water for producing sounds. These are based on the same princibles that hydriavlos used to work.. Very nice!!! And what a design!!!

  • The future! i can imagine these being played at concerts and all that :) Nice instrument i wanna try

  • This is so awesome.

  • Es fantástico, ya había perdido la dirección que bueno que la volvía a encontrar.

  • That is awesome.

  • what's the name of the peice he plays at 2:30?

  • Pachelbel's Canon

  • @hydraulist *hisses* Eeeevil!

  • I believe is was Canon D

  • @aaronscottjansen1 Its called "Canon"

  • where is this thing? I want to play it too.

  • The small hydraulophone at the beginning is in Grange Park; then the prototypes were at FUNtain Hydraulophone Lab; the large hydraulophone depicted is the main centerpiece out in front of the Ontario Science Centre, 770 Don Mills Road, Toronto, Ontario.

  • this cant be a new invention it has been around since 250 bc it's the father of the piano.....water organ/ hydraulis.

  • Waterorgan hydraulis is played by pressing wooden keys to allow air into the pipes. The water is merely the source of power or energy to compress the air. Hydraulophones are water instruments, not merely instruments that are powered by water. In this sense the hydraulophone is a new invention.

  • OMG!!!ITS LIKE A BIG ENORMAS OCARINA

  • i think the one from the ontario science centre is in this video

  • WoW

  • Wow.. the retarded girl at 3:40 kinda ruins it all.

  • Yah... It was like hydrophobic..

  • I invented a new word for this: "hydraulophobic", which means fear of pressurized water (i.e. fear of splash, etc.). Hydraulics is pressurized...

  • 2:40 is Canon in D, which is yes Pachelbel's Canon (:

  • Sounds like Pachelbel's Canon

  • and goes to like 3:45

  • what is the song that starts from 2:40

  • Fajne organy

  • lol 2:27 camera

  • do you put antifreeze or alcohol in there for those cold winters?

  • That's a cool instrument.

  • That's awesome. I liked the rendition of Summertime. I'm impressed that some people have become quite proficient at playing this. Are all the models fully chromatic or are there also simpler diatonic models?

  • amazing!

  • Whats that sound from 1:18 to 1:31?

  • That's the sound the instrument makes when nobody is playing it.

    Hydraulophones have a separate sharp edge inside, associated with each finger hole, rather than only one edge (fipple) of standard flute.

    When water flows through the instrument you generally (though not always) hear each note sound just a tiny little bit of sound.

    That sound you hear is the sound of all the notes at the same time, very faintly.

    If you press your ear against each organ pipe, you can hear each of these notes.

  • Thanks!

  • @hydraulist Is there a problem with limescale (chalk) clogging the organ pipes or deforming the sound producing surfaces? I can imagine that it tends to make continuous tones once chalk gets stuck anywhere. Does it need to be regularly descaled (like coffemakers) to stay in working condition?

    Has the mechanism similarity with fluidics (fluid logics) circuits those were hyped in 1970th? (When microchips were expensive, they claimed a future washing machine CPU would compute with its soap water.)

  • And also the noise at the end because somebody is playing it and its making a weird noise?

  • dude where's that located?

  • 770 Don Mills Road, Toronto, Ontario. It's the main architectural ceinterpiece out in front of the Ontario Science Centre, in Canada, right in front of the main entrance, and also within line-of-sight (and earshot) of the bus shelter, right near the corner of Don Mills Rd. and Dennis Dr.

  • Where is that located?

  • That is so badass..when can I put one in my living room? Seriously fucking awesome...I'd imagine taking some LSD and fiddling with that would be otherworldly....lolz all around

  • wow some serious commenting going down here...

    btw it looks like a dick n balls

  • I find it humorous that the eco-nuts are bitching about this.

  • Yes, especially because the instrument was invented as a way to increase eco-awareness.

    Here's some examples:

    Hydraulophone won first prize in the Coram international sustainable design award;

    Hydraulophone was the central part of Earth Day concert (Music Gallery, Apr 22, 2008)

    Hydraulophone often plays at Car-Free events, like Pedestrian Sundas, and Dundas Square with Yonge Street closing, for various eco-awareness gigs, etc..

  • Lovely noise. Id be worried about cold hands though :L

  • wow it uses the same water eh. Thats really quite gross think of how many people touch that water not to mention how many people spit in it for fun (or other stuff)

  • Your issue seems more to be with public pools or public aquatic-play features in general, rather than hydraulophone specifically.

    Hydraulophone actually uses less water than other comparable aquatic play facilities such as splash pads, spraygrounds, or the like.

  • right... then dont drink it?

  • pure shit this is¡¡¡¡¡im agree whit you¡¡¡¡¡¡

  • chances are it will reuse the same water asshole

  • fuck you, its people like u who will prevent the human race evolving anything beautiful.

    also, nothing ever leaves the planet, there is no water shortage, there never was, all water used by humans will return to us through rain.

  • Hey dumb ass with humans evolving are population is growing rain can only replenish so much water right most humans are wasting and drinking more water than can be replenished. And your talking about evolution, ha! shit like this is not only wasting resources it accomplishes the same thing as a piano so this isn't evolving its the same idea dumb ass. Also don't think I don't like music I play a lot of instruments.

  • um hello? a little thing called the law of conservation of mass says nothing can be created or destroyed, theres the same amount of hydrogen and oxygen atoms on earth as ther was a million years ago and there is in fact a way to make water. Heres a way for you to make your own: put two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen gas in a bballon, and touch a candle to it. Voila, a loud bang and some freshly made water. Calm the hell down!!!

  • well said.

  • wow retard do you really think that with the economy doing so poorly the goverment can afford to harvest hydrogen and oxygen and its not atoms its particles theres a big difference. not to mention ive done that it makes about half a glass of water not even.

  • dude there are volcanic reactions that create water every day and in the thousands of gallons. and that experiment with the balloon i suggested was done in my HIGHSCHOOL CLASSROOM in front of me. The reason atoms bond is because they recieve alot of energy. Chemical bonds between atoms are made of energy. So by exploding them, sure some of the atoms temporarily break apart but that release pf energy causes the other atoms to bond together and make water. Read a fricken science book, and shut up.

  • Ok once again harvesting that much water from volcanos once again would cost ton's of money. Your in high school and i should read a science text book I just graduated from university with science as one of my majors. Oh and the contact of volcanic rock to water destroys about as much water as it creates. nice try your theory still has holes in it.

  • Who said anything about harvesting? the volcanic reactions that creat water are deep sea volcanoes meaning the water that is created goes right into the ocean and is later evaporates to create the grater portion of our RAIN. And ONCE AGAIN you CANT DESTROY WATER. When water hits hot volcanic rock it evaporates, meaning it becomes steam. and if otherwise, Then it just breaks apart the atoms and releases energy into the atmosphere. One would hope a science major would no better.

  • wow really were going back to this again humans are drinking and wasting more water then can be replenished by rain and once again water evaporating from the ocean would only affect city's along the coast and that would also cost loads of money to transport water from the coast to inside city's. But really is rain your only argument left?

  • Good lord, you're a moron.

  • is humans drinking and 'wasting' water still your only argument? there has never been and never will be a water shortage bacuase there CANT be one. There is still the same amount of water on earth as there was a thousand or even a million years ago. In fact with glaciers melted, theres MORE water now than a millenium ago. When water shortage becomes a footnote on the evening news, i'll consider that argument.

  • Have you ever heard of Calgary, Calgary's beginning a water shortage and just cause waters on earth doesn't mean its accessible to people for instance if a city lost all its water (or a country) do you have any idea how much it would cost to transport water all the way from say another city or a country.

  • For your ideas to work it would require every one to work together no war no pollution no problems, a world that is perfect it will never exist because humans cant work together we fight by nature and that's that this is a rather interesting version of the piano but i think humans should solve the shit that's happening on earth before we invent stuff like this.

  • And on top of that, anything that becomes contaminated, can be DEcontaminated. There is no end of the line here, sure we may eventualy give up alot that we have but there is no stop to clean water.

  • and please don't make an ass of your self there's several argument's there that your to ignorant to see but honestly all your ideas WOULD COST TO MUCH MONEY. not to mention if water get polluted its not safe to drink ( wait does that mean that earth can have unusable water?) wow i guess it does.

  • um, heres a thought... why transport the water when the PEOPLE can MOVE TO WHERE THE WATER IS. And yes we fight, theres no way to avoid it but we dont need world peace to get clean water. We need a handful of plants that clean and desalinate water which can be done with a carbon based filter- gee, kinda like the ones IN MY FISHTANKS- which creates jobs, and water. On top of that, if the plumbing is done overground rather than underground, a few months of construction makes easy transportation.

  • holy shit your so fucking stupid! do you honestly think that putting thousands of humans in one place with all the worlds problems is a good idea AND ONCE AGAIN filtering water for thousands of people would cost so much fucking money not to mention try filtering radioactive waste from water is impossible oh and yes because we know that people from other country's have the ability to freely move around.

  • You know what you are? Your a lead post. Not much use to anyone, no brains, no guts, no spine, no heart, and no point in trying to move. :-) have a nice lfe.

  • you know what you are a moron that uses the same idea over and over again so when some one finally proves you wrong you cant handle it so you go to petty insults like saying i have no brain.

  • and its spelled led not lead and your saying i have no brains ironic isn't it.

  • Actually, in the context he used it, it's spelled "lead". Led is the past tense to "lead, as in 'to lead people somewhere'".

  • lol fail

  • Averyone in the world cant get splitted to live on all island(s) location((s) that excsists, except if ppls masters the way off activating volcanos to create their own clean water, resource pools, and offcourse invention on creating nature/matertials to build an island from

  • picture that you have to make water for millions of people yeah sure that will work just fine if people work all the time and do nothing but pay taxes. And its not that simple if you simply touch the hydrogen with the candle it will be destroyed or how you would like me to put it (rip apart into atoms)

  • In Toronto, eh.

    I guess there must be one "Hell" of a racket when all the notes from the winter players thaw out in the spring.

  • nice comment, lol

  • It truly an amazing instrument were is this?

  • where would i acquire one of these?

  • The company that makes them is called "FUNtain".

  • FUNtain . ca

  • indeed very nice.

  • where are these things? is there any way to tell what you're playing?

  • The first song is Greensleeves played by concert flute-player Gabrielle Grach. Many of the songs later on are played on 45-jet hydraulophone.

    If you Google search "hydraulophone lesson" the first link is to a website that shows the fingering for a hydraulophone that's permanently installed as the main centerpiece out in front of the Ontario Science Centre at 770 Don Mills Road in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

  • that is a amazing instrument but that water better be recirulated if not thats such a waste

  • Yes, it's recirculated.

    It uses standard pump and filtration technology similar to what's in a pool.

    The pump can also be used to control the sound level of the instrument (i.e. increase the pressure and flow rate to make the instrument sound louder and brighter).

    Many pumps can allow for adjustment of pressure and flow rate, which can be programmed (e.g. less flow later at night so the instrument is nice and quiet).

  • its good seeing children enjoying it too

  • what a good idea for public sculpture

  • Nice! When do they place them in Holland?

  • that could sound like an orcestra if played properly

  • where is this place?

  • this is awesome!!!!!!!!

  • Is this real?  It's amazing, lol.

  • i want one where can i get one like in the park

  • or rather yet, where is the place

  • it looks like theres one in front of the ontario science center, and thats in Toronto

  • i want one

  • It's yours my friend! as long as you have enough rupees...

  • Mankind is absolutely amazing- the things we have found to do with our time...

  • I think its cool, as long as you dont waste water.

  • It uses much less water than any other aquatic play device. Compared to other public fountains (or even the small residential "giggly wiggly" or "crazy daisy") it uses very little water.

  • yeah thats cool, but my point is, if it works like a fountain that is "recycling" the water, and not using fresh water and spilling it, then its awsome. Using new water from the tap and just letting it spill... thats what i meant with wasting water.

  • Most of the hydraulophone installations recirculate the water.

    Some run tap water through the hydraulophone and then collect the water and use it for irrigation (i.e. instead of irrigating with tap water like people normally do, the water gets dual-use: once through a Nessie and then to the garden).

    In the latter case, though, the water's kind of cold on the fingers, so it's better to re-circulate it, so it has time to warm up.

  • it looks pretty and sounds pretty :)

  • canon in d is at 2:45ish

  • Water is actually how archaeologists believe the ancient Roman pipe organs worked. No doubt the bigger ones give the same ominous sounds as today's larger church pipe organs which use air.

  • What you say would work aslong as you put the water into a cycle. The world wastes enough water.

  • Type in " Morske orgulje " .

    Silimiar thing ...

    The sea waves come to the shore and into the pipes , pushing the air through pipes and making beautiful sounds .

    By steping on one of the pipe ends , you block air , and that tone is nomore .

  • Hydraulophones are actually being used in medical applications, for example, to combine water therapy with music therapy for seniour citizens, at retirement homes, etc, as well as to create self-cleaning public multimedia spaces that reduce spread of disease. As regarding the sound, if it's not unique, then what other instrument does it sound like? Because it's a microtonal instrument (i.e. you can bend the sound quite a bit) it can waver off pitch, but so can a violin (unlike guitar).

  • It uses less water than any other aquatic play feature in existence.

    We also won first prize in the Coram Sustainable Design Competition for water conservation, because these sculptures are a great way to save water.

    In funits (units of fun) per gallon, it beats just about anything else on the market.

    We're also building a hydraulophonic irrigation system that collects rainwater and then uses it twice: once for aquatic play, and then a second time for irrigation, rather only irrigation.

  • great

  • ah- ontario 6:35

  • Where is it? I must go!

  • cool

  • What is the song from 5:33 to 6:06?

  • It sounds like it might be a Bach Prelude. By the way, this was just some random person passing by on the first day the instrument was open to the public, so this is with no rehearsal, just somebody improvising on his first encounter with the instrument.

  • I see. I have heard the song before when somebody else played it on the piano--but you may be correct--it could be a Bach Prelude.

  • Sounds like a part of Bach's Toccata and Fugue.

    v=Zd_oIFy1mxM

    at 3:12

  • That could also be true. It does sound a bit like the one you mentioned. Thank you.

  • im pretty sure 2:28-3:38 is Cannon in D

  • wow such wonderful music from water that is amazing

  • btw. why were u videotaping a camara videotaping something?

  • how does a hydraulophone work?

  • I think if there was an external device that could extend up and cover the holes it would be a to easier to play.

  • We made a hydraulophone out of an array of Sloan Valve flushometers, which is played by pressing down on the lever rather than blocking a water jet. The problem is that you loose a lot of the intricate expression. Also it's not nearly as much fun to play when you don't have direct access to the hydraulic fluid (i.e. the water).

  • Thats subjective. I actually meant something that would block the water jets on top.

  • weird... That's cool... so no electronic parts? It's all the work of the water?

    I'm gonna look into this... this is awesome!

  • it can work with water-only, or you can order a hydraulophone that has water and compressed air, or water and electric amplification, or both (you can get one that uses compressed air and also electrically amplififies the sound made by the water). which model is purchased depends on what utilities are available, e.g. if compressed air is available, or if electricity is available. using a second utility (in addition to the water) makes it lighter-touch (easier to play).

  • where can I buy this. No one sell it on ebay

  • Hydraulophone installation is usually done through the landscape architecture firm, or the planner. If you have a specific site in mind where you would like to install one, please have the architect get in touch with FUNtain, website: funtain (dot) ca

    See also:

    wearcam (dot) org/watershapes

  • Where is this magnific instrument?

  • There are various hydraulophone installations. The world's largest hydraulohone is located in front of the Ontario Science Centre, 770 Don Mills Road, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as the main architectural centerpiece out in front of the building.

  • this is one of the most ingenious home-made musical instruments i've ever seen.

  • You are dumb.

  • Definately not fake. I've played it in front of the Science Center. But now it's a pneaumatic intsrument, they replaced the water jets with air.

  • This i squite possibly the coolest musical anything of the last 100 years.

  • i want to go there

  • Well, you know that noise in the pipes when you turn on the shower sometimes? or in the garden hose? someone took that idea and ran with it, it's no different than a pipe organ.

  • This shows your complete ignorance of how water and air work together.

  • The fake instrument fad is catching on so well, the Ontario Science Center decided to build the largest one in the world that has 45holes in its embouchure. And THEN hundreds of people visit it weekly to act like they are playing an instrument and then edit the sound into their videos later to make it cool.