@SmileysRevenge100 Glad you asked. The principle is quite interesting. The air inside each open-ended tube (made of quartz not glass) oscillates, back and forth when the air temperature difference between the hot side and the cool side is increased by covering end of the of the tube with a gloved hand. Each tube has a bunsen burner to heat it, and a small plug of fibrous material (manufactured for catalytic converters) is stuffed inside to separate the tube into hot and cool sides...
@ericleonardson That a very unique concept for an instrument. I'm still a little confused on how exactly the sound is produced. If I understand it correctly, the hot side and the cold side causes an oscillation of air within the tube that creates the sound? So, is the pitched controlled by the temperature or the length of the tube?
@SmileysRevenge100 Yes, each tube produces one pitch. The longer the tube, the lower the pitch. In this performance they're using only 8 tubes. At home they use as many as 24. One reason they use quartz is because it won't shatter due to the temperature difference, as glass will.
Cool sounds! How exactly does that thing work?
SmileysRevenge100 1 year ago
@SmileysRevenge100 Glad you asked. The principle is quite interesting. The air inside each open-ended tube (made of quartz not glass) oscillates, back and forth when the air temperature difference between the hot side and the cool side is increased by covering end of the of the tube with a gloved hand. Each tube has a bunsen burner to heat it, and a small plug of fibrous material (manufactured for catalytic converters) is stuffed inside to separate the tube into hot and cool sides...
ericleonardson 1 year ago
@ericleonardson That a very unique concept for an instrument. I'm still a little confused on how exactly the sound is produced. If I understand it correctly, the hot side and the cold side causes an oscillation of air within the tube that creates the sound? So, is the pitched controlled by the temperature or the length of the tube?
SmileysRevenge100 1 year ago
@SmileysRevenge100 Yes, each tube produces one pitch. The longer the tube, the lower the pitch. In this performance they're using only 8 tubes. At home they use as many as 24. One reason they use quartz is because it won't shatter due to the temperature difference, as glass will.
ericleonardson 1 year ago