Hey all! The other day I discovered an instrument called a trautonium. As a multi-instrumentalist predominantly focused on piano and keys, this thing fascinates me for being able to play expressive and almost violin/cello lines and replicate those instruments incredibly well especially for such an old instrument! With something like a Cello IR or a box like EHX’s Strings9 it gets even closer.
A really lovely little thing but unfortunately buying one is out of the question for me. Even if I could find one given that they are an early 20th century younger sister to the theremin, I probably couldn’t afford it. So therefore, I must build something with the same basic controls. Problem is I’ve never built an instrument before. Hell, the only soldering experience I have is modding my big muff which was just so dead simple a monkey with good dexterity could pull it off.
Then I discovered Sound Simulator, arduino, and subsequently Daisy, and I have spent the last few weeks learning the basics of puredata, electronics, and synthesis.
I essentially want to build this:
But with the pressure sensor from this to replace the distance sensor
In the future if this is even a viable idea, I would want to add two ribbons for playing harmonies or bass and lead lines, but for now just having the option to record and perform cello like synth sounds in the vein of a trautonium on the fly without a laptop is current fixation and I wont rest until it is complete somehow.
Is this a viable project? What are some things I would need consider? Like would connecting the pressure sensor in place of the distance sensor change anything in puredata? Or would it be the same process for daisy as the arduino?
And possibly down the line some normal knob pots for controlling parameters like release, attack etc. But I’m focused mostly on proof of concept at this point
Totally possible!! I was mainly using DaisyDuino in that video to demonstrate that Arduino users can get the hang of it smoothly
I could have easily made a version where Pure Data (or plugdata if I were to make that video today) was used.
You’ll see potentiometer being used in lot of the examples, but you can use those sensors instead just fine.
Thanks so much man! I’ve already got a good albeit simple chain in Reaper for the sounds I’m thinking of: Basic Sawtooth > Cello IR > Reverb > little bit of Compression. All I would need is the expressive nature of this instrument and it would basically be a cello (or any stringed instrument depending on the IR) in a box without paying ridiculous amounts for string libraries that HOPEFULLY can be as expressive as a finger!
You’ve been an invaluable help to this little dream of mine! Thanks again!
