"Print me the Stradivarius violin," this phrase sounds absurd to most of us. But this is not a fiction science fiction writer, it is - the present. Now, a person has learned to print not only chocolate figures and plastic parts, but whole houses, and in the future he will also print full-fledged human organs. So why not use the latest technology for the benefit of musical art?
A little about a 3d printer: what is it and how does it work?
The peculiarity of the 3d printer is that it prints a three-dimensional object using a computer model. Such a printer is somewhat like a machine. The difference is that the object is not obtained by processing the workpiece, but is created from scratch.
Digital Piano with Ladybugs, created on a 3D printer
Layer by layer, the printhead sprays molten material that quickly solidifies — it can be plastic, rubber, metal, or another substrate. The thinnest layers merge and form a printed item. The printing process may take a couple of minutes or several days.
The model itself can be created in any 3d application, or you can download a ready-made sample, while its file will be in STL format.
Musical instruments: print file
Guitar.STL
For such a beauty I do not mind the three thousand green to give. Spectacular steampunk body with spinning gears was entirely printed on a 3d printer, and in one stage. The maple neck and strings were already used in finished form, perhaps, therefore, the sound of the newly-printed guitar is quite pleasant. By the way, Olaf Digel, an engineer and designer, professor of the New Zealand University, created and printed this guitar.
By the way, Olaf prints not only guitars: his collection includes drums (a printed case on a nylon base and membranes from the Sonor machine) and a digital piano with ladybirds (a case made of the same material).
Drum set printed on a 3D printer
Scott Summy went even further, presenting the first printed acoustic guitar.
Violin.stl
In the nomination "bowed" American Alex Davis won, as the first to print a violin on a 3d printer. To perfection, of course, it is still far away. He sings well, but does not disturb the soul. It is harder to play such a violin than on an ordinary instrument. The professional violinist Joanna was convinced of this, playing for comparison on both violins. However, for beginners, the printed instrument will fit. And yes - here, too, only the body is printed.
Flute.STL
The first sounds of a printed flute resounded in Massachusetts. It was there, at the famous technical university, that Amin Zoran, a researcher working on a wind instrument project, worked for a couple of months. The printing of the three components took only 15 hours, and it took another hour to assemble the flute. The first samples showed that the new instrument does not cope well with low frequencies, but is prone to high sounds.
Instead of conclusion
The idea to print your favorite tool, yourself, at home, with any design you like - is amazing. Yes, the sound is not so beautiful, yes, expensive. But, I think, very soon this musical idea will become affordable for many, and the sound of the instrument will acquire pleasant colors. It is possible that due to the three-dimensional printing will appear incredible musical instruments.
The author - Alexandra Ramm
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