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The Buffer Has Arrived
After testing a high-impedance PM-1 buffer, I confirmed my piezo signal path is no longer loading the pickup. Harmonics remain stable, decay improves, and measurements reflect the instrument — whether steel tongue drum, kazoo, slide whistle, or rubber chicken. Read More
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Rebuilding My Piezo Signal Path for Accurate Acoustic Analysis
After tracing brittle transients and missing bass to piezo impedance mismatch, I researched buffering solutions and mapped my signal path. This field note documents the investigation, measurements, and hardware choices behind pursuing accurate steel tongue drum analysis—before the new preamp even arrives. Read More
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Hopwell Steel Tongue Drum (15 note, Key of D)
A deep dive into a 15-note D-major steel tongue drum used as a rain-activated idiophone. Measured tuning accuracy, harmonic behavior, sustain, lacquer acoustics, and psychoacoustics reveal a thoughtfully engineered instrument that bridges ambient sound sculpture, melodic percussion, and experimental recording. Read More
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Randon Piezo Contact Pickup (MP20)
A quick experiment with piezo pickups turns a Pringles can into a resonant microphone, exploring how vibration becomes sound. From pre-wired transducers to permanent installs, I test portable electrification for kalimba, ukulele, and rain drum—then look ahead to noise boxes. Read More