Sound Objects Description

ABS pipes Plumbing ABS pipes of different diameters (2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 cm)) and of different length. Played on the side of the pipes with a Balinese Gong stick. Short percussive bass sound with many different colors and attacks.
Breath Hose Long water hose. Sound is played by blowing in the hose, creating a sci-fi sound effect with a very interesting vibrato in the bass register.
Bell Post Bell shaped metal post holder (used to hold beams on decks), 4X4 inches (10X10 cm). Sound recalls a ring modulator or a vocoder effect. Played with a vibe stick.
Ceramic Tiles Ceramic tiles of different sizes (4 to 12 inches (10 to 30cm)) and thickness played with a marimba stick. Sound recalls a marimba-vibraphone blend in the bass register and a “glass” marimba in the high register. Each type of tiles has its own sound color. Some tiles are more reminiscent of a balafon.
Cover Bell Eight inches (20 cm) diameter cauldron lid played with a vibraphone stick. Sound, very round and sustained in the bass register is reminiscent of bells and Tibetan bowls, and recalls glockenspiel in the high register.
Drain Fitting Round Brass drain fitting piece, about 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter. Sound played with a marimba stick, is reminiscent of antique cymbals or crotales.
Electrical Box Plastic boxes of different sizes (2 to 8 inches (5 to 20cm)) used in electricity. Played with a xylophone stick, sound is reminiscent of wood blocks or temple blocks.
Gardening Fork Metal gardening fork played with a metal stick. Sound recalls John Cage’s toy piano with ultrasounds (harmonics) in the high register and strongly percussive in the bass register, recalls a heavy metal plate.
Ground Plate Electric metal ground plate of 8X12 inches (20X30cm). Played with a gong stick, sound is reminiscent of a Wurlitzer piano.
Joist Hangers Joist hangers are metal pieces used to build decks and hold beams together. They have various forms. The ones used here are “U” shaped and have some kind of horns at the bottom. Their size vary from 2 inches (5cm) up to 8 inches (20 cm). They are played with soft marimba sticks, and basically sound like bells, with very unique harmonics.
Marble Roll Marble rolling on a cauldron lid (8 inches (20 cm) diameter) cauldron lid. Creates a moving object effect. Recalls metal sheets in the bass register and Tibetan bowls in the high register.
Metal Arco Post holders are used here for metal arcos. It is a “U” shaped aluminum piece around 4 inches (10cm) wide by 6 inches (15cm) tall, with a 6 inches (15cm) rod at the bottom. Sounds are played with a bow, and are sustained with different attacks (fast, medium, and slow). Reminiscent of Ondes Martenot and organ stops.
Metal Avalanche Many different metal pieces were mixed and shaked to create this interesting “falling tubes” sound effect.
Metal Piece Small joist hangers of different shapes were played with soft xylophone sticks and were recorded in close-micking. Each joist hanger possess a sound of its own related to its shape. Sounds like unheard before bells full of harmonics, reminiscent of gong thai in the low register, and more of a set of bells in the high register.
Metal Rod Metal rods of different diameters (0.25 to 0.75 inches (0.6 to 2cm) and different length were played with hard xylophone sticks. Again, unheard of bell sounds from full and round to complex, full of harmonics.
Metal Sheets Metal sheets of 1X2 feet (30X60 cm) played with a drum stick. Sound is similar to Hi Hats and or Flexatone in the high register, and gong-like in the low register, very cinematic.
Sticks on Pipe Elbows Pipe elbows of different diameters (0.5 to 2 inches (2.5 to 10 cm)) and of different length (6 to 18 inches (15 to 45cm)) were played here with drum wood sticks. Sound is very dry, similar to water drops in the high register, sort of a very dry marimba.
Plastic Trash Different sizes of plastic trashes from 4 litres to 50 litres were played with a marimba stick. The very dry sound recalls Tom-Toms drums.
Saw Blades Different sizes (6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm)) of saw blades were used as well as different thickness. They are played with a vibe stick. Sustains are very long. Sounds like clock-bells in the high register and church bells in the low register.
Sink Drain Sink drain of different shapes (straight, with an elbow) were played with marimba sticks. Each sink drain really possess a sound of its own related to its shape, with strong harmonics in general.
“U” Post Holder Post holders are “U” shaped aluminum pieces around 4 inches (10cm) wide by 6 inches (15cm) tall, with a 6 inches (15cm) rod at the bottom. Played with a soft vibe stick, the sound is percussive, reminiscent of Gamelan gongs and some kind of metallophone.
Wind Bells Aluminum metal elbows of different sizes (12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm)) played with a vibe stick. Sound, reminiscent of the Thaï Gong, is very rich in harmonics (like a “wind” of harmonics), specially interesting in the bass register where it vibrates a lot and goes in many directions when sustained.