Simple 3D printable noise makers. Use for fighting colonialism, fascism and unfair labor practices.
Developed during the UCLA Graduate strike of 2022. More info here.
Ready to print .stl files are located in the 3DprintFiles directory.
There are several files that are ready to print:
- NoiseMakerSimpleV2.stl is a single chamber model. Easiest and quickest to print. This is a slightly improved version that uses less material and prints faster.
- NoiseMakerTriple.stl is a triple chamber model. Much louder and creates a poly tonal sound. Uses much more material to print.
- NoiseMakerSimpleV2Large.stl is a larger version of the single chamber model.
- NoiseMakerSimpleV1_olderVersion.stl is an older version of the single chamber model (the one referenced in the guide photos below). It's a little less efficient than the V2 files.
It's better if the files are printed with support material for the mouthpiece only. This can be done by using support painting or a similar tool (dependent on your 3D printing software)
A video of the assembly process can be found here
These devices are printed as a single piece. Some notes on the printing process:
- all tests have been made with PLA
- prints have been tested up to .28 mm layer height. They should work up to .4 mm
- the mouthpiece will need supports. Make sure to not include support inside the chambers or it may be difficult to remove
- an infill of about 15% is more than enough
To build a noise maker, you will need:
- a 3D printed noise maker body (using the single chamber model for this guide)
- some sandpaper (something like 150 grit works well)
- a pair of scissors
- a rubber band
- a nitrile glove (latex gloves, balloons, or plastic bags can also be used. Different materials will produce different timbres)
Step 5 - Cut a square of material from the glove. It needs to be bigger than the diameter of the body. This will act as the vibrating membrane.
Step 7 - Secure the membrane with the rubber band. Make sure it's tight and that there are no creases.
Test_single.mp4
Testing the single chamber version
Test_triple.mp4
Testing the triple chamber version
These devices work by blowing air through the mouthpiece. The air is then forced through an elastic membrane, which vibrates and pushes the air out of the inner tube, creating a loud sound.
Cross section view of both devices
These devices were modeled in Fusion 360. The design files can be found in the fusionFiles directory.
- changing the diameter of the chambers will affect the amplitude of the sound
- changing the length of the inner tube will affect the pitch (shorter tube means higher pitch)
- on the triple chamber design, the length of each inner tube can be adjusted individually
- the design is parametric, so dimensions are easy to change:
- in the Solid tab, go to Modify > Change parameters
- from here you can adjust the diameter and overall length of the noise maker
The single chamber noise maker can be printed to fit directly on different cylindrical objects. This will allow you to achieve lower frequencies and louder volumes. Experiment with what you have around! Make sure you seal the joint so no air can escape.
Single chamber design sized to fit into a 2 inch PVC pipe.
Fitted into a section of pipe and sealed in place with duct tape.
06_Bass.mp4
Same as above, but with a section of narrower pipe (fitted with a handle), that can slide to alter the pitch as it is being played (the longer the pipe, the lower the pitch).
07_Bass_sliding.mp4
Single chamber design sized to fit into a plastic 5 gallon water jug.
Sealed with duct tape and several rubber bands.
08_Water_jug.mp4
Initial versions of the noise makers, made with nitrile gloves, different cylinders, sections of think plastic hose, and plastic bushings. They are played by stretching the glove over the cylinder to create a tense membrane, and blowing into one of the glove fingers.
These designs are a little more bulky and the gloves tend to break easily.
Simple design with a short section of 2 inch PVC pipe.
04_Glove_V1.mp4
Two noise makers taped together create different tones (and offer more visual impact!).
05_Glove_V2.mp4
While on a rally during the 2022 University of California academic workers' strike, my friend (and fellow UCLA DMA graduate student) Wiley Wiggins and I saw some some other students with noise makers made out of paper towel tubes. We took note of the design and began experimenting in our department's fabrication laboratory to make similar devices. The initial version of these devices was bagpipe-like, made from discarded cardboard tubes and rubber gloves (as featured above). Wiley and I hosted a couple of sessions in the lab to show other students how to build the noise makers.
DMA marching band during the 2022 strike
As the strike continued, I kept working through iterations of these noise makers, eventually arriving at a version that is compact, easy to make and produces very loud sounds. The final design is meant to be easy to conceal, small enough to be used with one hand, and simple and cheap to reproduce (it can be created out of PVC pipes, or 3D printed as a single part).
These noise making objects serve several purposes. In terms of sound and its relation to protest, they allow us to be heard (by us -those who are protesting- and by them -those who we stand against-), they are political in their design and creation, they serve to unite through their sound (they act as beacons of togetherness and safety), and they allow for disruption. Additionally, they are tools for communal play and experimentation. They can be gifted, shared freely, and played with others.
Their compact size and portability also grant them an amulet-like quality, an object one may hold closely in difficult times. Cecilia Vicuña speaks of the multidimensionality of objects in her 1973 book “Saborami”1:
“Los objetos tratan de matar tres pájaros de un solo tiro: hacer un trabajo mágico, uno revolucionario y uno estético. ” (“Objects try to kill three birds with one stone: they do magical wok, revolutionary work, and aesthetic work.”)
She refers to “un golpe mágico que es ayudar a la liberación” (“a magical strike that helps liberation”), “un golpe politico” (“a political strike”) that is revolutionary, and “un golpe estético: tienen que ser bellos para darle fuerza al alma” (“an aesthetic strike: they -objects- must be beautiful to give strength to the soul”).
An expaned version of this text can be found here
Footnotes
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Vicuña, Cecilia, and Felipe Ehrenberg. Saborami. Beau Geste Press, 1973. ↩