Exploring the Art of Noise

I've always been intrigued by how a single sound can transform into a continuous noise when it's overlaid many times. Imagine the sound of a single raindrop. When combined with thousands of others, it becomes the sound of rain. Recently, I discovered the work of Swiss artist Zimoun, who creates art installations using simple mechanical devices. By multiplying these devices, he generates a swarm of sounds that blend into a constant noise, filling an entire art exhibition hall. This inspired me to design a similar experience using the sliders on myNoise. While listening to a recording isn't quite the same as experiencing it live, it's still a delightful concept to explore.

My first attempt began with a timpani mallet suspended above a cardboard box. A motor spins the mallet, causing it to hit the box at high speed and bounce randomly, creating a unique sound. As the mallet rotates at a constant speed, there's an underlying order to the chaos. It produces a random beat, yet it's still a rhythm, not just uncoordinated hits. By adding another of those "beat boxes", one creates an intriguing polyrhythm. As more of those are added, the rhythm becomes increasingly complex until it eventually turns into noise. And it sounds just... amazing! Try the Shuffle! under the Tape Speed Control section, to change box sizes.

I was curious to find out when the sound would fully become noise, so I designed a series of sliders to simulate the effect of 10, 100, and even 1,000 boxes. These numbers are fascinating: 10 creates a complex polyrhythm, 100 results in noise but with an added texture, and 1,000 is just pure noise.

You can play with the sliders to create your own installation and choose your preferred listening experience. There's even a setting that lets you hear the sound of 1,000 boxes from the adjacent hall, as if you were walking towards one of the extraordinary Zimoun displays.

I had a lot of fun creating this, and there are endless possibilities for more "Noisefield" generators. Let me know in the comments if you'd like to hear more of these, and perhaps I'll add a new category on the main index page dedicated to these unique sounds! Never hesitate to comment. It can be discouraging to dedicate so much effort to a sound generator and not receive any response ;)

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