I built a reverb tank out of an old lamp + FREE SAMPLE LIBRARY

[@MAYSUNmusic]

If you want a longer reverb time from that lamp, speed up (and pitch up) your audio X2, X4 or X8 before sending it to the lamp, and then bring the lamp spring audio back to original pitch in daw.

[@DavidHilowitzMusic]

oh, wow. that’s a great idea!

[@doctorauxiliary]

nice thinking there!! yes!!

[@doctorauxiliary]

nice thinking there!! yes!!

[@micindir4213]

@@DavidHilowitzMusic it was original multitrack trick to get different reverb sound. Especially useful if you have one reverb room only (most of us have none). Send reverb/ Record reverb at 15 ips, while playback at 30.

[@BrunoHanstenreiter]

Can you explain to me the theory behind this? make total sense to me, but i can't put it in words, can you help me? Thanks!

[@CraigRodmellMusic]

Good grief, when I was a music student in the early 80s, we had to find a household object that could serve as a musical instrument, and compose pieces for it, and I chose my spring lamp! So, yes, I wrote a rhythmic little thing for my spring lamp!

[@AlienToppedPancakes]

Tbh learning a new hobby through YT in my experience is mostly a soulcrushing sesspool of gatekeeping. Every other video is "these are the brand to NEVER get", "these are the techniques every player HAS to master", "why everyone hated how -insert artist- plays" etc. Then there's this haven of creativity and lending it forwards. Like "let me make you this free reverb out of a desk lamp I found in my neighbors trash!" Just, thank you so much!

[@nico5]

This may be one of your very finest videos yet. Loved everything about it! From newcomers to the physics of sound to bored veterans looking for off-the-beaten-path inspiration, there's something in this for a very wide audience. Refreshing, from the inexpensive gear and parts, to the crazy simple yet highly effective lo-tech representation of the sound molecules! And of course your chill, yet engaging presentation style. I bow in respect!

[@ManosMilonakisMusic]

Amazing! No other way to look at desk lamps now 👏

[@andrefiset3569]

Decades ago I hooked up a guitar pick-up to my bass amplifier and put it near the large spring of the family garage door. When struck, my friends said it sounds like a Star Trek movie sound effect. Maybe it can make a fantastic reverb.

[@florianb81]

From a found lamp. incredible sounds. It never ceases to amaze me where beauty can be found if you just open your eyes to see

[@JadeArcade]

Wonderful! That's one thing I didn't think about making into a reverb. Nifty!I thought you might have made an impulse library with it. 😎

[@MusicalWizardryMarcoIannello]

I have got that sort of lamp in my house, now I have got some ideas, cheers lad 🙂

[@jondellar]

Hell’s bells, that is brilliant! I do so enjoy your channel; it’s a real pleasure to watch. 🙂

[@kairon156]

This is so cool. I've always enjoyed the tactile feelings and noises of coils like that.

[@rutkowski1490]

The bow sound on the lamp was beautiful and something special!

[@Thr3-Words]

Good on you! I've wanted to do music and sound design stuff with my desk lamp since I was I was a child and didn't even know what a microphone was. That music at the end is 😍

[@RichMoyers]

Your curious ingenuity is marvelous David...to say nothing of your generosity...on behalf of all who see this and download your wizardry... I Thank You!

[@michaelbatty3906]

Thank you I am trying out your Decentsampler in my D A W at the moment including the lamp you have just described

[@lynchseanm]

Wow this is cool! Great work! Also based on the beginning shots I think I share the same city. Gotta love trash day around here. 🙂

[@bernhardnizynski4403]

I constructed a plate reverb unit using a large sheet of very thin steel. I used a similar driver and pickup to your set up. It worked really well!

[@dekoningtan]

Awesome and inspiring once again. Good job!

[@Davett53]

Neat!........this video reminded me of when I was a bored youngster, and I noticed our wooden screen door had a simple steel spring, to pull it closed. On its own it would sometimes make a melodic "sproing" sound, when the door was opened abruptly. That accidental discovery, lead to me "playing" the spring for my own entertainment, and if it annoyed a grownup, all the better. ha!

[@marcomarrone174]

Always a treasure trove of sonic compositional nuggets! Thanks David for your commitment and passion MUCH APPRECIATED!!

[@doctorauxiliary]

man, the lamp percussion is just... I love it!! that's what it is. it's just something that I love!!

[@adrimathlener8008]

- Use a plectrum to strike along the spring of the lamp - Use more than one spring with different objects: plectrum or fingernail or steel nail Very nice experiment

[@davetbassbos]

I think moving the arms changes the pitch also, I remember annoying someone by doing that as a child, lol!

[@habadababa31415]

that reverb fells so intimate and it's actually pretty cool

[@interrobangorg]

Thanks for the desk lamp reminder! I used to try to use one for sounds long ago before I knew about piezo mics, I'll have to try it again now that I have some.

[@jeygraf7218]

Awesome !!

[@johnnyandthedinosaurs]

This lamp is the best sounding drumkit I heard in a while. Awesome video!

[@sethbramwell]

I just discovered you and so glad I did! I have a DIY spirit myself and I'd have never thought of this on my own. Thank you for sharing!

[@davidhuggins16]

Some wonderful metallic resonances from the lamp here. Was reminded of Delia Derbyshire’s use of a metal lampshade as an evocative sound source for many of her tape music compositions in the 1960s (such as the haunting Blue Veils and Golden Sands).

[@marcusdekker]

Always a pleasure to watch your video's David!!!!

[@scopex2749]

That is superb I had an old amp years ago with springs inside!

[@tonymckeown1314]

Another interesting video, Dave. I'm sitting watching your video next to one of those lamps, that I bought 2nd hand 25 years ago - still going strong (well, with the aid of some occasional superglue ;-)) . I always wondered about doing something with the spring sound. I particularly liked your bowed lampshade sound.

[@madshamanstudios]

Your lamp performance - worthy of a soundtrack!

[@Thr3-Words]

Ha! I've wanted to do this forever, but I had no idea how they're made. You just got going and figured it out!

[@russelmurray9268]

I forget to create but you have woken me up. Thanks to you and Kym Sweatnum

[@butterylabs]

I can't describe how much I love this ...

[@lndozois]

OMG!!! That percussive montage!!!

[@kilimmosh]

I did something similar recently, but with a desktop mic stand feeding into a cheapo mixer with dist and delay. Pretty cool for generating strange feedback.

[@ishbeck]

Amazing how much time and effort you put into this! Impressive!

[@JohnSk82]

Dude this amazing !

[@alvisreidmusic]

Simply amazing! I will try this in 2022 :-)

[@JimSargent]

Simon the Magpie cleans up nice.

[@KataNasMusic]

Your channel is amazing, I hope that you'll get more following this year, you deserve it!

[@RadaSada]

thanks for the inspiration, will try have something like that lying around..

[@FusionHowie]

I love this newly found channel! THANK YOU! Peace from Detroit MI.

[@zloboslav_]

I had a very similar lamp when I was a kid and I remember "playing" it instead of doing homework all the time lol XD

[@BLAKEANTHONYROBSON]

I love your samples. I've used so many in my songs. It's a real gift. Thanks

[@Gedagnors]

Gorgeous! Thank you so much!!!! And thank you for inspiration! Can't express how these videos help to get through rough times!

[@amonynous9041]

when I was a kid I used to play my lamp when I was supposed to study or write homework. 2 springs and one metal shade is all I need.

[@beatrixquinn]

these breakdowns are inspiring and the libraries you make from these experiments sound fantastic. that reverb contraption was like mad science to me. thank you for your contributions to the realm of sampled instruments and keep up the awesome creativity! 🎵

[@AnirudhMidde-zr6xy]

Awesome creativity mister 👏

[@danieljstimac]

Fantastic work once again, David! 🙌

[@MetaView7]

You are amazing. The stuff your neighbors throw out is amazing. LOL I would like to pick up those solid wood furniture. And the kitchen stuff too. Hahah.

[@danielmcdonald9737]

Now I need a full Lamp Concerto.

[@elektropopelektropop2748]

Thanks a lot ! It's so cool that you've made this sample library for Ableton Live.

[@Knobs]

This is great!

[@philipsnettleton]

u get more claps out of me than anyone else on youtube. well done, man.

[@kennethludwigs2724]

Way to go David! I don't know how you came up with the idea to make a musical instrument out of an old classic "architect lamp" (common language - norwegian invention in the 1930'es), but i think it's genius, and I'm amazed - 'cause it works fine!

[@skorch9094]

The violin bow sounded like The Apprehension machine!! Very atonal in the best way!

[@therealwhite]

Theo Katzman would be proud to know that he's not the only one playing the lamp

[@TheNoisy911]

This is so awesome!

[@davelanciani-dimaensionx]

I learn something new with each of your videos. Ah, if only school was this fun. You are like Bill Nye, The Science Guy, but for Music!

[@viktorkigyos3839]

I made a low budget room reverb. And It's even more cheap and easier... Maybe the idea came from this video so thank you Dave! I made a relooper from my speaker whit volume and reacord a guitar picking and singing in my room! IT WAS AWSOME! Sounds pretty good (A lot better than plugins) Little reminder be carecul whit it (If somebody want use this) do not turn your speaker too loud cuz you going kill your interface! 2nd: - You need a pretty good qouality interface! (I've got a Focusrite saffire)

[@MirlitronOne]

In truth, I wouldn't call it a reverb at all. However, I LOVE the sound that it produces. Sounds great, keep experimenting!

[@doctorauxiliary]

maybe it's more of an inharmonic timbre enhancer?

[@drgsao]

Funny story... When I was in my high school for 14 years ago I had the same lamp in the colour of red. I was picking the strings/coils just for fun and trying to change the pitch of them. It was something fascinating about that sound. I think that sound made me wish learning playing guitar

[@sbk4834]

Bravo Dave! Such inspiring!

[@Johnsormani]

very cool. I'm running to the goodwill store right now haha

[@RetroPlus]

Damn only a true master can make an entire song out of a lamp

[@juanoyhenart5139]

This was great!

[@HarveyWise]

Also to extend the length of the spring reverb you can use a feedback loop. For more control I know there are some modules specificaly for this. Could maybe be an interesting part 2 if you wanted to carry on with this experiment. Theoretically you should be able to make a Crude Infinte reverb out of this lamp, for a lovely droning lamp !!!

[@michaelsmusicinstruments9980]

cool project, i love it, well done

[@petesimmonds8846]

Don't know what the plural of Hilowitz is (Hilowi?), but the world definitely needs more of them.

[@AndresRojasMusic]

Nice experiment!!! Love your work man 👍

[@PetarFaltin]

Soo much, good!

[@julienmarocco]

Amazingly creative !

[@Stazma]

Awesome !

[@temporoboto]

Well done! Thanks for sharing.

[@micindir4213]

Very creative! You've gone almost too far in sourcing the sound out of thrash. I've used same exact lamp and same exact piezo. But I did simple pluck and pitched it down few octaves. Made a nice drone for theatre piece hehe :)

[@TilliKommunikation]

Amazing! 💯

[@theFriendlyGhst]

I have a folding coffee table with springs on it. I should try this :P

[@ilirbajri]

Very cool & inspiring

[@heyitsburt]

I would have loved to see you add and remove tension in the spring during the recording.

[@ChristianIce]

I agree. It has a very spiky resonance, perhaps changing the tension to get different notes and sample them separatly would have give an interesting instrument. But look at the bright side, we can do it ourselves :)

[@ralfnolte174]

Hi David! Thanks for the wonderful Video! I guess that by mounting the Transducer and Piezo to the same stand, you get plenty of 'Dry' signal picked up by the Piezo, Same goes fo the metal Frame of the Lamp, which sureley delivers quite an amount of dry (or very short reverberated) signal. So decupling from the Labstand should help plenty.

[@DavidHilowitzMusic]

I was wondering about that. I'm going to try to attach the piezo sensor directly to the coil. Also, at one point I bumped into the stand and it was quite loud-it seemed to have to have some of it's own reverb, which made me think maybe a metal stand wasn't the ideal choice for this experiment. :)

[@AlexeyFilippenkoPlummet]

KZbin: allows to disable dislike counter David: doesn't disable the counter because no one dislikes his videos in the first place

[@innerlight9374]

A friend, many years ago, built a reverb device out of a washing machine drum in the same way. The plate principle didn't sound bad at all.

[@xradical89x]

loved it! very inspiring

[@GPrice-qk5fm]

I LOVE this, i is so gr8, to get these sounds you get out of anything. I don't understand why you are giving this for nowt (don't get me wrong ,as I am pensioner, any thing for nowt is good in my books LOL :D) But all the work you have put in to this, and time, I would of also like to of heard, if possible the bow go across the springs

[@raojr46]

I love lamp.... LOUD NOISES!!

[@HeathcliffBlair]

Ingenious. Thanks. You could maybe try it with a cymbal or gong/tam tam to create an effect similar to the Ondes Martenot "Metallique" resonate speaker, and also the Ondes' "Palm" resonator (uses 12 harp strings stretched over a box).. Could be interesting. Luck to you.

[@valiumdupeuple]

I've found the same type of lamp in a street 10 years ago, and so did record it just like you did, hits, spring, bow, strikes etc as I wanted to turn it into a Sampler instrument... that session is still unedited as of today 😅

[@DavidHilowitzMusic]

Haha. 😂 I have so many sessions like that.

[@jamiejudesmithart]

Hi David, Have you considered using the sounds you captured as impulse responses for a convolution reverb? This would expand the results of your recording experiments.

[@synaesmedia]

Came here to say this

[@HarveyWise]

watching this video whilst this same lamp is staring at me next to my monitor. I dont belive in fate but ive got to give this an experiment !

[@levirphillips]

This is awesome David! I wonder what would happen if you tried this with a higher mass spring, like a sofa bed or a stabilised metal slinky?

[@wadecottingham]

I have one of those lamps, my dad gave it to me!

[@petesimmonds8846]

Awesome! :)

[@JohnBassarcticsoundstudios]

Very kool.

[@karius85]

I love lamp

[@LeighKemp]

Could you mount the transducer or speaker inside the lamp head and then use the clip on pick up to record at different points down the lamp?

[@GrumpyTy34er]

I always laugh when I see that reverb tanks are basically just a mini amp to play your sound into before it goes to something else, but then I'm always surprised that it sounds good.

[@keithgiosa]

Have you considered making an impulse response from the reverb?

[@BiniMeistert]

You are amazing