A Wave With Words
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A Wave With Words
Sound waves are displayed on an oscilloscope.
Air Columns and Pitch
A set of five pipes demonstrate how the pitch of an air column can be changed to enable a selection of pitches to be sounded. These relate
to any "Wind" instruments e.g. Recorder, trumpet, clarinet etc. There are also two pipes which demonstrate "beating".
Anechoic and Echoic Chambers
Make sounds in these boxes. One has been lined to absorb all sound - can you hear the difference?
Audio Spectrum Display
Shows what the hearing ranges of different animals are.
Bar Constructor
A 3-D representation of musical time. This plore shows how space can be divided into fractions of halves, quarters, eighths or thirds,
sixths and twelfths.
Chladni Plates
A way of looking at vibration - this pair of metal plates, a square and a hexagon, are sounded by bowing the edge. By sprinkling fine sand
on the surface it is possible to produce very beautiful patterns. These patterns show the way in which the plate is vibrating.
 Giant Guitar
The guitar, which took three months to build and weighs 750kg (3/4 Tonne), is more than just a gimmick. It is a working instrument and by
getting inside it there is a unique opportunity to find out how a guitar is built, and how it works.
Giant Keyboard
A piano you play by walking on!
Giant Pop-Pipes
Pop-pipes are instruments played by pulling a stopper out of a tube.
Good Vibrations
An electric guitar string shows how string length controls the note produced.
Harmonic String
A long string vibrated by a motor. Pulling increases the tension and changes the pattern of vibration in the string. More or less waves are
seen in the vibration.
Longitudinal Wave Model
A working model showing how sound waves travel.
Louder Speaker
Place different objects on a vibrating button. Which makes the best loudspeaker?
Monochord
A large guitar is provided with one string to show how the pitch is related to length. For instance halving the length which can vibrate
by "stopping" the string i.e. pressing it against a fret, will increase the pitch by an octave.
Musical Abacus
Making a pattern with pegs in a board will create a tune. This exhibit shows the connection between a visual shape and the "shape" of a
tune.
Octave Pipes
Organ pipes sound octaves.
Pop Pipes
A set of musical pipes which can be played by pulling giant stoppers out of tubes.
Rhythmic Abacus
By inserting pegs in a pattern in a turntable, a cycle of rhythm is created, producing a series of percussive clicks.
Scales of the World
A single stretched string is provided with interchangeable fret-boards which enable different scales from around the world to be heard.
This is like being able to take the neck off a stringed instrument and replace it with one from another country.
Shepard Tones
A musical illusion which gives the impression of scales playing up and up forever.
Sound Identification Chamber
Two identical sets of sound instruments are divided by a partition. Two players can listen and match the sounds they hear - or have a
musical dialogue.
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