Yanko Design » Music

Post Baroque Hardcore Violin

Chris Burns — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:01:54 +0000

For over 500 million years… or wait… 500 years, the form of the violin has deviated from the baroque style very little. This violin right here, it’s different. Made by designer Hopfgartner Gerda to spearhead a new age in 4/4 design, this is indeed the “Gavari” Semiacoustic Violin. Created in co-operation with a professional Viennese violin maker to assure perfect dimensions and sound criteria.

The Gavari semiacoustic violin was made with virtually no change from a classical violin in the areas of geometrical curvatures and material thickness in the cover and the soil. Playing this instrument requires no education beyond that of the average violin player.

The design aesthetics of this violin are inspired by giant boats. Boats and yachts of the 50s as well as feminine curves and “sundry corset outlines” of the Baroque, Rococo, and Biedermeier ages.

Maybe this reminds me of the violin in the movie Starship Troopsers? I hope that is not a crime. That and this are basically the coolest violins I’ve ever seen in my whole life.

Designer: Hopfgartner Gerda

The Woofer Power of a BEAR

Chris Burns — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:01:14 +0000

Behold, if you DARE, the Eco Woof; the sub-woofer that’s got the woofer power of a BEAR! But CHILL! There is no bear actually powering the “Eco-Woof,” only the power of glass domes. Where wood boxing would normally hold the raw beats exploded forth from the speakers, glass domes and downward facing blasters suffice. The wood grain is so very classy, wouldn’t you say? Oh, and there’s green in it, too!

From here it gets cryptic. As you may well know, many of the submissions and discoveries Yanko gets and makes are made by people who speak limited english. This is one of those times. So as an added attraction for this post, the details of the speakers are translated here in their original state:

extra from designer :
felt wooden, felt flexible, so i laced this 2.1 audio speaker system,
marterials:
VINYL PRINT ON MOLD (GLOSS COAT
MOLD – FROM ECO FRIENDLY MARTERIAL : GANESHA (hollow not solid to preserve dome effect)

Wild, huh? Speakers made of our elephant deity friend Ganesha?

Tell me what you think!

*NOTE to the wise: I don’t believe the bear being reflected on the woofer is meant to be seen as a printed image, rather as a reflection of the power of the sound. So, that in mind, remember this year when you’re celebrating “Bear Week,” you need to celebrate with your very own Eco-Woof speaker system.

Designer: Andrew Mboyi

Retro Fitted Sound Station

Radhika Seth — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:29:57 +0000

Cool dude sitting behind the wheels of a vintage car, does your sound system match the classic interiors? Nope? Oh don’t get hung up, take in the Tivoli AutoSound. A player that’s as retro looking as your vintage! But don’t be fooled by looks alone, coz it’s as modern beneath the skin. Features include MP3 player hook-up, FM radio and a Blu-ray player with a prominent touchscreen channel selector. Move the selector to the left to access disc slot. It has one more cool feature….

Unhook it from the wooden frame and pull it out of the 1DIN holder to carry it with you to wherever! The built-in Litium-jon battery keeps it running for up to eight hours.

Designer: Niklas Palm

Ok I Hear Jackie Gleason – DONT MOVE!

Chris Burns — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:01:24 +0000

The product you see before you is called the “Human Antenna.” Before I explain how it works, an anecdote shall soften the blow: Today, ironically, my Uncle J said to me “did I ever tell you how my first job was as a channel changer?” – his dad’s channel changer. And not only that, his dad’s antenna too. The same concept is here, but with radio, and it’s the whole point, not just the malfunction!

This carpet is made of looms from conductive thread. As you can imagine, it acts something like a Dance Dance pad (I hope you’re with me on this one!) in that your body does the talking. The difference between Dance Dance and this is that it’s not your weight that’s making the connections happen, it’s your mass: your body picks up radio waves, conduction happens between the carpet, the wire, and the speakers, and bam!

You’ve made beautiful music together.

Designer: Florian Kräutli

The Pitch of The Pitcher

Chris Burns — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:01:34 +0000

The Pitch♪er. Can you see that little musical note? I hope you can, because that’s what’s up here. Music. See the pitcher (or the glass, or the tin,) or anything else that contains liquid and works in this way: flick the container with your finger. It makes a sound. Drink some of the liquid, and flick it again. It makes a different sound. How does this work into a plan for another unique “Mactastic” invention? Look ahead!

There is noone quite like Mac Funamizu. He can churn out wild quality ideas like they’re so many candy bits from a bag. The Pitch♪er works like any other pitcher except for the tuning bar handle and the mallet which strikes the bar.

As you can see in the simple chart below, the higher the liquid level, the higher the note. If the liquid is gone, the note is low!

Designer: Mac Funamizu

For Those Who Still Own CD Albums

Chris Burns — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 07:01:59 +0000

And for those of you who still buy CD albums? Hands up, everybody who still purchases music CDs from the record store. Wild! Some of you do? Alright then, let’s get on with it. Here’s a way for you CD-o-philes to get your aesthetic pleasure on. You open your cd, listen to it for a while, then put it away – where? In your brand new “Qubiq” case, right up there on your wall! Isn’t that pretty?

The Qubiq stores one cd package and its accompanying album. The album case fits in the inside of the Qubiq, sliding in on a vertical drawer, while the cd fits on a big of high-density foam on the front.

Pretty!

Hope you own a lot of Radiohead and White Stripes albums!

Designer: Kenneth Lylover

Finger Orchestra For The DJ

Radhika Seth — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:20:45 +0000

If spinning music is your hobby (or job), then the DJ Machine is quite an intriguing prospect for you. The system features seven, 360° rotatable joysticks similar to a synthesizer that modify music in a “haptic and playful way.” Each of the joysticks can be personalized with individual sound effects and can transmit the sound to a receiver via Bluetooth. Sporting bright LED displays, the entire unit looks pretty jazzed up, but the honest confession of Sony-PS-controllers-inspired-tech-for-joysticks is quite heartening!

For more information on this or other James Dyson Award entries click here.

Designer: Christian Peetz

Wife Acceptance Factor (WAF)

Chris Burns — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 07:02:08 +0000

You read that right. The first technical term written in the “about” of this project sent to me is the WAF factor of this amp. It’s got a good WAF – it’s made for indoor use, not supposed for the garage. Aki Hirota’s made this amp to be for those who aren’t aiming to be in a band. The users of this particular bit of equipment are aiming to just jam on the singular personal tip.

To be clear once again here: the design is an AMP. It’s got a really good WAF number. The cabinet surrounding the amp is made of one piece of bent ply-wood and can be manufactured to have the minimum amount of glue and toxic materials. Too bad it needs any at all! What do you think of that?

It can be made in any number of any different finished colors, even made to match your guitar. Inside is a solid-state amp with a vacuum tube preamp section. The tubes are what you can see up there on top. They’re protected by a clear polycarbonate cylinder.

Front baffle is a custom-cut CNC machined wood piece, unique upon request to each amp unit. Made for no-concert-use only!

Designer: Aki Hirota

One Cannot Resist the Romantic Fruit Pianist

Chris Burns — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:01:35 +0000

Oh the iPod DJ. Have you ever seen one? You know how… not awesome… it looks. But take a peek at this. This is the electronic piano – Apple stamped on it – that can display your music, turn your pages, and teach you to play! Those who’ve gotten especially good at turning the page while playing might be a little sad on this, but those are the same people that got mad when they found out CDs would make music a lot clearer than vinyl. (And noone’s got love for 8-tracks but Cheap Trick.)

The iPiano stores and displays your electronic music scores. The display in the center is where you read everything, and it’s a touch screen. If you’re in to composing music, the display can record your keys as well! Take control of your key-jamming world with 3 plug-in holes and a single button.

P.S. You’ve gotta visit Lee’s info page of choice. He’s got a crazy look about him!

Designer: 李慧凯 Heyki Lee

Hang Me On A Stylish Hanger

Radhika Seth — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:36:14 +0000

The only variations I have seen on a hanger so far are the wood, plastic and metal ones. Oh not to forget the kiddies’ delights that fleece us in the name of branding. The hotel variety that comes with clips ensures that you don’t snitch any, but basically there’s little innovation done in the hanger-world. That’s till you get a load of the Stylish Hangers by Iota Designs. They look pretty and compliment those expensive suits that you own. USP is the expandable orange rubber ring, which is designed to create stability and the use of superior quality raw material.

Designer: Gordon Yeh & Jason Su for Iota Design