Have you heard of Paul Panhuysen (Het Apollohuis, in Eindhoven)?

I've played one of his long-string installations by stroking the > 30m
harpsichord string longitudinally with rosined hands. The string was
attached on either end to cans (See them here:
http://www.artpool.hu/harmas/panhuysen/apollohuis_helenpaul.html) that
provided resonance and bridged at the approximate center by a notched
wooden dowel. This setup produced very loud, very lovely harmonics but
this scenario only works well with long stretches of string.

Perhaps you could devise a mechanical way to play your strings in
similar fashion, and use piezo force sensors to detect the relative
tension with the MC. Finally, I've seen levered, adjustable gearboxes
provising a range of ratios, which you could control to provide the
tension you need and a way to adjust it during the installation's run,
if needed.

Good luck!





On 4/26/07 7:57 AM, gpak99 wrote:
>
>
> the string is going to be attached at different points in the room so
> there will also be tone
> differences there; visually it is going to"barricade' the space and the
> part where it could
> break is actually a big part of the installation.
> i'm not quite sure yet on how i actually am going to set the string in
> motion, but i've tried
> some different things and thats not the hardest part.
> the basic big problem is the string pulling thing; i'm going to look
> into this deeper with an
> industrial designer, my knowledge just stops at a certain point there..
> but what we've discussed allready is a combination of a gearbox and
> maybe a string
> tensioner.
> the whole idea is off course to get the torque down somehow, and then
> also somehow get
> some sort of feedback on how hard it is being pulled.
> we are going to look into maybe use the mc inlets and use some sensors
> to get sort of a
> feedback of the pull amount; i program the whole installation with
> max/msp and use
> softvns for motion tracking so if i can get information into max i can
> do anything with it.
>
> i'll keep you all updated!
>
> --- In makingthings@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:makingthings%40yahoogroups.com>, "bobby cossum" <nbronski@...>
> wrote:
> >
> > --- In makingthings@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:makingthings%40yahoogroups.com>, "gpak99" <gpakbulk@> wrote:
> > >
> > > hello list,
> > > i'm working on a project that involves pulling a piano string that
> > it stretches back and forth
> > > to get tone differences.
> >
> > have you considered the effect of all this tuning on the string
> > itself. seems like it would get harder and harder to tune then break.
> >
> > perhaps a linear actuator to stop the string at different places along
> > its length. maybe a piece of guitar nut or bridge or for a brighter
> > tone a piece of glass or metal tube.
> >
> > this might also be more visually interesting.
> >
> > also how are you planning to set the string in motion? pick? hammer?
> > magnets?
> >
>
>