This is an update to a very old post (at least in the life of this blog; it’s from before I knew I was writing a thesis about player pianos!).

Cybraphon is an instrument that plays happy or sad music depending on how popular it is on the web, according to various stats. There’s more info at the old post, if you want to know more, but this video actually has the thing in action, playing some tunes. A weird mix of sound-makers in there!

update: and via SynthGear, a list of those sound-makers:

• A modified Indian classical instrument driven by a crank run by 13 robotic servos;
• A Farfisa organ with robotic keys that is blown by switched air pumps;
• A set of 12 chimes that are played by solenoids;
• A whole bunch of various percussion instruments played by motor-driven beaters;
• A cigar box with a spring reverb;
• A custom vinyl record that is cued robotically to play through antique brass gramophone horns;

(via enschedeaanzee)