Magnesynth

Magnesynth is a modular synthesizer combining physical strings, electronic musicsynthesis, physical computing, and electromagnetic phenomena.

Shapes and code:
https://github.com/mangtronix/Magnesynth

Magnesynth at Dinacon 2025

For Dinacon Bali I brought my self-developed Magnesynth modular string synthesizer and augmented it for it to be played by multiple people at once. The Magnesynth is a modular system for combining physical strings, electronic sound synthesis / effects, and physical computing (for example servo actuators) into a hands-on musical instrument. The physical expressiveness of the strings blends with the possibilities of electronic sound synthesis and logical code of the on-board CircuitPython processor.

While in Ubud I was struck by how several instruments in the traditional gamelan are designed to be played in pairs of two performers or even with multiple people playing the same instrument at once. One of the playing styles is the kotekan, where two performers play fast (almost gymnastic) interlocking melodies. To enable the Magnesynth to be played by multiple people at once I hacked a contact microphone and placed it under one of the existing 3D printed bridges that carry the strings. This activated the entire instrument to be played by picking up vibrations anywhere through the entire frame, and even turned the table under the Magnesynth into a kind of amplified drum!

I set up the Magnesynth on a table overlooking the sea, and it wasn’t long before Wira and Wilan started jamming together on it, without any kind of prompting. Magic! The different tones from different parts of the Magnesynth locked together in a relaxed ambient rhythmic groove. Later I joined the jam with smiles all round!

Exhibition History

Dinacon 2025, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, 2025

Foraged Frictions, Bait Al Mamzar, Dubai, UAE, 2025