Vašulka Kitchen Brno & BAiR / Open Call 2025

RUEDA DENTADA (Teethed Wheel) Instrument Project

Complementary audiovisual material

Clarification: This is only a prototype assembled in a quick way to experiment with its expressive possibilities.

In this video, an inductor is attached to a motor, generating a sustained base sound, while I manipulate two coils connected to various inputs of the audio interface. Each channel has its own effects and EQ chain.

In this video, you can visualise the speed control by means of MIDI CC (Control Change) messages. This type of message allows all kinds of curves and ramps up and down, allowing you to explore all the microtonalities present throughout the speed range of the motor. Some automations are also implemented in each effect chain.

Here the motor speed is controlled other type of messages: MIDI notes. This type of message is preferable for ‘tempered’ velocities, drastic changes, arpeggios and sequencing.

In this case, midi notes are scaled to square wave signals of their equivalent frequency. Although the example shows the common 12-TET scale, the code can be modified to use other multiplication ratios to experiment with different scales. The only limitation is that the microcontroller can only generate frequencies in Hz using integer numbers (without decimals). Also shown is a basic implementation of high-power LEDs placed under the motors.