Sometimes my thumbnails feels like those AI commercials for the Willy Wonka Experience

@MicheleeiRettili

2 ай бұрын

ahahahah noooo martin 🤣🤣🤣

@jaysoneway

2 ай бұрын

It can always get more Willy Wonka or Dr. Seuss. I used to be in a junk band. Each instrument had to be 25$ or less and completely DIY. We had a bedframe upright kit, 5 galon jug fretless bass, soda bottle lapsteel. Toy pianos are the most precious thing in a junk band, the old mechanical ones with the multicolored bells most. We had to view all the anamotronics as homework. Lets make a hardcore punk trash machine band together Martin, we have the experience required. We can take it to Wastland festival and engineer it to function while covered in sand.

@D---3

2 ай бұрын

billi bonkas? 😮

@gcextol8129

2 ай бұрын

😂

@BlameItOnGreg

2 ай бұрын

Except they’re real!

If I had to choose a starting point, I'd probably base a design on a piano, which is doing a fundamentally similar action, and has had centuries of refinement.

@jerrylim6722

2 ай бұрын

better yet, just take couple sections of a normal piano action and rebalance the keys to be able to function from just the force of a marble falling on it, and just call it done for the drafting phase...

@dominicsaavedra5113

2 ай бұрын

I went looking for this before commenting the same thing. Another thing that's nice about the piano action is they already solved the problem for being able to play at different volumes on the fly by changing the distance they key can travel to reduce the transfer of momentum.

@gregdizer5262

2 ай бұрын

I agree. Also why do martin wants to use a regular bass guitar ? He could also use an independant string for any note he wants to play, like a piano. Guess he would have to use many microphones, but what the hell ?

@dominicsaavedra5113

2 ай бұрын

@@gregdizer5262 That's a good point but I think that would involve even more design work. One would have to come up with a mount and tensioning system for the strings. I think it would be much easier and also more visually interesting to retrofit or recreate piano hammers on a base guitar.

@Serostern

2 ай бұрын

​@@gregdizer5262 to be fair, if you want to make it easy, just use a synthesizer.

I love how much fun you're having since you recently (re-)discovered that fun is a "must have requirement". Seems like you're keeping the best of both worlds: A rigorous scientific approach with lots of testing; But mixed with plenty of energy, creativity, crazy ambitious new ideas and playfulness.

@faceunmasked

2 ай бұрын

Time will tell, but seems like Martin has unlocked something really magical here

@thomasbecker9676

2 ай бұрын

Nothing he does is scientific. The scientific method is codified.

@leparp5424

2 ай бұрын

​@@thomasbecker9676So what is the universal code for all scientific research then? You seem to have a very narrow view of what is science, which wouldn't actually include most (even experimental) scientific research done today. He is doing engineering, not scientific research per se, but he still uses a scientific methodology which delivers scientific knowledge.

@thomasbecker9676

2 ай бұрын

@@leparp5424He doesn't use scientific methodology, nor is he an engineer. Science requires a clear hypothesis, and a clear plan on how to test that hypothesis, as well as unbiased review of the results. Nothing Martin does is clear. Most of us learned about the scientific method in grade school.

@miwiarts

2 ай бұрын

​@@thomasbecker9676 I don't know what your problem is. Problem: The hammer hits too hard, causing the bass to sound unpleasant. Hypothesis: If I have a mechanism that acts like a human finger, then the sound will be softer. Plan: 1. Iteratively design a mechanism that follows the motions a finger would. 2. Implement a softer material to mimic the softness of a human finger. Q.E.D.

Beware! The marbles bounce trajectory may also change along with the spring tension. So you may need a more reliable "collecting" system than what the MMX had.

@jarbarsi

2 ай бұрын

The MMX collection system didn't work when conditions stayed the same, I'm sure he's already fully prepared to redesign that part from scratch tbh.

@lupeters213

2 ай бұрын

"The floor" is the collection system.

@guicky_

2 ай бұрын

@@lupeters213 that could very well work, just put the whole machine on top of a giant funnel and call it a day

@WobblyBits_X

2 ай бұрын

The timing of the notes as well. A tighter spring is going to be less willing to fall under the marble, making its travel time a bit slower. Overall, I think trying to have variability in a single mechanism will introduce too many problems that could be solved by just adding a second bass (or third) with a different mechanism. Tune each to play in the same timing with their different mechanisms and have no additional issues with timing, catching, or complexity, just a few extra tracks on your programming drum.

Can we have a "this design... Is shit" gif? Best expression ever

@Skjaldr_Vindskyter

2 ай бұрын

I can see so many edits of martin throwing all kinds of things

I was the genius who suggested the hammer jammer design! I hope it is carved on my tombstone as my greatest accomplishment (even if Martin doesn't pick that design).

@AdelaeR

2 ай бұрын

Thank you for your service, genius.

@Bbeaucha88

2 ай бұрын

@@AdelaeR I accept the burden of my giant brain so others don't have to!

@extraintelligence

2 ай бұрын

Not only a genius, but magnificently humble too.

@Bbeaucha88

2 ай бұрын

@@extraintelligence I know right? You would think it would be hard being this awesome and humble at the same time but I seem to handle it better than anyone else!

@Avetho

2 ай бұрын

You. I like you. You sound like a magnificent person.

You're not crazy, you're cool. Or at least you're my kind of crazy. Thanks for sharing.

@JackofNothingess

2 ай бұрын

Crazy, I was crazy once...

@Smilliztho

2 ай бұрын

Or you’re kind of cool…

@alexandermcclure6185

2 ай бұрын

@@JackofNothingess Were you put in a round room to die? Or was it a rubber room with rats?

Those harsh hits are due to the hard plastic hammers, the strings will vibrate against them and provide a hard sound, I imagine some padding would make the attack softer, like using a hard/soft beater on a bass drum pedal.

@DanLocks

2 ай бұрын

Like a piano hammer. in fact... just try a piano hammer. maybe the whole mechanism.

check out piano hammers, they are designed for dynamic volume based on impact strength.

@AdelaeR

2 ай бұрын

Sure, but the marbles always have the same impact strength, unless you drop 'm from different heights and that would require more marble lanes. Changing the sound by adjusting the springs is a good idea, although it does mean feature creep.

@bassenji5565

2 ай бұрын

But isn't the impact strength always the same on the mm3?

@DjesonPV

2 ай бұрын

​@@bassenji5565 Unless there is a lever with adjustable damping of the marble fall pads (pull spring or cushioning)

@TXTrojan

2 ай бұрын

@@AdelaeR but maybe you are on to something here, adjust marble heights as well. a lot going on but that's what the human body does

@Bohrit0

2 ай бұрын

The siliconband he used to dampen the xylophone coud be reused here i think

The more stuff you add between the marble and the instrument the less tight the music will be, undoing all the gate work.

Different approach: go back to dropping marbles on the strings, but have two levels of marble paths. you can have a lever deciding if you want to drop them from the 'first floor' or the 'second'

@Squant

2 ай бұрын

You wouldn't have to limit it to two heights if you had one path you could smoothly raise and lower.

@DaftFader

2 ай бұрын

I don't think he just wants to be able to play quiet passages. In music you often are playing a quiet note followed by a louder one followed by a quieter one etc. to give groove and movement to the part. This is partly what I think he's aiming to achieve, and not just blocks of solid volume be them blocks loud or quiet.

@jeremiesalgat1284

2 ай бұрын

Changing the height alors change the timing, so it wouldnt be possible to just adjust it. You would need à programming for each height, and I think it would be à nightmqre to programm. And it would also be difficult to collect the marbles.

@mdoerkse

2 ай бұрын

He already talked about the idea of changing the high without changing the timing for playing the chimes. But I don't think in any of the plans is there the idea to program different velocities for different notes. It's a cool idea but would add a ton of complexity. In this video he just mentioned having a lever to adjust the volume, so it is more like a fader on a sound board, not individual notes with different volumes, unfortunately.

The mechanical finger definitely sounds nicest! The last one still has the sharp note at the start, which is unpleasant.

@RupeeRhod

2 ай бұрын

the last one sounds more like bass played with a pick, which has its place.

@454Casull

2 ай бұрын

But it also doesn't have the rubber wrapped around the tip, unlike the other option.

@brianj.841

2 ай бұрын

I'm worried about response time. He really needs to keep the hammers close to the strings.

@Palerider1942

2 ай бұрын

I like both of them, you have the soft fingered bass and then the hard almost slap bass. brings a nice funkyness to the bassline

@WilliamNyberg

2 ай бұрын

​@@brianj.841 as long as it's consistent he can program in some latency compensation.

second design really feels like something out of Animusic

@ebi_tempura

2 ай бұрын

Very simillar to the both the fingers in resonant chamber, and the fingers in future retro

@Bourinos02

2 ай бұрын

Rubber could probably fix that issue though...

@ericvandenavond8748

2 ай бұрын

It almost reminds me of Acoustic Curves.

Martin: from first principles Martin: no dumb design requirements Also Martin: muting strings, slap, hammer-ons, soft and hard notes

Hmm... I think the direct marble playing had a unique charm. It managed to combine synth vibes with acoustic sound in a weirdly steampunk kind of way. Maybe most importantly, it was really something unique.

@jonasdaverio9369

2 ай бұрын

But the lack of dynamic is probably pretty off-putting for stage performance

@Nessinby

2 ай бұрын

​@@jonasdaverio9369this, while I agree it has a definitive sound, it's also a very monotone sound. Having that variation would make the machine a lot more interesting, even if it's a ton more complex as a result.

@1815dmitriy

2 ай бұрын

It also was more spectacular and more "mechanical".

@nialltracey2599

2 ай бұрын

@@1815dmitriyExactly -- a marble machine should be a spectacular mechanical machine. The closer it gets to something a human could do on an instrument, the less of a unique voice it has. If you can make a machine sound like human musicians, the value of live music is diminished. What's the value of the mechanical instrument over high-end sample-based VSTs?

I think there is something really magical about seeing a large steel ball bearing bouncing off of the strings of the MMX Cyberbass. It blew my mind that a marble could accurately hit those strings and fly off predictably. It definitely earned it's name! When I see the pads and hammers and springs from this video, it's very obvious how it works and seems like it is clearly going to be very reliable. It just doesn't have the same magic. While I do think soft hits are a good requirement, I think it's too early to decide against direct marble hits.

@Ezox2408

2 ай бұрын

in an ideal world, id love there to be 2 basses: 1. with mechanical fingers/taps keeping that sexy groove just as Martin wants it 2. OG Cyberbass with metal balls flying everywhere for that "solo" feel where shit kinda goes chaotic

@JohnDiamond-vv9jr

2 ай бұрын

I honestly think the ability to change the dynamics makes up for not having the ball bearings hit the string directly- dynamics can add a lot of life to music

@lwky

2 ай бұрын

I agree. Maybe a layer of rubber above the strings that softens the impact of the marble for a more pleasant sound? You could engage/disengage it like the soft pedal on a piano.

Some thoughts: 1) harpsichords have a "plucking mechanism" that uses a different system than a groove -- worth looking into in case you do want to go that route. 2) You can alter the volume of piano keys, which depend on a lever mechanism, by pressing them farther up the key. 3) The lever striking mechanism could use some felt (again like a piano) for a cleaner attack. Cheers. Great video.

I really like the marbles playing directly on the bass. Maybe some way to dynamically shift the height the marbles fall from to control the volume?

"This design is shit, we don't need it." And friends, this is why we prototype :D

@valdir7426

2 ай бұрын

I wish I could prototype in CAD/print to 3D and test so fast and with such ease (3 different versions no less)

@thomasbecker9676

2 ай бұрын

That's all Martin will ever do until enough people realize he has no intention of finishing another marble machine.

If you were worried about playing in time before, the softer notes on the pivoted hammer seems to add quite a lot of delay, increasing with the softness. It also seems like it might be difficult to make it play anything fast since it bounces against the input mechanism after playing, possibly causing it to miss input. As others have already mentioned, and the first thing I thought of when I saw the hammers: it might be a good idea to look to pianos for inspiration. Also, to remedy the attack being too harsh, I would experiment with the drop height to decrease the potential energy and find a maximum acceptable level for the sound comparison.

Seems like the second version of the first option is approaching a piano design. Check out the harpsichord as well!

@mikeciul8599

2 ай бұрын

That reminds me, I've seen harpsichord action before, but I'm still not sure I understand how it works. I think it's like this (referring to WIkipedia): The plectrum is mounted on a "tongue" that allows it to swing out of the way on the way back down. But it still touches the string I think, just gently. The main difference is that the jack stays up as long as the key is held down, and when it comes back down, a damper lands on the string. So the sound of the plectrum going the "wrong way" is just part of the end of the note.

@valdir7426

2 ай бұрын

no that's the 3rd. good thinking on the harpshichord

Love this. Just seeing and listening to you play music on something as simple as a bass guitar is always so cool.

The artifact we ear with the hammer design is the hard slippery plastic sliding on the cords. I suggest trying again with a small rubber pad at the end.

That attack sounds great,like bass slapping

I hesitate to say it, but if tightness is one of your considerations, you need to test each new marble interface for tightness.

Martin, I know that 1) you are busy working on the machine 2) it's not like one can command a musitian to play. However, it would be cool sometimes to have a video where you play even with normal instruments :P We are here for the music too!

This feels like feature creep. The last bass sounded great for certain types of music. Martin, if you need this instrument to play every genre, it will keep growing. I like the ideas for different slap mechanics but I would suggest you set some more realistic goals on what is achievable and what marbles are good at. An 808 doesn't sound like a real drum kit but lots of good music was made on it.

@jacobcusumano6952

2 ай бұрын

I disagree with this. The last video, he made it clear that his main objective was to make a cool machine, and a machine that simply performs its goal isn't cool if there isn't artistic freedom. Also I agree with him that the music needs to be dynamic, and this testing is the only way he can achieve that

@youdonegoofed

2 ай бұрын

@@jacobcusumano6952 a paypiggy disagrees :o

@Wolfboy607

2 ай бұрын

I'm not really here for the world tour anyway, i can't afford to see live music. Maybe i'd prefer the machine to never be finished, then we get more engineering content from martin. You hear me, martin? this is your boulder, push it up the mountain for our entertainment. forever!

2 minutes in, I vote for B. The fact that it plucks the string instead of hitting it makes it a much more natural sound

Option 2 sounded the best imho. You could think of a way of changing the impact force of the marbles on the lever, to alter between soft and hard.

Oh My... Music from Martin. I think he should always have 20 to 30 seconds of music in these videos.. ;) Very interesting on the designs for the bass playing.

Honestly the finger like one seems the most fun to me, but i do see why you picked the one you did. Then follow up with a dampener and it'll be really interesting!

These are some of my favorite contraptions yet

Came for the mechanism testing, stayed for the groovy sounds at 12:37 :-D

@pileofstuff

2 ай бұрын

Ocean Pearl by 54-40 Did not expect to hear Martin playing a '90s Canadian song.

Great sounds! Don't forget usability! That's a lot of functions to fit on a programming wheel. Rooting for you!

That riff Martin plays on the Bass sounds like "Ocean Pearl" by 54-40 (at least for the first couple phrases)

@BloomThat

2 ай бұрын

Originality doesn't exist, everything is derivative or luck 😅

That second elliptical-return linkage with the spring is so cool. I love that. I took a “design of planar machinery” course where we learned how to design linkages to follow wild output arcs like this. Coolest class. A lot of it can be done by hand, amazingly. This has me excited to see the machine!

I’m excited to see what happens with the bass, it’ll be nice to hear different playing styles for sure.

I love the tone and look of that bass. Well done now I want a new bass!

This is one of my favorite episodes in a while. Really good work Martin!

I love that you're accounting for the natural "accidental" sounds like the slap. There's so many obviously over-processed synthesized music that removes little details like that which makes songs feel human. Chopping out the singer breathing, the amp humming, the strings singing.. Even the mechanical noises of the marble machine is an instrument in and of itself.

Not sure how reliable it would be implemented on the full machine, but I absolutely love how the second design looks and sounds. Plucking the strings with a tiny arm gives it a lot of charm and makes it feel "alive" in a way

holy cow this is so cool. A fully marble-controlled bass

Love it, some pretty nice mechanisms there and exciting sound!

I’m glad I’m not the only one who marvels at a latch system like the one at 5:39. I noticed that is how my sunglasses holder worked in my car a long time ago and it blew my mind. Pushing up opens it and then push back up closes it back up.

Sick lil’ groove with that bass!!! Loved it!😍

Another option to make the third option to play softer or harder would be to have different amounts of "backstop" behind the string. So when the hammer hits the string, the string can only bend until it hits whatever is behind the note. When you play by hand you can bend the string a lot, creating a lot of tension in the strings because you tension it sideways where there is nothing stopping you.

I love the fact that I can watch your videos with my ears.🙃😊🤗

You're reinventing the instrument commonly known as a piano Marten.

@Nessinby

2 ай бұрын

It happens, accidental reinvention to solve a common problem happens constantly I've discovered.

You blow my mind. I love your videos so much!

This bass is going to sound so funky! I love it

This is the video I have been waiting for. Let's gooooo ❤

happy to see you back man

Martin, it's so good seeing you having fun with the creative process again. Stepping back and working on your goals for the project was the best thing to have happened. I worry about the packaging for the TOT actuator but perhaps if you have four separate base guitars each with one string packaging would be less of an issue... but then how would you play the notes? Its a trick puzzle to put together. Hats off to you my friend.

I’m a fan of the hard sounds from the first design of the marble machine x

That is amazing bass at the beginning really hits my speakers

It feels like the scope of the project is increasing exponentially. How many instruments should the marble machine be playing by itself and to what extent for each instruments? With all the bass variations mentioned in the video, just playing the bass would be a whole marble machine worth of work. Maybe sticking to vibraphone and drums is good enough for the marble machine, a separate musician can play the bass. The question of how many instruments and which instruments should be part of the design requirement process but I haven't seen it (maybe I missed it).

@jacobcusumano6952

2 ай бұрын

I disagree with this. In his last video, he made it clear that he wants to have fun with the project, because that's the most important part of any piece of art. If it's not fun, it's not cool

@DjesonPV

2 ай бұрын

Maybe add in surplus of the vibraphone : a xylophone, a marimba, a kalimba, a synthetiser, a full tailed grand piano. (It's a joke)

@augustolsson9248

2 ай бұрын

I agree. Make the marble machine compact and cool. Play fewer instruments and have a band play the rest. How FUN is it to be alone on stage?

@Ekitchi0

2 ай бұрын

@@jacobcusumano6952 Yes fun and cool is part of the requirements but it still has to work and be feasible. It's always going to be more fun with one more instrument, but then it's just never going to be built. I think Martin needs to carefully select the few instruments he want's his machine to play.

@John_Weiss

2 ай бұрын

Increasing exponentially, you say? What's the doubling-time, then? What is the quantity doubling? Sorry, but "exponentially" doesn't mean, "very very very … [× 1 bajillion] … very very very". It means, "following the exponential function, with doubling-time _"_ … and I don't see a doubling time or a quantity here. The concept, "exponential", has _ZERO_ synonyms, and only a mathematical definition. If we bleach the word, "exponential", we remove that concept from the language … and the human inability to understand the behavior of the exponential function is already threatening our species with extinction. We can't lose that word.

I think your original bass with the marbles hitting the strings is super cool. Why not use a Bowden cable to adjust the volume control of the bass for soft or loud notes?

@paulroberts324

2 ай бұрын

Soft or loud is more about the timpre or charachter of the notes, not about the absolute volume. Think of it like how a whisper would sound different than someone yelling at an equal volume.

I love your channel I've been watching your videos for years

IM SO EXITEDDDDDDD!!!! this is AMAZINGGGGG

Oh this bass is going to sound sooo good !!

Your groovy inventions and ideas never cease to amaze me. I'm intrigued and find it quite mesmerizing to listen to the end result. You belong in the Guness Book of World Records or Ripley's Believe it or Not.

Yes this is aweosme!! I would love to see the a mechanical hand that can move along the neck 🤯

This was the bestest bass test

"Self-flushing baño". 🤣

The whimsy is back! Everything in this vid is satisfying to watch and looks awesome

7:00 "This was so fun to figure out" This is half the reason we like to watch the machine getting built!

my god man.. you are a genius.

Martin is like the version of me in my dreams who can play any instrument perfectly with it sounding extremely natural and very good.

Just the right amount of lunacy on this! How many channels will you need to automate that guitar like you want!! Wow…has anyone ever done it before like you want? You may well be the first person dumb/genius enough to do it…and the first person insane enough to try do it with marbles!

Eager to see how the bass evoles!

Those design sounds really promising, I am only have concerns about the speed at which it can play notes ! It seemed to require some time to play a note and being back in position (both 2nd and 3rd design). I think this can be investigated to choose between 2 and 3

Piano action is exactly what you're looking for!

Great work.

I love watching your progress- this is amazing work you’re doing with marbles. I have a vision of your future -Elemental Machine utilizing Earth Wind Fire and Water instruments…YOU CAN DO IT MAN!

@BRADBOGLE

2 ай бұрын

First thought after that comment…you aren’t really using marbles you’re using steel ball bearings right? Aka BBs…What if there were different sizes and materials? How would a rubber or cork ball strike the string and how would a soccer ball strike a snare? Could ball material/size perhaps limit the need for complicated mechanisms?

I love watching these videos, and all I can think is "It's Animusic, IN REAL LIFE!!!" Wayne Lytle would be proud.

That sounded like the bass line to 'Ocean Pearl'

Promising, can't wait.

5:04 I like how the notes are pressed from behind and not a construction on the front.

you are getting so close martin!!

BEST CONTENT EVER

Magic as usual, Snufkin.

part of fun of the original MM bass was in seeing the machine and you teaming together to play the bass. I think that mean I'd go for mechanical finger (for disco mechanical) and direct drops (for iconic MM bass sound), and leave the muting and tapping and slapping to the human hand helping the machine to make music out of the instrument.

The look of the Fingering trigger is very cool. Maybe not visible in concert but the music video would look great. Animusic had plucking fingers!

Can't wait to see someone's overengineered solution to program the bass playing volume. It could either be a parallel set of pins that lock in a volume shift, or have the length of the programming pin charge up a marble fall and spring tension.

I actually like the sudden attacks for emphasis.

Don't forget! With the hammer design, adding more spring tension will delay the note, so it won't be tight anymore!

So stoked

I do have a soft spot for the cyber bass I think it looks so cool, but I can see how this is an easier way to do it verses having a custom bass.

wow... amazing.....

The Second version (Ol' Tony`s one) is very close to a ball-pen with trigger. I like this one.

Definitely use both!

The third version looks like a piano action, though the hammer on a piano pivots on a fixed point. The part that pushes up on the hammer is called a jack stand. There is a let off screw that is adjustable so that the hammer isn't pushed into the string, just up to it. Martin probably knows all of this, I just haven't worked on pianos in a while so I'm excited I remember it. Action geometry is wild. Also, whippons.

I feel like this is exactly what a piano is I think it would be interesting to explore something similar to that

super interesting mechanical design. the 3rd one is basically the same principle as a piano hammer. (there's a marble-less machine potential somewhere as well by the way but that's another project)

Martin is reinventing the piano here x)

I've never heard a Swede yelling before, that caught me off guard XD 11:06

5:12 this is also how the NES cartridge push down mechanism works

That bass is going to be sooooo much more expressive.

The solid hammer is actually excellent. For holding the frets. Try that out!

And again Martin is doing a secret revival of the kinetic fingers ^^