Oscylinder Scope

The “Oscylinder Scope” is an interactive artwork/exhibit that explores the nature of sound by directly translating the vibration pattern of musical strings into visible waves.

Spin the large horizontal cylinder with one hand. Use your other hand to strum the three musical strings. White lines engraved into the black cylinder create a strobe effect on the vibrating strings so that they appear as wavy lines. This startling phenomenon is at the heart of the “Oscylinder Scope.” The displayed wave form looks and acts like the trace on an electric oscilloscope. Each of the three musical strings displays a different wave pattern according to its frequency. Use the foot pedal to change the sound you hear, as well as the shape of the wave you see.

Have you ever noticed that a piano, a harp, a mandolin, a banjo and a guitar all play the same notes (frequencies) using strings, but they all sound so different? For example, anyone can hear the difference between a piano and a banjo! When the strings on an acoustic guitar vibrate, they transmit their vibrations to the saddle. The saddle transmits its vibrations to the soundboard; the soundboard and body amplify the sound, which comes out through the sound hole. The shape and material of the sound board, along with the shape of the body and the fact that a guitar uses strings, give a guitar its distinctive “sound.”

Questions to Ask

How do the white lines on the cylinder make the wave motion visible?

How does the thickness of the string relate to the wave image it creates?

Which type of wave is shown – longitudinal or compressional?

Relevant Arkansas Science Frameworks

PS.6.3.1, PS.6.3.2, PS.6.3.3, PS.7.8.4, PS.7.8.5

"Mini-Vibe" — An activity to do at home or in the classroom