Segulharpa Magnetic Harp
The Segulharpa is an electromagnetic acoustic instrument, created by Úlfur Hansson. Its unique sound comes from the merging of two worlds, the electronic and the acoustic.
Hidden within are 25 steel strings, each one interacting with powerful magnetic fields created by internal analog circuitry. Touch sensors are embedded into the grain of the wood, and as the player touches the surface, wonderfully complex interactions are created inside.
The player can shift the vibrational patterns between harmonic intervals, so each string is able to produce high or low pitched sounds, depending on how hard the player presses a given key. The sensors are illuminated with brilliant white lights, glowing brighter as the player presses harder down on the surface.
The vibrations are carried through the circular harp, so that the strings have influence over each other, creating a kind of eco-system where no two chords will share the exact same sound.
It is also possible to channel external audio through the instrument, generating lush reverberant tones as the strings resonate with the input signal.
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