The xylosynth, also known as a "xylophonic synthesizer", is an instrument created by Will Wernick in 1986, originally specifically designed for the English pop band, the
Drum Theatre.
History
In the early 1990s, there was a demand of artists wanting to play on acoustic mallets, Gerry McCavana, who was originally a
Metrology
Metrology is the scientific study of measurement. It establishes a common understanding of units, crucial in linking human activities. Modern metrology has its roots in the French Revolution's political motivation to standardise units in Fra ...
Engineer, quit his job to spend time with Will Wernick.
Together, they began to develop and advance the software and electronics for the xylosynth.
It is now used in many different styles of music and percussions, worldwide, such as jazz and contemporary.
Instrument
The xylosynth is an electric
percussion mallet
A percussion mallet or beater is an object used to strike or beat a percussion instrument in order to produce its sound.
The term beater is slightly more general. A mallet is normally held in the hand while a beater may be foot or mechanically ...
instrument, similar to a
xylophone
The xylophone (; ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets. Like the glockenspiel (which uses metal bars), the xylophone essentially consists of a set of tuned wooden keys arranged in t ...
. The keys are made out of either solid
bubinga
''Guibourtia'' is a flowering plant genus in the family Fabaceae, also known by the common names as Rhodesian copalwood, African Rosewood, Amazique, Bubinga, Kevazingo, and Ovangkol. Scientific Name being Guibourtia spp.
Description
''Guibourti ...
wood or
birch
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...
wood resulting in a dynamic range from two to five octave sizes.
The xylosynth has a latency speed of 0.003 seconds or less.
The sound generated from the xylosynth is very clear and each note is easily heard. Even though it is not an acoustic instrument, the feel and sound of the instrument would lead one to believe that it could be.
The xylosynth can by complemented by a variety of accessories such as a single or double foot pedals.
References
{{reflist
External links
Music sample of a XylosynthWernick Musical Instruments
Synthesizers