Touch Drums
Well, okay, most people cannot play drums very well. But they can tap out a rhythm with their fingers. The metal objects in the two versions of this exhibit are touch sensitive; simply contacting them with your finger triggers a sampled sound. The black buttons associated with each object allow the visitor to assign one of hundreds of sounds to that object. When visitors rest their wrists on the insulated surfaces nearby and tap away at the metal objects, they can make interesting musical effects. The two exhibits shown here represent two possible configurations of metal objects on insulating surfaces; other objects and arrangements are available.