Atelier São Vicente’s bid is based on the Daxophone, a musical instrument invented during the 1980’s. The goal is to redesign the instrument, creating a new mold according to the inspiration its sonority produces. The project is based upon the original blueprint of its inventor, Hans Reichel, who left it as “Open Source&rdquot; for anyone willing to perfect it.

The Daxophone is composed of various shaped plates set on top of a box, all of which in wood, that vibrate through the joint action of a bow and dax, a specific component made of solid wood where the guitar frets are inserted. Because it’s an electro-acoustic instrument, the daxophone also possesses sensors that amplify the instrument’s own vibration.

In terms of sound level, the daxophone produces a wide array of tones, rich in color and timbre, proximate to the human voice and often similar to those obtained through electronic synthesis, although the sound produced is purely an acoustic phenomenon.

In terms of conception, the object will be conceived through traditional carpentry and sculpture techniques. It will portray wooden features, the selection of the essences and the appropriate fittings so to restore it ergonomically and guarantee its musical performance.

In that sense, the project’s essential innovation is to reveal the Daxophone as a spatial animal, widening its musical range and sonorousness, turning it into a true object of sonority.

The distinct backgrounds of the team members – a woodworker, a sculptor, an acoustic investigator and a specialized producer in sound caption – not only complement each other, they enrich the project by not only upgrading the daxophone’s sonority but also by undertaking an artisanal challenge in terms of woodwork and sculpture, therefore transcending the standards set for the original instrument.