Introducing the Spinner 1 | A Motor-Controlled Musical Instrument
The Spinner 1 is a new electronic instrument built as a partnership between The Sound of Machines and Lunch.
I recently shared an early prototype on Instagram, and the response was much larger than I expected. A lot of folks responded that they (YOU) are interested in owning one.
A. LOT.
So...here’s where I jumped the gun a little. The prototype worked, but I was already planning to take it apart and rethink the design.
Which is exactly what I did before realizing I should have made a few more videos with it. Live and learn, etc...
Building It With Lunch
The Spinner 1 will be the first Sound of Machines instrument developed in partnership with Chris McDowell and his design studio, Lunch.
Before starting Lunch, Chris ran Super Synthesis for around ten years, producing Eurorack modules and other electronic music equipment.
He's also an electrical engineer, which is extremely helpful because I spent years coming up with things I want instruments to do without knowing how to make them happen. (See: The Cassettone Two)
Until now, most Sound of Machines instruments have been handmade experiments built in my studio made to test ideas and create unusual sounds, but not necessarily to survive regular use.
Chris is helping turn the Spinner 1 into something that keeps the strange character of the prototype while being built using established electronics and manufacturing practices. Like a REAL DAMN INSTRUMENT!
How the Spinner 1 Works
The Spinner 1 is part musical instrument, part sound-design device, and part art-object. Basically, a motor making strange noises, but with some wild "ooomph" behind it.
Onboard Effects and Outputs
The finished version is being designed to work as both a raw mechanical sound source and a standalone instrument with it's own suite of on-board effects.
It will also have separate wet and dry outputs.
The dry output will provide the unaffected motor signal, ready to run through pedals, modular equipment, software, or whatever else you decide to put in its path.
The wet output will carry the sound processed by the Spinner 1’s onboard effects.
MIDI and Performance Controls
The Spinner 1 will also communicate with music software through USB-C.
The controls will be able to send MIDI information to effect racks, plug-ins, and other software parameters. This will allow the instrument to create its own sounds while also controlling a larger computer-based setup.
There will also be a momentary mute button.
In one mode, pressing it will briefly cut the signal. In another, the instrument will stay silent until the button is pressed, allowing short bursts of sound to come through.
The mute circuit is being designed to avoid the loud click or crack that often happens when a signal is interrupted mechanically.
The Physical Design
The visual design is influenced by retro-futurist objects, particularly the props, machinery, and miniature sets found in science-fiction films and those creepy marionette shows from the 60s.
I want it to feel like an instrument you'd find on the set of one of those shows. Vaguely familiar, but not quite like anything you have seen before.
Availability and Pricing
The current target for availability is December 2026.
Chris and I still need to finalize the circuitry, fit everything inside the enclosure, test materials, select manufacturers, and design the packaging. All the less-visible parts of making an instrument.
The Spinner 1 is planned as a limited run with a presale being announced soon.
The final price has not been determined. It will depend on the materials, circuit boards, manufacturing quantities, hardware, assembly, and packaging.
Be the First to Know When the Spinner 1 is Available
The free Sound of Machines Patreon tier serves as my mailing list and will be the first place I announce the final price, release date, and purchasing information.
I will also share a bunch of updates as Chris and I work through the electronics and physical design.
Sign up at patreon.com/thesoundofmachines and don't miss the sale window, which looks like it'll be pretty short.
See you there!