The Readymade Synth is an instrument that transforms ordinary, unmodified objects into sound. The shapes of the objects directly determine the spectral characteristics of the synthesized sound. Any object placed on the sensing surface of the instrument immediately becomes timbre without any previous modification or preparation. A keyboard controls pitch and timing, while the arrangement and geometry of everyday objects shape timbre and further sonic properties. The instrument invites musicians to explore the sonic potential of familiar things, turning everyday materials into an open-ended vocabulary for musical expression.

Readymades

What if a coffee cup, a childhood toy, or a found object could become part of a musical instrument without being modified in any way? Inspired by the artistic tradition of the "readymade", our instrument challenges what an instrument can be and what it can be made of. Everyday objects become musical material, not only through their physical shapes but also through the meanings we associate with them. Their familiarity, personal histories, and cultural significance create a connection between sound, material culture, and human experience, opening up new possibilities for musical expression and storytelling.

everyday objects, sensing surface, camera, MIDI keyboard, custom software

Prepared Synthesis

The Readymade Synth is inspired by the tradition of preparing acoustic instruments with physical objects. Here, however, everyday things shape electronically generated sounds. Musicians can change the character of a sound by exchanging, moving, or rearranging unmodified everyday objects, while playing on the keyboard. This makes musical performance an exploration of the physical world, where rich sounds emerge from familiar things. At the same time, the objects bring their own associations, memories, and cultural meanings into the performance, allowing music to become a dialogue between sound, material, and story.

From contour to spectrum

The Readymade Synth establishes a direct connection between the physical geometry of everyday objects and synthesized sound. A computer vision system captures the objects' contours, which are mathematically decomposed using elliptic Fourier descriptors and translated into sound spectra. Banks of sine-wave oscillators then resynthesize these spectra into audible sounds. Rather than recognizing objects or triggering predefined samples, the instrument derives its sounds directly from the objects' geometry. Objects can be used immediately, without modification or prior registration. Combined with a MIDI keyboard for pitch and timing, this approach enables musicians to explore and perform with the sonic characteristics of everyday objects.

Presentations

Presented at NIME 2026, the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression, London, where the accompanying paper received the Best Paper Award.

beyond_repair

Antoni Rayzhekov and Martin Murer are interdisciplinary artists and researchers working at the intersection of music, interaction design, and creative technology. Together, they form the art and research collective beyond_repair, exploring new relationships between everyday objects, hybrid instruments, and artistic expression. Combining perspectives from experimental music, human-computer interaction, and design research, they investigate how everyday materials can become expressive interfaces. Their work aims to contribute equally to artistic practice and academic research.