1660240936270 B25f2fa795eb41a3b1d967488f77df57

Stepper motors make beautiful music on this DIY organ

Aug. 18, 2016

What if you could use your plant machines to play your favorite classical overture or chart topper?

When a plant is up and running, the noises emanating from the machines can sound like an industrial symphony. But what if you could use those assets to play your favorite classical overture or chart topper? Josh Sheldon has done just that with this stepper motor organ.

According to Josh: "I've spent the last two months building this very strange instrument. The idea came a few months ago, when I was thinking about how stepper motors work and the idea occurred to me that steppers would probably generate alternating current when backdriven. I got an oscilloscope and I found that this was true, which was exciting because that meant that I could use stepper motors to generate sound. This is because AC is a wave, which is what sound is. If you amplify the signal and send it to a speaker, you can listen to it as sound. The frequency of the signal from the motor is proportional to how fast the motor is driven. So if you backdrive the motor at a high speed, you get a high pitch, and a low speed would give you a low pitch. The wave I got from my stepper motors was more or less sinusoidal, which meant I'd get sound similar to what you get from a sine synthesizer."

About the Author

Alexis Gajewski | Senior Content Strategist

Alexis Gajewski has over 15 years of experience in the maintenance, reliability, operations, and manufacturing space. She joined Plant Services in 2008 and works to bring readers the news, insight, and information they need to make the right decisions for their plants. Alexis also authors “The Lighter Side of Manufacturing,” a blog that highlights the fun and innovative advances in the industrial sector. 

Sponsored Recommendations

April 14, 2025
This paper addresses where leaks commonly occur, leak detection methods, and practical advice for an audit and repair plan. You'll learn why an ongoing leak detection and repair...
April 14, 2025
Here are some things you can do in between formal preventive maintenance visits on your electric screw compressor to extend compressor life and prevent downtime.
April 14, 2025
They cost more than refrigerated dryers. They need more parts and service than refrigerated dryers. They increase demand for compressed air. So when should you use a desiccant...
April 14, 2025
Follow these ten steps for energy savings in your compressed air system.