Design and manufacture of the quatraphone and composition of a short piece

Abstract

This thesis describes the design and manufacture of a chromatic instrument, the quatraphone. This instrument is made of square metal keys that are struck by a wooden mallet activated by a lever action mechanism. Vibration and damping of the rectangular plates were analyzed for various materials in order to determine which material produced the most musical tones. Brass and aluminum were selected for the quatraphone design. The final assembly was created with the objective of minimizing the instrument's size and its unique parts, while enabling simple disassembly to allow for easy repair of the instrument. The prototype includes fourteen tones, yet further developments could include additional notes in the chromatic scale and in several octaves. An original composition, entitled Prelude, was composed for the quatraphone in order to present the distinct sound qualities of this new instrument.