MEMBER PROFILE // Ben Simon Combines Woodworking And Circuitry To Create Wild Instruments

GuitaR2D2

Popular Mechanics recently featured GuitaR2D2, the creation of 3rd Ward member and teacher Ben Simon, as one of "7 Awesome DIY Projects" from this summer's Maker Faire--and rightfully so. With an onboard drum machine, synthesizer, microphone and amps, GuitaR2D2 is something to behold, both musically and visually. But it's just one of Simon's many amazing creations. We caught up with him to find out more about his work. Hit the jump for more.

Simon's path to becoming a "gonzo inventor," as Popularly Mechanics aptly describes him, started when he got a job working in a wood shop. "Woodworking gave me a better way to communicate with alien sparrows and some insects than I could have ever imagined," he says. "I feel compelled to play music in a way that most aligns with the energy field that is these communications.  As you can probably tell, I'm still trying to figure it out!"

One of the hardest parts is an instrument's final setup. "I start with raw wood, cut fret slots and all that, and in the end it must be perfectly intonated, unless it's specified that it doesn't matter" Simon says. "It's tough and I've gotten close—I'm basically self taught. In the near future I hope to study with someone and acquire better tools."

There's a good chance that you may have encountered Simon in the subway, as that's one of his favorite places to jam with Guitar2D2, which he describes as his "one man band." "The subway has an amazing sound, and honestly I've never felt better while playing music, nor have I ever had such a warm response," he explains.

With such creativity and talent, Simon's work naturally hasn't been limited to the underground. He's even had the chance to create a piece for Paul Simon. The renowned songwriter's percussionist, Jamey Haddad, saw one one of Ben's wooden drums at Drummer's World in Times Square and asked him to build one as a gift for Paul. "Off the charts," Simon says of the experience. "It was really something else. Ya know he's just a regular guy but with the tremendous talent that's reached millions and millions of people for like millions and millions of years. Touched their hearts, reflected their lives with his music... My family are all fans and my last name is Simon too—what more could I ask for! It was like I was chosen to go to the Olympics. Everybody was watching!"

When Simon's not making instruments he's likely making music. Right now he's holding down organ duties for The Lisps, who'll be presenting a sci-fi/Civil War musical called Futurity that'll debut next year. "It's about a Civil War soldier/dreamer who creates a giant steam-powered machine to create peace and get him and everybody else out of war," he says. "The percussion alone will take you to crazytown.  I'm thrilled to be included."

Want to learn some of Simon's instrument-modding skills? Sign up for his class, Electric Guitar Rescue, which starts December 1.

Check out more of Simon's creations below.

Drum Table for Paul Simon

Five String Crooked Neck

Semi-hollow V with distortion and a wind-up music box that plays the theme from "Love Story"

Purple Heart and Mahogany keyboard with '80s Yahama keyboard circuit

Stroh-inspired guitar

-- John Ruscher

FLYING HIGH // Make Your Own Inexpensive Flying Machine with Brooklyn Aerodrome

 

We saw tons of amazing things at the World Maker Faire last month, but one of the coolest was Brooklyn Aerodrome. You may already be familiar with the group, as they taught a 3rd Ward class back in the summer of 2010, but if not, here's a quick summary: they build remote control airplanes out of nothing more than recycled plastic, coat hangers, zip ties, velcro and some simple electronics. We caught up with co-founder Breck Baldwin to ask him about what it takes to fly. Find out after the jump.

Baldwin first got the idea for Brooklyn Aerodrome in 1998 when he saw a satellite breaking up in the sky during Burning Man. "It looked like a silent multi-colored meteor that had all thousands of people looking up and clapping and cheering," he says. "I realized that the night sky is the biggest stage on the playa and there was not much art in it." Later, in 2005, he helped Philip Riley, who now runs Williamsburg's Skink Ink fine art printing studio, design a large illuminated flying eye for the festival.

From there Baldwin began working with Brooklyn Aerodrome co-founder Mark "Splinter" Hardwood and others to design an inexpensive, easy-to-build remote control plane. "The basic towel was and continues to be a collaboration," he says. "I came up with the basic design, Splinter observed that we needed a separable deck with all the electronics on it so we could de-towel our towels with fresh airframes. Lots of folks helped with equipment, design enhancements."

What's a towel, you ask? "The towel is the basic plane that I used for my class at 3rd Ward," Baldwin says. "It is meant to be cheap, less that $100 in parts, quick to scratch build (3-4 hours), fly well and tolerate crashes. It is called a towel because one eve, after 20 or so serious crashes, the nose on my plane got soft and was drooping quite a bit. A fellow named Rounder said it looked like I was launching a wet towel and the name stuck."

"It's lots of work [to build one], but I wouldn't say hard," Baldwin says. "The art planes can be much more difficult to design. Art planes include flying hearts, carrots, bananas, jelly fish, etc."

The best way to get airborne is by attending one of Brooklyn Aerodrome's build sessions. You'll want to order your parts well in advance, though, as some are only available in Hong Kong and take a long time to ship.

Brooklyn Aerodrome's build nights are starting up again in mid-October, so stay tuned to their website and Google group for more info. And one last bit of advice from Baldwin: "Be patient, they love to fly."

Here's a video of Baldwin talking about Brooklyn Aerodrome at the World Maker Faire:

-- John Ruscher

MAKER FAIRE // Ten Amazing Things We Saw at the World Maker Faire in Queens

 

This weekend we were at the World Maker Faire at the New York Hall of Science in Queens, where a seemingly endless supply of creativity, innovation and ingenuity was on display.

We've compiled a list of ten mind-blowing things we came across in our wanderings--from a vertical urban farming system and a solar carousel to MIDI-controlled robot drummers and MakerBot remote control cars. Check it all out after the jump and make sure to hit the links to learn more about each one.

 

Vertical Theory - A sustainable approach to urban agriculture that aims to maximize space through a vertical growing system.

Gon KiRin - A 64-foot by 26-foot steel dragon...that breathes fire. Check out a video about Gon KiRin.

ITP Cafe - Students from NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program demonstrated how to build a generator that runs on wind power.

The Carousolar - A carousel powered by solar panels.

MakerBot Raceway - Our friends at MakerBot used their 3D printers to make turtle shell remote control cars and stage their own real life Mario Kart races!

Sashimi Tabernacle Choir - A blue volvo adorned with more than 250 computer-controlled lobsters, bass, trout, catfish and sharks...who sing everything from pop tunes to classical opera.

MIDI Controlled Musical Robots - Neon-painted, MIDI-controlled drumming robots! Watch a video about the robots.

Life Size Mousetrap - Mark Perez and company present a 25-ton version of the classic chain reaction board game.

Brooklyn Aerodrome - Remote control airplanes that can be built in less than three hours out of basic materials like coat hangers, cardboard, velcro and some simple electronics. Check out a video.

The Anywhere Organ - A mobile, open source pipe organ that can go anywhere. Check out the Anywhere Organ Kickstarter page, which is raising money to expand the organ.

Honestly, this is a fraction of what stopped us in our tracks. Maker Faire's typically an overwhelming experience, but this year raised the bar that much higher.

-- John Ruscher

ESSENTIAL EVENT // The World Maker Faire returns to NYC this September

Hey, all you makers. We feel it's our duty to not let you miss the 2nd Annual World Maker Faire, which will bring a broad range of amazing creativity and innovation to the New York Hall of Science in Queens on September 17 and 18. It's an especially apt location for the fair, as the hall was formerly part of the 1964 World's Fair.

Organized by the people at MAKE Magazine, the event is "a newfangled fair that brings together science, art, craft and engineering plus music in a fun, energized, and exciting public forum." Last year's event featured more than 450 vendors and received widespread coverage from PBS, the Wall Street Journal, Time Out New York, WNYC and many other outlets.

Most importantly though: If you're interested in participating in the fair, you've still got a few days to apply. The deadline is this Saturday, August 20. Just fill out the entry form. The fair is open to both individuals and groups and non-commercial and commercial makers.

Hit the jump to watch a video about last year's inaugural World Maker Fair from Rocketboom.com. Also, make sure to like the World Maker Faire's Facebook page for the latest updates.