umbrelAudio: Sound Dome Umbrella

aka the Dome of Silence, umbrelAmp, Decibrella, and Uni-Directional Umbrella Speaker

Hey Instructabrarians!

Well it's the start of the rainy season again in Vancouver, ugh, which means I get to bust out my brand new, globular Dome Umbrella!  I absolutely love umbrellas (they're awesome! They make a nice fashion statement and they are incredibly useful, not just for rain) and will use any opportunity to take mine out!  

But you know, for as awesomely useful as umbrellas are, I don't think they've quite reached their full creative potential.  Don't get me wrong, there are some amazing LED and Flashlight Umbrella Instructables here, but I still think there's more creativity that can be done with these things.  That's why I decided to take a tip from Brown Innovations and start off the season with my latest Mattraption™, the umbrelAudio™: Unidirectional Umbrella Speaker!  

Note: Mattraption and umbrelAudio are registered trademarks of Matt Co. This build is dedicated to tm36usa for showing me how combining two everyday objects, when fused together can become an  infinitesimally useful device.

Step 1: Abstract

If you've ever been to a music store or library, then you've probably seen one of these things hanging from the ceiling.  Devised by Brown Innovations, the Localizer Sound Dome speaker is a parabolic unidirectional speaker that's able to direct audio such as music to one specific location.  This, in turn, creates a localized sound area for the listener, creating an incredibly enjoying atmosphere.

My build is pretty much the same, except I'm using a Dome Umbrella instead of a plastic bowl because the double function of an umbrella makes it so much more useful.  Plus it's just cooler.  

Comments

[Danger is my middle name]

This is awesome. I'll have to try it!

[SHIFT!]

Yeah totally! I think you guys must get a lot of rain being so far up north. I know that UBC does.

[PeterTheUnGreat]

I love this - so simple yet it instantly marks the user out as completely barking - brilliant

[SHIFT!]

Thanks PeterTheUnGreat! I absolutely love the idea of combining the elements of two simple things (in this case a speaker and an umbrella) and making something completely new as a result! It's a bit of a running theme with my instructables.

[psycho_3852]

now i feel like watching Cowboy Bebop :)

[jkok1]

Does this still fold up, even somewhat for storage?

[VISOR-MAN]

What do you mean by a "flat side"? Is it just a speaker with a flat bottom, nothing technological? Why does this "flat side" make a difference?

[SHIFT!]

By "flat side of the speaker" I really just meant any place where you could harness the Brass Wiring to it securely with the Hot Glue. If you have a rounded or unique shaped speaker, you can also dremel out a hole and attach the wire through it, or possibly wrap it around.

Ultimately, you just need a secure way to attach the speaker to the wire and a flat side really helps when attaching the glue.

[VISOR-MAN]

Oh right - okay. Thanks

[DisneyFreak]

Where did you get the Pixar wall decals in the video? :D

[SHIFT!]

Made them out of plastic, painted with black acrylic paint. You can actually download their font called Charlemagne Bold here http://www.typenow.net/themed_comm.htm

[DisneyFreak]

Ah thanks so much! :)

[Skyriam]

"umbrelAudio!! Bad luck around your house everyday. =)" Hahaha jk, nice project!

[SHIFT!]

Honey, I've already been cursed so much, that any additional bad luck simply cancels each other out. And that doesn't even make sense :D

[Skyriam]

Hahaha doesn't make sense at all =D

[boygenuis32]

Now a more ironic song to have been playing would be 'Singing in the rain'.

[SHIFT!]

Too stereotypical. Besides I love Yoko Kanno and Real Folk Blues is the one song I always play in the rain.

[boygenuis32]

Yeah, that's a good choice.

[salazam]

And you could plug it into your ipod and listen to music when it's raining outside!!!

[SHIFT!]

Oh yes completely. It's also very helpful when trying to make phone calls and you're in a loud outside area.

[bijikenyot]

and, when a lighting is coming after you,
you will get into pieces...
hahahaha

[SHIFT!]

That would be a pretty awesome death, actually. I wouldn't mind dying that way.

[PaulMakesThings]

No more so than when you use any other umbrella in the rain

[bijikenyot]

yeah...i dont know why rain and ipod always have mangnetizm

*newbie word... :D :D


but i can make sure, you can use this umbrella on the heavy metal concert
to listening BACH or MOZART
hahaha lol

[Danger is my middle name]

Congrats on being featured in the newsletter!!!

[SHIFT!]

Thanks Danger! I probably would never have posted anything if it wasn't for you!

[ranaakamarth]

In the Houston, Texas airport they have these giant parabolas in the ceilings, If you stand in the center you can hear ever person's conversation that walks by no matter how quiet they talk. It is flippin awesome

[SHIFT!]

Hm, well then I'll certainly have to look into that then! That sounds cool, like a parabolic speaker in reverse!

[mary candy]

I loved the Umbrella and specially the music :)
How is the name of who sings?
kiss

[SHIFT!]

Thanks mary candy! And yes, pretty much what nix78 stated. It's composed by my all time favorite japanese artist Yoko Kanno, who I highly recommend to anyone with a strong love for Jazz and Blues.

[nix78]

The song is called "The Real Folk Blues" by Japanese blues/jazz band The Seatbelts. It is best known for being the ending theme of the Cowboy Bebop. You can listen to the song (and watch the ending credits sequence withuout the text) here.

As for the 'ible itself, I don't think that the soft material of the umbrella does a very good job in sound reflection and isolation... but it just gave me an idea for using an old satellite dish for the same. :)

[SHIFT!]

Thanks mary candy! And yes, pretty much what nix78 stated. It's composed by my all time favorite japanese artist Yoko Kanno, who I highly recommend to anyone with a strong love for Jazz and Blues.

[Marsh]

Would this also work like the cone of silence featured on "Get Smart?"

[SHIFT!]

Hmmmm, I don't know! I suppose if I rigged some form of descending/ascending apparatus to the end cap I could probably have it drop from my ceiling. Of course, it's always louder on the inside, so it's a bit like the COS inverted!

[hiflyer]

Activate the Cone of Silence!

....oh wait....

[ElvenChild]

come on everyone around here has one... Holy shoot a ferrari (farmer takes out camera phone)

[SHIFT!]

LOL, that was actually one of the working titles I had for this project!

[mr.squeakers]

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[fadeddeath]

Nice build! Maybe this will help when I'm gaming and the wife is sleeping.

Also love the Cowboy Bebop end theme there!

[SHIFT!]

Yes this is perfect for gaming! I actually have a small miniature projector so sometimes at night I'll hook it up to my Wii and the uA and play some SSBB!

I love Cowboy Bebop and Real Folk Blues is the perfect rain song.