Resophonic Manta

resophonic manta
Resophonic Manta

The Resophonic Manta serves a secondary, coloristic role in the ensemble of my instruments. It features the Manta keyboard as a performer interface, and the resonator body uses a spun aluminum resophonic cone to radiate the sound, following John Dopyera's 1920s design (familiar to bluegrass fans from the Dobro guitar). This lends a metallic, ringing timbre to the instrument, and allows for some unusual multiphonic effects when the resophonic cone is overdriven. It’s been nicknamed “the wookie” due to its characteristic growl.

Architect Luc Deckinga helped with the CNC milling and design on the Bass Manta and the Resophonic Manta.

The Resophonic Manta appears in the pieces Concerning the Nature of Things and Undeciphered Writing. It is described in my dissertation, "Exploration of an Adaptive Just Intonation System".