Rotozithers
Over t he years, Neil has built a loose family of instruments which mix music-box-like characteristics with some unexpected twists. Each has a circular structure of regularly spaced, tuned strings whichrotate past bothe articualating devices (which cause the string to ring by plucking, striking, vibrating, etc.), and pickups which conduct the sound. The pickups are often spaced away from the articulator (or are freely movable) so that the tones conducted have less or nothing of the attack of a plucked or struck string. Because the strings are put in motionover the pickup(s), the tones are bent by Doppler-shifting. On any of these devices the player can control the speed at which the strings pass the pickups, causing the microtonally "pulled" tones. The tuning of the strings, like all of Neil's instruments, are done strictly by ear, by "taste."

diagram

INSTRUMENTS
Apex Rotozither 1990
The Contraption (Phase 1) 1979
The Contraption (Phase 2) 1988
The Contraption (Phase 4) 2000
The Melocycle (detail) 1996