project | copper, paper, and unsound

We decided early on to use a typewriter as part of our presentation with the idea we'll have viewers participate by typing in response to the sound our speakers will make.  

This is a material test for aesthetics, using overlay text. Some of the references we're thinking of are palimpsests and the old handwritten letters written both ways to save paper. 

The typewriter is sourced from craigslist and needed a new ribbon (from Central Florida Office Plus) and a brief cleaning of certain letter

It was suggested we handmake speakers to tie the concept together a bit better. I never managed to get sound from any of the attempts. The first being a syrofoam plate. It jumped when connected to a battery, but no sound.  

Soon after we discovered this resource for flat speakers and tried it. 

http://web.media.mit.edu/~plusea/?p=265

Conductive ripstop on vellum

conductive ripstop strips coiled tighter

lamp wire

copper leaf on tracing paper

At first we though the tiny magnets we were using were too weak. We acquired new ones and attempted again . 

No sound.
More research. Really beautiful speakers were discovered. 

http://cnmat.berkeley.edu/new_music/people/4752

No progress. 

The comments of this video points out that the headphone jack needs to have the enamel burnt off the copper wire. 

http://www.instructables.com/id/1-How-to-Repair-or-Fix-Headphones-Headphone-Jack/ 

*headdesk*

Tried it. 

Nothing.

Change plans to use regular speakers for crit.