Cymatic Boards

Plate materials vs. cost & Q-sharpness, fixture tips, and art workflows.

Materials vs. Cost & Q-Sharpness

Choose Your Board

Aluminum (Al)

Affordable, light, medium-high Q. Great starter: 1.0–1.6 mm sheet, 200×200 mm to 300×300 mm.

Steel

Stiffer, higher Q but heavier; rings long. Mind rust and sharp edges. 0.8–1.2 mm works for small boards.

Brass / Bronze

Beautiful tone & high Q; pricier. Excellent for art-grade captures (thin sheets, 0.6–1.0 mm).

Acrylic / Polycarbonate

Cheap, transparent, lower Q but visually striking with backlight. 2–3 mm for 200–300 mm plates.

Glass (tempered)

Clean looks, moderate Q; fragile & safety risk if not tempered. Prefer acrylic unless you need glass optics.

Wood / Plywood

Dampened response (low Q), warm feel. Useful for large formats, but patterns are softer and less crisp.

Drivers & Fixtures

Clean Excitation

Surface Transducer

Adheres under the plate; compact & effective. Mount near an edge or at a node for cleaner modes.

Mini Speaker + Standoff

Drive via a light standoff touching the plate underside. Adjust contact pressure for stability.

Supports

Three-point support (foam pads or rubber grommets) near corners usually yields crisp modes. Avoid rigid clamping.

Damping & Isolation

Put the whole setup on a yoga mat or sorbothane pucks; keep cables slack to prevent parasitic damping.

Plate Size, Thickness, & Edge Conditions

Tuning

Starter Sizes

Square 250×250 mm or A4 rectangle. Thinner plates show patterns at lower volumes.

Thickness Sweep

Thicker → higher stiffness → higher mode frequencies; also more power needed. Start thin, add layers if needed.

Shapes

Squares yield classic Chladni families; circles emphasize radial modes; rectangles give rich asymmetric sets.

Edge Effects

Free edges differ from clamped. Soft supports approximate free edges and produce “prettier” nodes for art.

Sand, Salt, & Fluids (Pattern Media)

Contrast

Granular

Fine table salt → crisp lines; semolina/sugar → high contrast; black sand on brass pops visually.

Fluids

Water films in shallow trays reveal Faraday ripples under light. Keep electronics safely away; low levels only.

Lighting

Raking light (low angle) sharpens relief. For acrylic, backlight with LED panel and use dark granules.

Cleanup

Use a soft brush & tray. Avoid grinding grit into acrylic; use antistatic cloths if dust clings.

Art Workflow (Capture → Fix → Frame)

Make It Last

Find the Mode

Sweep slowly; when granules lock into crisp nodes, note Hz. Narrow around that frequency to stabilize.

Capture

Photograph from straight above; manual exposure; low ISO; tripod if possible. Shoot both wide & detail.

Fixing (Dry Media)

Light mist of archival fixative from distance; or transfer by carefully lifting onto adhesive sheet (practice first).

Presentation

Print on metallic paper or mount the fixed plate in a shadow frame. Add a small plaque: material, size, Hz, date.

Measurement & Logging

Repeatability

Signal & Power

Record source, waveform (sine), voltage (Vpp or RMS), duty (if pulsed), and amplifier settings.

Geometry

Plate material, dimensions, thickness, driver position, support layout (distances from edges).

Environment

Room temp (°C), surface (mat vs. table), noise sources. Keep conditions similar between runs.

File Discipline

Name photos like ALU_250sq_1.0mm_184Hz_modeX_2025-09-03.jpg for painless retrieval.

Safety & Care

Common Sense

Keep volumes modest; comfort > loudness. Protect hearing & pets; avoid resonance near fragile objects.
Edge handling: deburr metal; wear eye protection when drilling; gloves for sharp sheets.
Electric safety: use low-voltage audio gear; no exposed mains. Keep liquids away from electronics.
Site etiquette if testing in public spaces: get permission, keep sessions short, leave no trace.

Glossary (Quick)

Reference

Q (Quality Factor)

Sharpness of resonance; higher Q shows crisper, more selective patterns.

Node / Antinode

Node: minimal motion (granules collect). Antinode: maximal motion (granules vacate).

Free Edge / Clamped Edge

Unconstrained vs. rigidly fixed boundary; changes mode shapes.

Surface Transducer

Driver that couples vibrations directly through contact with a surface.

FAQ

Clarity

My pattern won’t stabilize—what now?

Reduce volume, refine support points, move the driver closer to an edge, and sweep more slowly around the suspected mode.

Best starter combo for crisp art?

1.0–1.6 mm aluminum at 250–300 mm square, surface transducer near edge, fine salt, three-point foam support.

How do I compare two materials fairly?

Keep size, thickness, driver location, support geometry, and signal level identical. Change only one variable at a time.

Can I use music instead of sine sweeps?

Yes, but modes are harder to isolate. For documentation, stick to sine; for art, experiment with gentle musical passages.

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