Instructions

The Zube Tube^TM creates a wide range of "out-of-this-world" sounds. Many sounds are very easy to produce and can be created by even a small child. Other sounds are more difficult to create and may require some practice.

Shaking it, twisting it, plucking it, pumping it, or talking, calling, or singing into it makes a variety of the most unusual sounds imaginable, without any electronics or batteries. It can be an alien-zapping bazooka, a wild wolf call, a young singer’s echo chamber, an out-of-this-world sound effects device or a space-age musical instrument. The following are suggestions on how to produce various sounds. Don't feel constrained by these suggestions. Use your imagination and feel free to be creative! And just have fun!

Click below to watch a video showing how much fun the Zube Tube^TM can be!

Having fun with Zube Tubes at a New Years Day Party. (Video, 2 1/2 min., 1.3 MB)  Download Video*

To produce various sounds try the following.**

1) Shout, talk, sing or make other sounds into an end of the tube. An echo effect will be heard. To get the best results, one's mouth should be close to the end of the tube. Hear Sounds

2) Shake the tube sideways. This will cause the acoustic coil to hit the side of the tube producing a laser-type sound.  Hear Sounds

3) Again, shake the tube sideways and, immediately after the laser-type sound is heard, cup your hand over an end of the tube and move it away and toward the end. This causes a sound like howling wind.

4) Insert a finger into the hole in the side of the tube and pluck or rub the acoustic coil. It works best to pluck or rub the coil lengthwise with a finger nail. The coil can also be plucked crosswise which causes it to twist and produce an interesting, though soft, sound.  Hear Sounds

5) Shake the tube lengthwise. This can cause the individual coils of the acoustic coil to bump into one another creating a spacey type sound.  Hear Sounds

6) After the sound is created by shaking, cup your hand over an end of the tube and move it away and toward the end. This again causes a sound like howling wind.

7) One of the most interesting sounds is created by holding the Zube Tube^TM vertically and shaking it up and down at just the right frequency (about 6 shakes every second) to produce eerie pulses of sound. Creating this sound may take some practice. The tube needs to be shaken up and down with very little sideways motion, since sideways motion will cause the acoustic coil to hit the side of the tube, interrupting the desired sound. Also the tube needs to be shaken at just the right frequency. If it is shaken too slowly, the individual coils of the acoustic coil will bump into one another. If it is shaken too rapidly, no sound will be emitted. If it is shaken at just the right frequency, the up-and-down motion will cause twisting motion in the acoustic coil producing the pulses of sound.  Hear Sounds

8) The eerie pulses of sound may also be created by holding the tube at the top and twisting the tube alternately clockwise and counterclockwise at just the right frequency (about 6 twists back and forth every second). Some people find it easier to create the pulses of sound by twisting rather than by shaking. Again care must be taken to minimize the sideways motion to prevent the acoustic coil from hitting the sides of the tube.

9) Once the pulses of sound are created by either shaking or twisting the tube, cup your hand over an end of the tube and move it away and toward the end. This again causes a sound like howling wind.  Hear Sounds

* If you will be watching this video more than once, it is recommended that you save it disk. Therefore, you will only need to wait for the download once. To save the file to disk, right click on the "Download Video" link and then click on "Save Link Target As."

** When you click on a "Download Video" or "Hear Sounds" link, the Real Media or Real Audio file will be downloaded and played using the Real Media Player plug-in. The entire file will be downloaded before being played. If you cannot play these files, you may need to download the Real Media Player plug-in. The basic player is free.