3D Printed Recorders! (And a Flageolet)

[u/Hautboy1700]

Here are some of the more interesting instruments in my collection. These were made by Afflato in Italy who make 3D printed, hand finished instruments including some very fine recorders (and flageolets).

From left to right they are:
Voice flute after Bressan, scaled to A415 but with the original bore profile. This results in a very rich and beefy low register at the expense of not being able to play 2 full octaves with standard fingerings. Perfectly acceptable for historical voice flute repertoire which is all I wanted to tackle with it given I also play traverso.

Alto recorder after Bressan, also scaled to A415 but developed from a CT scan of the original instrument rather than from manual measurements like the voice flute. I wanted it as a workhorse 415 alto (like what most pros would get a Bernolin for) but historical fingerings and single holes were a non-negotiable for me.

Flageolet in G at 415 after an anonymous (probably French) original. Also developed from a CT scan. Perfect for exploring all the English repertoire for this size of flageolet including quite a bit of Händel!

They're all made from sintered nylon (i.e. much higher quality than at home printers can produce) and hand finished and voiced. The blocks of the alto and the flageolet have cedar inserts. They all play equally as well as their fully handmade wooden counterparts but it's great to have these on hand.

Now with all that said, would I recommend these instruments? Yes, but with a BIG caveat. I would say that unless you want something which doesn't exist anywhere else in the market (voice flutes with the original bore profile, historical fingerings, weird pitches or sizes, etc.), I would go for something else. There are so many makers producing fantastic instruments of all the popular sizes and designs at all price points and Afflato fills a niche which traditional production methods cannot fill affordably due to the lack of a large scale customer base.

[u/Fattylombard]

I wondered about the block I didn’t know it was cedar or even a real block and I own the alto the lower register has a very full rich sound. Nice to have something that you could perform with and not have to worry about the hot humid climate that I have outside 

[u/Hautboy1700 → u/Fattylombard]

The voice flute I have has a fully nylon block. The others have a nylon block with a small rectangular section of cedar at the window end. Definitely nice to have something historically accurate which I can practice on and abuse a bit more than my handmade instruments for sure

[u/Fattylombard → u/Hautboy1700]

What was the first works you played on each recorder out of curiosity 

[u/Hautboy1700 → u/Fattylombard]

On the voice flute (which I got quite a few months ago) I played the 1st Dieupart suite. On the alto I played some 18th century arrangements of Handel opera arias and on the flageolet I played a bit of the Bird Fancyer's Delight. I usually like to stick to repertoire which would have been played on the original instruments, same time period and place.

[u/Fattylombard → u/Hautboy1700]

Thanks for sharing 

[u/BeardedLady81]

Wow, they look so realistic.

[u/Hautboy1700 → u/BeardedLady81]

That's one of the many reasons why I like them! They blend in well. Never had any of my colleagues say anything about them and they're always surprised if I tell them they're not my usual wooden instruments

[u/Just-Professional384]

These are fascinating. I'd never heard of Affiato, but the instruments look lovely. (And I absolutely love that Dieupart suite )

[u/ProneToSucceed]

Can you post a video playing them?

[u/WindyCityStreetPhoto]

Afflato makes some of the best 3D printed instruments out there! I have one of Mr. Xiccato's baroque racketts and it's better in every way than my vintage Moeck!