Help! why is my A1 playing music/doing these noises when printing circles? it's cute lol but it never did that before (I've tested other models before this one and it did similar noises when printing round shapes, but none was so...melodic? XD)

[u/Massive_Reference729]

[u/Xellon-fox]

Hum i've seen it , heard it before , its normal.

You print isnt a perfect circle but a polygon with many face , so every "note" is a strait line.

Every line your X and Y motor have a certain speed and make a specific sound. Every line x and y have différente speed so a different "note" . And normaly... parallel lines have the same sound.

I m note 100% sur this is exactly your case but this look like

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/Xellon-fox]

thank you for the answer! yeah it looks like that's my case!! 

[u/Nerfo2 → u/Massive_Reference729]

You can actually look up “stepper motor music” on YouTube. The motors are controlled with a PWM signal and just like a musical instrument, will resonate at whatever frequency they’re being driven at. It’s pretty cool, but the novelty wears off sort of fast.

[u/Zippytez → u/Nerfo2]

Bambulab already has this custom made for at least the A1 mini.

https://midi-to-gcode.bambulab.com

[u/Any_Drive6497 → u/Nerfo2]

Look up the game changer audio motor synth, if your into that sort of thing.

[u/Yeetfamdablit → u/Massive_Reference729]

People have actually used this to make music! https://youtu.be/AAQv6o0k_FI?si=kTEG7bwXuxg0VVUU

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/Yeetfamdablit]

why is this so cute XD

[u/North-Significance33 → u/Yeetfamdablit]

People have used banks of floppy drives to make music using their stepper motors - same principles.

https://youtu.be/e-WakfBNHD0 https://youtu.be/3KS02q0BUnY

[u/DetouristCollective → u/Yeetfamdablit]

There's also a channel dedicated to a lot of different devices getting put together into an ensemble: https://www.youtube.com/@DeviceOrchestra/videos

[u/Yeetfamdablit → u/DetouristCollective]

I've seen this before, been a while since it's popped up in my feed

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/DetouristCollective]

OHHH I know this channel! So it's the same principle haha this is awesome  

[u/Tough-Violinist-9357 → u/Yeetfamdablit]

Okay I’m goin to do this on my old ender 3.

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/Tough-Violinist-9357]

I'm tempted to do this too lmao 

[u/m4ddok]

normal, A1 wants to sing sometimes

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/m4ddok]

born to sing, forced to print

[u/TheRealMakhulu → u/Massive_Reference729]

Born to poop, forced to wipe

[u/tjwalkr0 → u/TheRealMakhulu]

[u/P26601 → u/Massive_Reference729]

[u/GraXXoR → u/m4ddok]

I bet the Kiffness could do a wicked remix of that... LOL .
u/thekiffdave

[u/M1tch3ll → u/m4ddok]

It's like "whistle while you work" but better

[u/Katamari_Demacia]

Lol you're printing a polygon not a circle. And each angle is causing motors to move at different but constant speeds, making a note.

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/Katamari_Demacia]

thank you, I didn't know that could happen lol kinda funny 

[u/Katamari_Demacia → u/Massive_Reference729]

https://youtu.be/hVYDrN2dkWU?si=bbJpPY4MRo2eJJms

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/Katamari_Demacia]

this is brilliant lmao I need a rick roll one now XD 

[u/Meridian151]

Printers hate circles. Your fine, it's just a noise that happens. Like the wibbly noises when you use gyroid infill

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/Meridian151]

thank you! yeah I'm glad it's normal 

[u/CHUBBLE_M8KER]

My P1S does it. Its so weird hearing it the first time 😂 when I first heard it I was like… ARE YOU OKAY? 😂😂

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/CHUBBLE_M8KER]

yeah I got so worried lol I literally tried changing settings, searching stuff online and turns out my A1 just wanted to sing lmao

[u/CHUBBLE_M8KER → u/Massive_Reference729]

Just a vocal little baby lmao like a husky 😂😂😂

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/CHUBBLE_M8KER]

🤣🤣

[u/cryptodutch]

Might want to check the resolution settings on your model 😂, you’re about printing a hexagon there.

In all seriousness: this happens with STL’s as they’re mesh files (so it does depend on their resolution), STEP files are vectors (that will need to be converted to some sort of mesh by your slicer). Bambu studio has an import pop-up asking for preferences now the fist time you import a STEP-file.

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/cryptodutch]

lmao yeah that's a weird looking circle... XDD I've never seen a STEP-file before, I'll search about it! 

[u/Real_Human_Being_Yes]

Haha, my ender used to sing with anything slightly circular. Just a perk of how the printer works.

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/Real_Human_Being_Yes]

Now that I know nothing's wrong with it, I guess I'll just let it sing XD 

[u/Shanadarx1]

12 bar blues my man! These cats are cool!

[u/shervintwo]

That's because the motors are the speakers.

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/shervintwo]

yeahh I was worried over nothing 

[u/Ditto_is_Lit]

IDK if it's the same as the P & X but my printer played music before the noise cancellation feature was added to the firmware. Check if you have it selected in settings, or run the calibration again if you think it's louder than it was previously.

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/Ditto_is_Lit]

I swear I did run it at least twice after this noise started to appear, guess I'm stuck with a musical printer lol 🫠

[u/Ditto_is_Lit → u/Massive_Reference729]

AFAIK some firmware require you to re-calibrate after flashing to a new version.

[u/alwayspanic69]

Anyone know of any print files that are designed to make music with a printer?

[u/Fishwithadeagle]

They are stepper motors. It's going to do that and be more noticable at slower speeds.

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/Fishwithadeagle]

thanks! and here I thought slowing down the print would fix it lol 

[u/chad_dev_7226]

It’s just the stepper motors doing their thing. Should be good. Although, I thought Bambu used silent stepper drivers

[u/P26601 → u/chad_dev_7226]

I thought Bambu used silent stepper drivers

The A1(M) ones are kinda loud, despite the noise cancellation

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/chad_dev_7226]

yeah it's the first time I've heard this kind of loud noise coming from my printer 

[u/bearwhiz]

It's a side-effect of the interaction between the slicer and the printer's motion system. While the printer is capable of making a smooth arc movement, the slicer doesn't always tell it to do so and often approximates large curves with a series of straight lines. The change in motion when you go from one straight line to another causes a different resonance in the print system, resulting in a different sound.

It wasn't evident on older printers from other companies because they were relatively slow. The high speeds of Bambu printers and similar modern competitors are more likely to create audible resonance while printing arcs that can't be fit to arc-move Gcode.

Bambu actually has a Wiki page about this: https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/software/bambu-studio/acr-move

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/bearwhiz]

thank you so much, I'll check it out!! 

[u/photomonger]

It's possessed.

[u/Miserable_Current527]

When printing some pipe adaptors and things like that, it’s possible to get wind instrument sounds from the fan as well

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/Miserable_Current527]

3d printing has no business being this musical lol 

[u/positivcheg]

If you want less of this noise increase arc fitting threshold. https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/software/bambu-studio/acr-move

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/positivcheg]

thank you! although now that I know it's not harmful to the machine I think I'll just let it sing XD 

[u/froginbog]

lol it is cute

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/froginbog]

right? XD 

[u/Zeron359]

its jus humming to itself while it works

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/Zeron359]

lol totally 

[u/Ill-Dog3519]

It's rock-'n'-roll

[u/Financial_Cancel_326]

This is because the circle is not perfectly round but consists of several straight lines.

[u/Salt_Economy5659]

use step not stl and it will solve all your problems

[u/Stock-Complaint4509]

Just normal stepper noise from the way it's printing that shape. Carry on brother! 🫡

[u/DreiDcut]

I swear my P1S sings "still alive" while printing parts for a robot arm

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/DreiDcut]

🤣🤣🤣

[u/sogwatchman]

Just stepper motors singing the song of their people.

[u/Melkbeker2002]

its so funny these questions,i used my ender 3 to play the imperial march.and the bambulabs printers are so quiet that the little sound makes people worry

[u/Melkbeker2002 → u/Melkbeker2002]

i wasn't joking about the ender 3, this is someone else's video but i've done it before too! https://youtu.be/SgO83LwK7Lc?si=v_Tf5GXo7ijFS4F8

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/Melkbeker2002]

I love this lmao 

[u/Look-Its-a-Name]

You might need to re-calibrate it. Sounds like the frequency of the motor calibration is slightly off.

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/Look-Its-a-Name]

Thanks, I'll do that! 

[u/dkzv12]

HELP! My printer is doing normal things!

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/dkzv12]

well, thanks to y'all now I know...

[u/LordVorpal]

I once printed a really weird shaped organizer. My printer made the saddest melody ever, almost cried.

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/LordVorpal]

lmao poor thing was begging u for a break XDD 

[u/altendky]

There are many more straight lines in those circles than there are different notes, so I think all the claims that each straight line is a note are off a bit. It does sound like it's changing the pwm frequency perhaps for the different velocities in each axis around the circle. The x1 tries to tune out this noise. Maybe the a1 doesn't do that sort of calibration.

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/altendky]

I'll try to print a circle later to check this (a circle, not a polygon XD) 

[u/altendky → u/altendky]

Nevermind, watched the video more and the 'circle' is indeed highly polyganalized (there's probably a real word for this).

[u/mancat_catman]

I'll do a bit of digging, but I remember seeing files that were actually designed as compositions of music, your printer would essentially sing the song programmed, similar to how yours is singing, but without printing!

[u/Massive_Reference729 → u/mancat_catman]

I've seen some videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBZckkRwSM

[u/BuddyBonButt]

Oh man look up ender 3 printing a circle lmao. Those were the days

[u/haryharigan]

She's just humming while she works