Inside Raghav Sachar's love for 3D-printed musical instruments and why he is doing it

Raghav Sachar with his collection of 3D printed musical instruments. PICS/SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI

In the waiting area of Raghav Sachar's Autotune Studio, we're kept company by photo frames featuring familiar faces alongside the artiste. Veterans like Shreya Ghoshal, Sonu Nigam, and Sukhwinder Singh, have all walked through these doors. We're starting to perspire; there's not a single singer's bone in our body. Thankfully, that's not what we're here for.

After wooing audiences with his Bollywood hits and viral Instagram reels more recently, the curious tech-enthusiast inside the multi-instrumentalist has found a new hobby: 3D printing flutes, bongos, and didgeridoos using an easy-to-use Bambu Lab printer.

"I stumbled upon the technology in January, and I've been addicted to mastering it ever since," he admits. Over the next hour and a half, Sachar explains the art and science of the concept in the sing-song enthusiasm of a friendly Physics teacher speaking to a classroom.

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How Raghav Sachar prints full-sized instruments with a few clicks

1 Sachar loads the Bambu Handy app on his phone, and the Bambu Studio software on his studio desktop. These are the brains of the operation.

2 Designers around the world share their own creative-licensed basic models on the app. These can be tweaked to one's liking before printing.

3 Sachar makes tweaks on the beginner-friendly app to make modifications, and add embellishments.

4 Take your pick from a range of filaments. PLA (Polylactic Acid): Affordable and beginner-friendly; ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene): For tougher instruments; TPU: Soft and flexible for parts like the skin of a drum.

5 On the mezzanine floor of the studio, a 3D printer awaits Sachar's print command. After calibration, the high-temperature printing begins. A camera inside the printer allows Sachar to monitor progress from anywhere in the world.

6 After a 13-hour wait, and assembling the parts, the flute is ready to play. How about a retro Bollywood tune?

Tradition vs innovation

Money matters: The printers range from Rs 27,000 to Rs 3 lakh for professionals. Filament spools cost around Rs 1500 each. Accounting for the slight bump in electricity bills, you can build an instrument for a fraction of a traditional instrument's market cost.

Sachar customised a 3D printed souvenir for mid-day

Quality check: Playing a traditional flute and a 3D printed version side by side, Sachar explains that the traditional flute has a fuller, more resonant sound. "For an average listener, it's almost indistinguishable," he reveals.

Collector's corner

Mini didgeridoo

Bongos. Veteran percussionist Taufiq Qureshi recently gave the mini drums a nod. Sachar plans to build a customised version for Qureshi

What next?

The musician plans to master the skill to create customised instruments and gift them to musicians.

Twin flute and Japanese Shakuhachi

With the help of 3D printing farms (facilities around the world where multiple printers work at scale), Sachar hopes to print instruments in bulk, and share them with musically inclined children who have fewer opportunities.

Beyond the studio, Sachar's wife Amita and sons Kiaan and Ivaan are using a printer at home to print toys, tools, and wearables."This is the new LEGO. It's going to be in everyone's homes in a few years," Sachar says.

Rs 350
Approximate cost of printing a flute

Rs 4-6k
Market cost of a similar traditional flute

LOG ON TO @raghavsachar (to follow Sachar's journey)
AVAILABLE amazon.in; bambulab.com