Step Lively

Everything that moves breaks, and that’s as true of stepper motors as rotator cuffs. Last night, the stepper motor that drives the timing belt that shakes the cabasa twisted out its last ch-ch-ch-ch sound. When it receives the command to shake, it tries to turn but can’t summon the torque to move the beads of the cabasa. It just grunts softly and vibrates its frame. Maybe it will semi-retire to lighter duty as an egg timer.

The motor is a Shinano Kenshi that I bought on eBay for about $15, which I thought was a good deal when the motor worked. In retrospect, I got what I paid for, but I’m grateful that the motor failed when I have no gigs scheduled for a couple months and not, say, before my interview on NPR. When the I realized the motor was not coming back, I started searching for a replacement of the same make and model before I realized that this was a stupid idea. Why buy what just broke? As an alternative, try learning, I thought to myself.

Determined to reach base camp on the stepper motor learning-curve, I headed to the website of Anaheim Automation, where the motors are as tough as the sales reps are gruff (Hi Kelly! Thanks for your help this morning). Assuming I read the data sheet correctly, which I wouldn’t bet on, the Anaheim motor I picked up, the 23Y002S-LW 8, should more than handle the cabasa. If it can really generate 72 oz/in of torque at 4 RPS, I will be able to shake the cabasa at inhuman speeds. Check the datasheet for yourself.

In honor of the service of the Shinano Kenshi motor to Jazari, I’m sharing this Kutiman video, which uses eighth notes in the cabasa to ground an off-kilter drum break. Watch for it and the cabasa player wearing Nike athletic gear and a fez(!) at 0:36.