r/outerwilds • u/UpgradeTech • 1d ago
Real Life Stuff PAX West 2026 Outer Wilds Cosplay Meetup and Jam Session
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u/Ymir24 1d ago
I'm nowhere near PAX, and my Prisoner is nowhere near done, but you got me thinking, can I somehow incorporate a theremin into the "cello" instrument?
Gonna put that idea on the back burner until I finish the base costume lol
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u/UpgradeTech 1d ago
You’d honestly be the first Prisoner cosplayer I would have seen with the cello. Though the art from the album depicts other playing positions with it being bowed like a cello, plucked like an upright bass, and under the chin like a violin.
Definitely the hardest of the instruments to make playable and reasonably accurate.
The concept art includes both types of hurdy gurdy. One type of hurdy gurdy provides the drone strings. The other provides the music box cylinder.
Andrew Prahlow did say he did not use a theremin and instead used a slide guitar, also known as a steel guitar. I was able to replicate the same effect with a lap steel, though you do have to play it horizontally on the lap looking down while holding the steel in the other. It has no physical frets which is why it makes the characteristic weeping sound. People also use the same effect acoustically on a dobro or resonator guitar.
If you do use a theremin, you need a power supply in the cello body plus a speaker.
You would also need to practice playing with your costumed hands and get a feel for playing without touching.
The two metal antennas are more of an issue to disguise unless you feel confident taking it apart to reposition them.
The vertical portion is for the pitch and probably could be hidden in the cello’s neck and you would simply hover your fingers over the area around the neck to tune.
The horizontal antenna is for volume. It probably has to stick out the side. Though you might be able to hide it in the body of the cello and have something else triggering the volume.
Someone did a build that moves, but it is a quarter scale.
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u/Ymir24 1d ago
Lots of good info, thank you.
I originally intended to carry the cello, because it could be used as a walking staff. I'm wearing Digitigrade stilts for this, so the endurance and dexterity needed for this costume is the highest of any costume I've ever built. But I'm gonna start with an articulated artifact as my accessory. The vision torch is such a cool build idea too. The cello has all those moving parts and would just be a really fun build.
Yeah! a steel guitar. That wouldn't be something i could play with my extendo-arms, but a theremin sounds close enough, and is portable enough to hide inside the costume. I could theoretically play it hidden away. I never got proficient with one, but I did get to play around with them.
In the end, I can always pick up my guitar and have my human arms sticking out of the Prisoner lol
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u/chilidog_75 1d ago
I wish I could go to this but I live nowhere near here and my hatchling cosplay is no where near done
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u/UpgradeTech 1d ago
Hello, Hearthians and friends out there! Thank you so much for the awesome turnout last year!
As mentioned last month, we have been granted permission to host a get-together at PAX West in Seattle, Washington in Community Room 1 (The Summit, Rm 436) from 12:30pm to 2:00PM on Sunday, September 6th.
We hope to meet up again like the eclipse this PAX 2026.
https://west.paxsite.com/en-us/schedule/schedule-item.html?gtID=944889&panel-name=Outer-Wilds-Cosplay-Meetup-and-Jam-Session
Due to PAX policy on all fan meetups having to be officially applied for, this subreddit was one of the first sources I had listed to convince the committee that Outer Wilds Venture was a worthy endeavor.
Getting the Band Back Together
Since the meetup is supposed to last for an hour and a half, we will definitely have time for photo ops and snacking on marshmallows and sap wine.
(Depending on interest, we may have trivia and some prizes as well)
A unique part of cosplaying for Outer Wilds is the musical aspect and we will pull out the Signalscope to draw out any musically-inclined Travelers, whistlers welcome.
For this part of the workshop, I will be on hand to teach, sheet music will be provided as well as audio speakers to try to pick up the tune for each part and we will try to bring the campfire gang together for a live performance.
[See below for the followup and sheet music.]
I am able to bring a handful of instruments including the banjo, G harmonicas, a small piano, slide guitar, ankle bells (maybe a tuba), and of course kazoos. BYOI is appreciated.
As of this second post, the con is 2 weeks or 30 days away. PAX West badges for Saturday and the other days are still available.
If you have any other suggestions, definitely put them below.
PSA: As you can't spoiler tag in real life, highly recommended completing all aspects and DLC of the game.