3D printing has come a long way – there are now stores that will print 3D objects on demand like this one in Belgium. It really gets the imagination flying, thinking of all the musical controllers, instruments and prototypes that could be printed on a 3D printer.

Well, Amit Zoran of the MIT Media Lab (who helped create the 3D food printer) has used a 3D printer to print… a working flute!

Using an Objet Connex500 3D printer, he created a flute in about 15 hours. All he had to do was add springs and assemble four separate pieces. It’s surprisingly playable, although Amit plans to create a new and better flute.

Here’s a video showing the construction (err, printing) of the flute and some playing tests:

Imagine being able to visualize an instrument, a radical new controller or a custom case for your new DIY synth and then just print it out?