MIT Media Lab researcher Amit Zoran has printed a playable flute, using a 3D printer that is capable of on-the-fly use of multiple materials, in 15 hours.
The instrument is playable, but Zoran plans additional iteration and
improvement.
The 3D printer could represent new potential for instrumental research. It’s too difficult now to prototype ideas. Being able to rapidly prototype a lot of variations inexpensively could mean wild, new instruments with new designs that can’t be fabricated by hand, as well as new revelations about historical designs.

Concept for a multi-pipe trumpet that could be 3D-printed