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Over the years Lamb's work with The Wires has uncovered that it is not only wind that plays this instrument, but on their own accord they often harmonically sing, vibrate or roar as they react to environmental factors such as barometric air pressure, temperature, insects and people; creating a unique and infinite instrumentation of itself and its natural surroundings. A neuroscientist and medical practitioner, Lamb has stated that The Wires underlying principles show commonalities with biological systems such as embryonic body plans and brain function. Lamb has stated also that the system has the ability to manipulate biological cellular activity, providing a potential for medical contexts. Lamb's wire instrument generates audible, subsonic and supersonic frequencies, with dynamic range extending from the lightness of a walking fly through to extremely loud sounds. Historically, a large amount of important information in science and mathematics was derived from the problem of the vibrating string and Lamb's wire instrument has the potential to provide fundamental insights for complex systems.

Part of The Wires set up in rural NSW, Australia.

In recent years Lamb has expressed a need and desire to further expand The Wires through new practices. A key aspect of work will be to create an open ended technology to use The Wires as a control/data source in future experiments. The technology used to convert The Wires into a control source will thus have wider implications and be generally applicable to other artistic/scientific fields; e.g. controlling musical instruments, processing sounds, providing empirical data for scientific modelling of The Wires and contributing to Lamb's methodology for recording techniques. Cellular Automata have been used for computer modelling of biological pigmentation patterns, forest fires, viral epidemics, and a wide variety of other natural systems, and have much in common with Alan's instrument. Complex systems can therefore contribute greatly towards gaining a deeper understanding of The Wires and vice versa.

Part of Dave Noyze's analogue modular setup (Hewlett Packard 16 channel Logic Analyser, Noyzelab Ulamizer-II, Hinton Instruments Music Lab Modular, Racal Dana Universal Counter Timer, Roland System 100M).

For a more in depth description of The Wire instrument see chapter 14 : John Jenkins, "22 Contemporary Australian Composers" NMA Publications Melbourne 1988 p112-4.