So here we go, attempt #1 at fabricating the SoundBook.

I started by figuring out how the assembly would work using copy paper as my pretend covers.  I came up with a design that would provide for a 1.5 inch chamber in the back spine to house electronics, using three separate pieces:  One for the back cover, which will be folded to create the chamber, one for the front cover, which will simply lay flat across the front (with a hinge for opening the book), and one for the back spine, which is just a narrow L-shaped piece to close off the back.  I might attach the back spine with velcro initially to maintain access to the back chamber.

Here’s what it kinda looks like in paper form:

I bought some 11×14 matte board to use as the cover material (to eventually be covered in leather).  I also bought some pre-punched paper intended for creating scrapbooks. It has a good weight to it, and should hold up well.  The vertical ratio of the matte board size to the paper size is PERFECT, and the width of the matte board is perfect for creating the folds in my cover that will create the back chamber.  Pure luck.

I created some Illustrator files to use on the laser cutter, where I will cut out 3 holes in the matte board, cut out a rectangular hole to serve as the passthrough for the sensors/electronics, and also score the folding edges so I can actually fold them accurately.  This is exactly 11×14 so it uses the entire piece of matte board:

The front cover Illustrator file: I will cut off the far left panel of the front cover and score the 2nd panel, allowing it to lay flat across the front, with a hinge:

The back spine will use just the left 2 panels of the below image.  Scored in the middle to fold into an L-shape, to be adhered to the back:

Finally, I will cut strips of copper tape on the vinyl cutter, to be adhered across the top of each page so when they are closed, the copper pieces touch each other, switching the sound off.  I can cut 5 sensors from each 2x10in piece of copper tape:

I will likely use the same file, slightly modified, to cut short strips of insulating tape to adhere over the inside couple inches of the sensors, to insure that they don’t touch each other when the pages are open.