Soundbot

This device is made from a sound-producing keychain + two pieces of piano wire. The piano wire is soldered to the circuit so that when the two pieces connect noise is produced. The intent is to move contacts like these across a graphite drawing, so the graphite completes the circuit.

The topside of the device; the piano wire contacts are kept close to the drawing surface as its is moved.The underside of the device; the speaker.

Here is a video of how it functions + sounds:

Drawing device

Automated drawing device

This device uses a small DC motor to rotate a disc at its center point. A piece of graphite is attached to the plastic so that it is able to make contact with the surface of the paper. When the motor is activated, the graphite and disc spin producing lines on the drawing surface.

The deviceThe drawing surfaceMultiple drawing devices suspended from above onto the vertical drawing surface (or placed on a horizontal surface). The devices are able to move around the surface creating + distrupting circuits.

Drawing + Projection

Here are some projected images of a portion of the painting 'The Confusion of Tongues' - Gustav Dore, 1865.

From the projector...
...to the drafting board.

Fan Activated Switch + The Optical Theremin

Fan Activated Switch

This device uses a fan to turn a propeller which make a wire bounce upward. The bouncing wire makes contact with another wire closing a simple LED circuit momentarily. The LED flickers on/off rapidly; this light is sensed by the phototransistor of the optical theremin creating a pulsing/laser-like sound. The fan will use a magnetic contact as a switch; where the magnet is used to adhere the contact to the drawing surface.

Close-up of switch. (one wire bounces just enough to allow electrons to transfer to the other, at times no physical contact is required to close the circuit)
Here is a video of the preliminary version of the fan in action:

Drawing sound

Drawing sound

The drawing surface + mounting surface is suspending from above leaving approx. 8-12" space between the board + the wall. This space will be used to arrange the sound + movement components. The mounting surface may be metal to allow magnetic contacts to be held in place to control devices/components that produce repetitive beats/sounds, such as a cooling fan, etc. Moving the magnetic contacts from contact point to contact point could activate other similar components The drawing surface will be made of heavy graphite lines acting as resistors for LEDs and other sound operated devices; these devices will be operated by another set of contacts.

I've looked at the lengths of the graphite lines, it seems that the LED will still light slightly even when the line is 22" long. The lines have to be redrawn to build up graphite; the line can still remain quite thin. I plan on using the story of the Tower of Babel to influence the drawing surface (see the images in the previous posts, Tuesday, Novemeber 14th). This weekend I have booked an overhead projector to help transfer specific aspects of the Tower of Babel paintings to the drawing surface.

LED + Photoresistor

The LED triggers the photoresistor. This is what was used in the device from the previous post. What is needed: 1 LED, 1 Photoresistor, and electrical tape.
One LED + One Photoresistor
Add tape
FInished

Graphite Controlled LEDs + The Optical Theremins

The resistance created by the graphite is shared among two LEDs. The greater the resistance the dimmer the light becomes; by placing the contact point closer to one LED makes it brighter and the other dimmer. The light emitted from the LEDs is used to activate the phototransistors of two optical theremins; each produces a tone/sound relative to the quantity of light. These tones begin to vary as the contact is move from place to place. One optical theremin may produced a low pitched tone, while the other produces a high pitched tone. Graphite controlled light is used to produce sound.

Here is a video of the effect:

Confusion of tongues: sample

The intent is to use these images to inform the 'playable' drawing; they will aid in defining areas of interest + significance.
Original image crop
Overexposed to show line
Underexopsed to show mass + void

Babel: Confusion of tongues

The Tower of Babel

Bruehel's Tower of Babel, 1563

"And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. 4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children builded. 6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel (confusion); because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth." - Genesis 11:1-9

A being causes a system to fail by adding complexity + fragmentation; the tower is not completed because its production system (the people) is divided by language + location. Order + understanding change to chaos + complexity.

The confusion of tonuges (confusio linguarum) happened after the collaspe of the Tower of Babel; according to the bible it is thought as the first fragmentation of human languages.'The Confusion of Tongue' Gustave Dore, 1865.

Other accounts suggest that God was responsible for the fall of the tower by using great winds. (Book of Jubilees, Corneluis Alexander (frag. 10), Abydenus (frag. 5-6), Josephus (Antiquities 1.4.3), and the Sibylline Oracles (iii, 117-129)). “When all men were of one language, some of them built a tower, as if they would thereby ascend up to heaven, but the gods sent storms of wind and overthrew the tower, and gave every one his peculiar language; and for this reason it was that the city was called Babylon” - Josephus, (Antiquities 1.4.3)

On/Off + LEDs + Graphite Resistance

Here is a test using graphite as a simple switch + dimmer for a LED. Made with - one LED, one 9-volt, three pieces of wire, base, and graphite.



Video:

Love Arm Series

The Love Arm Series - Ujino + The Rotators

"The idea of making my own tools for artistic expression arose from my desire to give more direct form to the proposition that art is the embodiment of philosophies concerning human behavior. Since the Love Arms are not metaphorical but actual tools with a concrete physical form, they must have volume and weight, decoration, and functions. (As they are musical instruments, they must emit sounds and be attachable to the body, so that a physical and emotional 'performance' can be given.)

To give further emphasis and force to this theme, I came to the conclusion that all the Love Arms should be made to light up using electricity and emit a powerful, electrically amplified sound. This concept evolved through my study of the history of pop music and the electric guitar, one of the great American cultural inventions of the 20th century. From the visual perspective, I regard 'images of America encountered in Japan' is an important theme in the Love Arm series." - the-rotators.com

Love Arm 3
"In the same way as Love Arm 2, install 'Disco Ball Arm' with a special strap. The special feature of it is a pear shaped mirror ball with a diameter of 180 mm. A Makita 9.6 V drill painted with wood grain texture and an Ibanez electric guitar pickup is mounted on a 16 mm silver metal plated steel pipe and out puts 'Real machine sound'. The non-stage transmission model drill, together with movement of the disco ball synchronized to the player's direct emotion, enables free expression. Furthermore, by grabbing onto the rotating part and adding load, it squeaks in high tone creating a melody as if someone is sobbing. It is also possible (manually) to flash lights to go with the music. Connecting Makita drill machine, an item essential to rock music as a symbol of speed and power, with a disco ball symbolic to dance music, it is all brought together in a Mods' decorative scooter technique way." - the-rotators.com

Love Arm 4
"The first Love Arm that can be held in one hand. It weighs approx. 3.5 Kg, equivalent to the normal electric guitar. Rawlings Big Stick baseball bat is used for its basic structure. At the tip is a battery operated flashing light, at the head part a spring unit and battery compartment box, and at the grip end one jack is installed for sound out put. To play Love Arm 4 you can boost up the out-put and just swing, lightly hit the stage or the ceiling, or just throws it when you get on the groove. The vibration of the spring will transform into a sound like crushing rocks or an explosion. It is structured to enjoy feedback sounds different from regular electric guitar sounds by turning up the volume of the amplifier." - the-rotators.com

Artwork - The Rotators - Artwork
Website - Ujino + The Rotators

Graphite Music + Magic Mates

Graphite is used again as a resistor in the optical theremin circuit. This time a contact is placed on a 'Magic Mate', which ocsillates back and forth (moving the contact back and forth across the graphite contact). The 'Magic Mate' is voice/sound activated; when activated it talks, lights up, and moves. When the device hears a sound it turns on two LEDs; these LEDs could be replaced with relays, etc to turn other devices on or off.

Here is an images of the top side of the 'Magic Mate', the contact is connected through a srcew hole on the outer rotating ring.
This images show the location of the small contact of the right.
This is the altered drawing surface after the movements.
Here is a video of the device + the sound circuit in action:

Drawing Restraint 10 - Matthew Barney

All images from + for more see: Drawing Restraint

Music + Movement

Schillinger's research has been summarised as: "...music is a form of movement. Any phyiscal action or process has its equivalent form of expression in music. Both movement and music are understandable with our existing knowledge of science." 'Schillinger System' - wikipedia.org.By giving a device movement; a device is able to then produce sound. A machine with contacts/sensors can move around an area connecting + disconnecting graphite traces. As it moves different sounds are produced, it could also create new graphite lines as it moves. Eventually these line begin to overlap creating new graphite resistors + points of contact.

Some problems arise: the graphite lines have to be consistant + have an appropriate weight. The line works the best when it is drawn dark + wide.

If graphite lines are drawn on a rotating disk, where a contact is placed at the center + another on the inner portions, as it moves different resistances are applied. The sound, caused by the varying resistances, will cycle through and through.

Graphite + Theremin + Rhythm

A number of short lines of varying length are attached to a main line. One contact is placed on the main line, the other is moved up and down, perpendicular to the short lines; the spacing between the lines creates a rhythm + changes in pitch. The contacts easily connect the circuit through the graphite without alot of pressure. A problem may be wearing away of the graphite lines after repetitive use.

Here is a video of the effect:

Graphite + Theremin Circuit

Graphite acts as a resistor; the longer a line is drawn the more resistance is created. The theremin circuit produces sound, which changes pitch based on varying amounts of resistance. By moving the two contacts various places on the graphite line different pitches are created.Here is a video of the effect:

Speaker + 9-volt + Spring

Here is an experiment, based on the ideas of speaker scratching from the book, "Handmade Electronic Music" - Collins, 2006. I have attached the 9-volt battery to the cone of the speaker; the speaker ground attaches to the negative terminal of the battery, and the speakers positive is attached the spring. When the spring is placed above + touching the positive terminal of the battery, the speaker is activated. Sound is produced. The speaker cone oscillates up and down causing enough vibration to connect + disconnect the circuit at the positive terminal + spring. This combo allows for a simple device that creates its own beat.
Here is a short video clip of the effect:

Schillinger's Solution, 1931

"I propose to develop, with the aid of the theremin, projects for various machines for the automatic composition of music. L.S. Theremin considers such machines entirely feasible.... Under such conditions, musical works can be broadcast over the radio at the same time that they are being composed by the machine. The final aim of this work is to construct a synthetic machine capable of works of a higher order and with a greater degree of perfection than is accessible to living composers. The machine will be given only a general physico-mathematical idea, and the execution will proceed automatically." 'The Ether Wave Salon', pg. 134-135, "Theremin: Ether, Music, and Espionage" - Glinsky, 2000.

Schillinger proposes a device capable of composing music, these machines will produce beat, rhythm, tone, pitch, etc. on their own (with the help of an operator, "music engineer"). He saw the work of Theremin as the beginning of the "...second half of the history of music." Schillinger desired a shift from traditional towards a new age of electronic instruments, these ideas, most likely, stemed from his believe that, "...in an age of technology, art forms should be engineered and executed with the same scientific rigor and formulas as the building of bridges or skyscapers -- taking advantage of the latest scientific tools." pg. 131, Glinsky, 2000.

There is the possibility to produce a theremin-type device to control and/or be controlled by itself and others. A machine begins to play itself, other devices begin to play the machine. A possible objective is to produce a device that responds to the sounds/movements it is creating, the machine then feeds itself. Variety could be introduced into the system through other external devices/sensors/movements, etc.

"Cartoon by Perrault, France, about 1927: "In 50 Years -- Professor Theremin synthesizing himself, plays the finale of 'Faust' before applauding machines who will henceforth replace the audience at the Opera." Schillinger Theremin Collection, Arthur Friedheim Library, Peabody Institute, Baltimore." Glinksy, 2000.

Joseph Faber's Talking Head

"Euphonia" (Joseph Faber's Talking Head)
"This machine, as recently described by writer David Lindsay, consisted of a bizarre-looking talking head that spoke in a "weird, ghostly monotone" as Faber manipulated it with foot pedals and a keyboard."

"Henry observed that sixteen levers or keys "like those of a piano" projected sixteen elementary sounds by which "every word in all European languages can be distinctly produced." A seventeenth key opened and closed the equivalent of the glottis, an aperture between the vocal cords. 'The plan of the machine is the same as that of the human organs of speech, the several parts being worked by strings and levers instead of tendons and muscles.'"

Image + Text from:
Laputan Logic - Mr. Faber's Amazing Talking Head

Live Video + Jitter

Here is a schematic of the Jitter patch used to invert the video feed back and forth at given time intervals. The patch displays the video at a 2 milli-seconds refresh rate. The video feed is then duplicated + inverted; this creates two live video outputs, one untouched, the other inverted. A timer + switch are used to change the video output back + forth. After a given amount of time, the 'metro' activates a switch changing the video output from normal to inverted or vice-versa. The video is then outputted to a seperate full screen window for projection.

In the image below the time intervals are 8000 (8 seconds) + 5000 (5 seconds); so the video output will be 5 seconds of inverted video and 8 seconds of untouched video. This output will continue to cycle back + forth.
Equipment - max/msp + Jitter + Camera + Computer + Projector

max/msp demo download:
cycling74

MTL Presentation #2

Here are some images of the space/installation.
Looking over wall form the side.
Entering into the space/installation.
Projection within the space/installation.
Looking through transparent structure.
Looking over the wall from the side, lights out.

MTL Presentation

Presentation - Lights Out
Video - Lights Out + Sound

The Pneumatic/Electronic Installation

The pneumatic wall that the RPI group brought from NY had a strong sense of progression, and we decided early on that we should use this to our advantage. The space that we were working in at Concordia was a room typically used for blue screen filming and effects; the stark white walls and curved corners allowed for a more interesting niche at the end of our wall. As the pneumatic wall was curved on various planes, the walls of the room complemented this greatly.

The structure and the electrical components changed throughout the workshop, and this evolution informed our overall concept. The wall was therefore seen as an autonomous, living entity.

The pneumatic itself consisted of two separate air chambers, which allowed for the wall to curve in one of two directions, depending on the which side was inflated. An optical sensor and relay were connected to two vacuums, and as the projected light changed, the relay switched on one or the other vacuum. Each hose was connected to one of the separate air systems; when one air source was off and the other on, the wall gently curved.

As the wall curved, it set of a variety of sensors - some of which were connected to the elmonic-theramin creation, and others to the keys of the electronic typewriter. As elmo's sensors were set off, the motor rotated, and the sound of the theramin oscillated accordingly. A voice-distortion kit was wired into elmo to abstract his words, allowing for only a few distinguishable words each time he spoke.
The key sensors of the electronic typewriter served to record the movement of the wall, but also as the opus of the entity. The magnetic tape head and tape were connected to the typewriter, and played distorted music as the machine completed a line and returned to the beginning.
A video camera was set to record the typing, and projected in real-time the footage. We worked with some basic computer-programming to switch the footage from it's original black and white state to the inverse (negative) - ultimately white background with black text, to a black background with white text. The optical sensor connected to the relay was positioned to sense the light output from the projector, and informed the vacuums that inflated each side.
Ultimately, the electronics were used so that they could interact with the pneumatic, and conceptually come full circle to allow the installation to act as one, autonomous piece. ~Chelsea Grant, lpb: studio documentation and reflection 2006