Electronic designs and spectulations
Small collection of recent Improbable Machines - electronic devices used to generate and manipulate sound
Listen here
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The DiY (Do-it-Yourself) ethos behind my machine-making process The ethos of inclusion and open participation is a highly visible aspect of DiY maker-culture. When we look at the image of an object which has been handmade by an amature maker, we can read the participatory ethos in the remnants of multiple faults, errors and adaptations which have occurred during its construction. Looking at a series of images of prototypes, the DiY artefact is unique as an image which speaks of the material agency involved in its creative and constructive process. In DiY electronics, for example, the evidence lies in the often haphazard processes visible in improvised and contingent making; a rewired circuit board revealing changes in functionality; the use of recycled or re-functioned objects which operate outside of their familiar contexts; An example of this can be seen in the haphazard wiring which signals a process of development which has not followed a logical and pre-planned route, but has instead been driven by contingency and exploration of material rather than strictly logical qualities. In DiY maker-culture the process is highly visible in the artefact and acts as a signifier to encourage active participation in the viewer: demonstrating to the viewer the origin and material qualities of the artefact they have in front of them. |
This haphazard form of construction also indicates a process which embodies an experimental, "When I start to make a machine, I'm never quite sure what it's going to be in the end.. It seems that whatever it is we beleive a machine or object to be, there is another force,
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".. It's almost like the process of making is an automatic process, a stream of consciousness which never pauses long enough to ask the questions that most people like to hear..like why, what or for whom I am making these machines.." Emit Snake-Beings 2018 |
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Machines set up in "BrainStawm Studios" (Port Chalmers 2018) during recording process.
Morse Code Sequencer 2018 The morse code seqencer uses stm32 ARM processors and Arduinos to sequence approximations of morse-code inspired sounds and rhythms. Sound recording live set-up -with morse code key used to 'cut-up' sound from the dictorphone.
Earlier layout of the larger device:
Making of the morse code keys:
Bingodizicator 2017 'Alive on the infinite play' festival as part of Hull, Uk city of culture July 2017.
- notebook plan of wiring. Finished Bingo-selctor device:
- The bingodizicator generates rhythms based on 1-9 beats (circular row of switches) -this feeds into a switcher box with max 7 inputs rotating at 1-7 steps, creating polyrhythmic patterns which produce bursts of sound from 7 radios, walkman, dictorphone devices which connect in.
Watch the video on the home page or listen here to the raw sounds produced. Early sketches of the suitcase design:
Close-ups of control layouts on finished device:
Seven outputs (below)
More messy process/workshop scribbles:
Axoloti Analogue Synthersizer 2016
Kledon Machine 418 - images of the device under construction (see below). Kledon is a form of divination using overheard conversations - On the insertion of a coin, the Kledon Machine selects short snippets from 7 different spoken word folders, comprising 418 x 4 second files. 3 selections are made and repeated twice
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A Dictionary of the Ancient Greek World -By David Sacks, Oswyn Murray
a type also represented by the god HERMES, the hero ... Still other forms of divination sought to find messages in dreams, in random ... listen for the god's answer delivered in the chance conversations of passersby. Oscillator 2010 |
Volume control, modulation level, switchable on/off for each oscillator. Change-over switch to allow two pitches to be set on different potentiometers   |
Built-in speaker and jack plug for amplification. Other photos of later modifications (2015):
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Suitcase Sequencer - five channel -early example of the Bingodizicator featured above (listen here)Functions: An internal oscillator controls the tempo of the electronic selector switch which selects and outputs sound from one of five 1/4" jack sockets inputs. As the sequencer operates each input channel is selected one at a time in a looping fashion.
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The five inputs can be any conventional electric instrument - guitars etc, or tape recorders, dictorfones or radios tuned to spoken-word channels
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  A red L.E.D. light shows which channel is currently selected |
 As you can imagine the sequencer produces a 5 beat rhythm rather than a 4/4 - this is one of its signitures |
