Theremin Sampler Watch
2004/2011
The original version of the watch told the time as well and was exhibited at Todd Baily’s Chicago Nerd Battle at Deadtech 2004. The concept was to bring the “Art of Noise” into common space and to integrate Avante-Garde practice into the everyday. Take it to class, on a date, while your driving. You get the idea.
The landscape of sound art and noise continues to expand into popular media, art institutions, and the hobby space. As well, the resurgence of synthesizers has brought the concept forward and it is no longer very radical but in the early 2000s, the internet had not yet provided a window for the layman noise freak and I felt like it was my duty to spread the word from the grassroots.
PWM Tone Generator
2015
I built an instrument to help design other instruments. Its primary use is to help find the fundamental resonant frequencies and optimal PWM of ferrous (iron) metal objects. With an electromagnet at its output, it can induce vibration in objects such as metal tines, metal prongs, metal strings, and metal membranes. It is a square wave oscillator with pulse width modulation which means that you can change the percentage of on and off time of a single cycle in a square wave output. With an LCD readout, I can make notes to help me design driver coils, metal resonators, etc. I also made the variable power supply below which is fed into the generators power input and enables it to have a variable voltage output to the attached magnet.
Floating Pickup
2014
The box houses a pickup and the electronics of a standard electric guitar. I use the device to try alternate pickup positions and to make a standard electric guitar stereo for recordings. I have also used it in performances to pick up the low-frequency pulses emitting from the solenoid coils of my robotic percussion. Its another fun all around experimenting instrument with many uses.
The Muckrakor
2003
8-bit sampler, acrylic chassis with custom and circuit bent electronics from Yamaha VSS-30
Random Tone Generator
1998
Collection of light modulated circuit bent sound generators housed in a plastic bowling ball. The gooseneck lamp is made from a weird tail light that I found at a truck stop.