Subsonic Death Rays (was Re: day job)

[Sean Costello]

Magnus Danielson wrote:
 
> Hmm, this would surely make a neat sub-base. Set it up with a 6 Hz
> sinewave, sit down on it and save yourself a ride on the ammusement
> park. As you hit the self-resonance you would basically go accutely
> very sick and damn yourself for comming up with this idea. It could
> also be a very cruel prank on a colleague, but I advice against such
> things.

Speaking of which, does anyone on this list know anything about the
subsonic death ray that France supposedly developed?  This is the sort
of weird rumor that tends to be circulated among insane musician
circles, so I figured someone on this list might know about it. :) It
might actually have been a real item; it supposedly generated a highly
directional beam of sound at an extremely high amplitude, around 7 Hz -
the "resonant frequency of the body," so as to turn your innards to
jello.  If such a device was actually developed, my guess would be that
it worked by using ultrasonic sound, and relying on the beat frequency
between two sound sources.  Example: use two ultra-powerful tweeter
horns, one at 100,000 Hz, one at 100,007 Hz.  

Anyone know anything about this?  If it was brought up in William S.
Burroughs' interview of Jimmy Page, it HAS to be true. :)

Sean Costello

P.S.  For a slightly more useful application along the same lines, see
the description of the "Audio Spotlight" at
http://sound.media.mit.edu/~pompei/spotlight/.

P.P.S.  I think that more emails should have the phrase "Death Ray" in
the title.