[sdiy] Popcorn Noise Generator?

[Glen]

At 10:14 PM 7/8/2005, harrybissell wrote:

>how about start with white noise, then rub it into an active diode
>section biased so that only peaks above a DC level would be passed.
>
>Those peaks would still be analog (of varying amplitude) but would become
>less frequent as the DC level was increased.
>
>alternately you could get an old Gershon Kingsley record and have some
>REAL popcorn noise...
>
>H^) harry

What about feeding white noise through a narrow window comparator? That 
would make all the spikes the same amplitude, but is that really what we 
would want, if trying to generate popcorn noise?

What about a weak radioactive source, and a Geiger Mueller tube?

What about sampling the voltage drop across a blinky neon lamp?

I'm just wondering. I have to admit that I'm not totally sure what isolated 
popcorn noise sounds like. I've heard a few audio amps which popped and 
cracked due to a circuit failure, but I don't know if that's really popcorn 
noise.

Does anyone have a reference wav sample of the stuff?

thanks,
Glen