[sdiy] Video-synth DIY ?

Wed Jun 29 14:36:25 CEST 2005

Hi CJ,
I am currently working with "Lovid" as more or less an intern.
http://www.ignivomous.org/projects/lovid/index.html
We are actually building a modular synth that will interface with both
audio and video (including a few of Ray Wilsons designs).
The video aspect of it is quite new to me, but fascinating.

One fun thing:
A Ray Wilson dual VCA hooked up to an encoder chip and a sync chip and a TV
monitor such that the when the CV input sees a voltage the image on the
screen is turned from black to fully saturated blue (or red or green) in a
continuous, analog transformation, either linear or expo depending on which
CV input you use.  There was a little bit of artifacting perhaps because
some of the parts couldn't quite make it to the speed necessary for clean
operation, but it was a very satisfying early step.

Best,
Rafael

              Metrophage <c0r3dump23 at yahoo.com>                                                                                        
                                                          To:                                         synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl      
              Sent by:                                    cc:                                                                          
              owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl           Subject:   [sdiy] Video-synth DIY ?                                          

              Tuesday June 28, 2005 11:56 AM                                                                                           

Does/ has anybody here tinkered with making video synths or processors?

I have been interested in video art for most of my life, but it has
always been an elusive thing. The hardware was never widely produced.
The classic works of the medium are not readily distributed for people
to see. Years ago I got to see some analog video work from Nam June
Paik, Ed Emshwiller, Dan Sandin, and others - these made a lasting
impact on the ways I think about video.

I am aware that video signals run faster, with the various components
synchronized together. What I have read on the topic at
AudioVisualizers and other sites is not terribly specific about
implementation. A lot of the older systems (circa 1968-1974) appeared
to be analog modular (audio) synths which had interfaces hacked into
video scan modulators, ramp generators, etc. Lots of emphasis on
oscillators being "phase locked", which I'd guess is like hard sync?

Thinking ahead, since I will have a few panels together this year, I am
wondering how I can interface these to video gear. My computers are not
fast enough for most video stuff I have tried, and I am less inspired
by the After Effects and Arkaos ways of doing things. NATO or Jitter
would be fun, but are too expensive for me now, and I'd need a faster
computer. So I am determined to learn more about video synth DIY. I
currently have way too much stuff on my plate to fix, mod, and build -
so I will start messing around with this stuff next year.

I'd be more than psyched to hear of anybody's experiences with such
things!
CJ

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