Jonathan’s sculpting work on the installation

March 24, 2010 | Filed Under Installation Art, Music Composition, Sound Sculpture | Leave a Comment 

Here are some photos of Jonathan Snow’s work so far on Recycled Sound.  He is still going to do more work grinding and adding a clear coat.  He’s welding in brackets for the motors tonight, so I snapped a few pix.

Here is the top (inside) part of the center sculpture that will house the brain of the project (Arduinos with transmitters and a digital compass):

Here is the base it is mounted on (blurry pic, but you get the idea):

Here is the center sculpture with the rotating top in place:

And here is a picture of one of the surrounding sculptures:

recycled sound setup

March 22, 2010 | Filed Under Blog, Installation Art, Music Composition, Sound Sculpture, physical computing | Leave a Comment 

[I will edit this post soon to be more detailed]

I am posting my scratchy sketch of the pitches I am using for Recycled Sound. Click on the picture to see a larger version. Branches with two notes means it will alternate between the two pitches (it should should like it is always progressing between two chords). The purple wiggly lines indicate the ratchet sound makers.

Here is a picture of the electronics and the sound makers in a very small version of the circle they will be in:

soldering and soldering and soldering and . . .

March 22, 2010 | Filed Under Installation Art, Music Composition, Sound Sculpture, art, physical computing | Leave a Comment 

I have been doing a great deal of soldering the past week (all day, every day). Here’s are the arduinos and optoisolated transistor circuits:

Next is the main unit for the center sculpture = a unit housing two atmega328 chips (“two arduinos”) using the same clocking crystal, two RF transmitters and one digital compass.  The atmega328 chips have different programs on them and one of them controls the other.  I am showing the breadboard version next to the final perfboard soldered version (I haven’t pushed in the atmega328 chips in the perfboard yet):

Next is the arduino with RF receiver.  I am showing three versions = the commercial arduino, the breadboard arduino, and my perfboard arduino:

Here is another picture of all of the units together:

construction of sounds for Recycled Sound

March 22, 2010 | Filed Under Blog, Installation Art, Music Composition, Sound Sculpture, physical computing | Leave a Comment 

Here are some pictures of the construction of the “sound makers” for Recycled Sound. I took apart an old set of student bells (used by junior high students learning to play keyboard percussion) and constructed something to hold a motor with a chain attached.  When the motor turns, the chain hits the bell (it sounds like an old telephone – but specifically pitched).  The other objects I made sound like a very loud ratchet.  The pipe extension amplifies the sound (they do not really have any particular pitch).  Other motors with chains will be mounted to the sculptures Jonathon is making – they should all sound a bit different.

optoisolator

March 22, 2010 | Filed Under Installation Art, Music Composition, Sound Sculpture, art, physical computing | Leave a Comment 

I changed the optoisolator circuit I used in the light-box project I did after doing some more datasheet research for this installation piece.  I’m just going to post a labeled picture rather than a circuit diagram (due to time).  I’m also posting a picture of a soldered finished product (with two optoisolators).  This circuit turns powers a 12V motor with a 12V battery controlled from a 5V arduino board (separated by an optoisolator in order to make sure the 12V cannot reach the arduino). This circuit works great with PWM output of the arduino = very smooth and responsive.