::vtol:: Ra

::vtol:: Ra from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"Ra is a sound object / synthesizer which uses laser for scanning the irregularities of the surface of the pyrite disc and further transforms this data to produce sound. Pyrite disc is a rare form of pyrite which is crystallised in radial shape (as unusual disc spherulites) which also was named ‘pyrite suns’ or ‘pyrite dollars’. The only deposit where pyrites of such morphology are found is in Illinois state (USA). Pyrite suns were formed around 300 million years ago.

more information and images - http://vtol.cc/filter/works/Ra"

"This project originated as a result of an interesting set of circumstances – a pyrite disc was given to me as a gift by a mineral seller in Boulder city (USA). Upon hearing about my works, she asked to do something with such crystal, and refused to take payment for getting it. In the same period, I was reading articles on various ways of archiving and preservation of sounds from the first, historical sources of the recorded sound – wax discs and other fragile carriers. All technologies were based on the usage of lasers. Inspired by these projects, I set out to create a self-made laser sound reader which would be able to produce sound from various uneven surfaces, using minimal resources to achive it. Thus emerged the idea to construct an instrument using the pyrite disc and a self-made laser sound reader.

The realisation of the object became possible thanks to the commission of the Sound Museum in St.-Petersburg which has it in its collection now.

I consider this object to be a landmark for me, as it united several practices and technical skills which I was working on in the last years - as well as the new resources and ideas which I approach for the first time. I.e. – creation of the synthesizers and sound objects, collecting minerals, topic of rotation, Pure Data programming, Arduino and Python, working with servo and stepper motors, raspberry pi and lasers, etc.

What is also important for me in this project is adressing the topic of occult futurology as a concept which corresponds in the best way my own artistic practices. In the first place, it can be seen in how Ra works with the perception of time – having pre-historic 'unearthly' mineral as its base, it adresses medieval times through the notion of alchemy; it also carries Bach organ motives, further bringing us to the echoes of the electronic instruments of middle of the 20th century, underlining all of this with lasers, code, noise and autonomy, all brought up in handicraft conditions."

See previous posts featuring vtol's works here on MATRIXSYNTH.

hardware:

- raspberry pi (with pure data)
- arduino nano
- diy laser pickup
- spin fv-1 dsp
- stepper motor
- servo motor
- 3W mono sound system

specification:

- line audio output
- 9 control switchers
- 10 control knobs (including envelope, filter, processors parameters and modulations)
- disk speed and direction control (via control knob)
- pickup position control
- 16 dsp fx programs