Following on from my research into Darsha Hewitt, I proceeded to watch her 10 part series ‘Sideman 5000 adventure.’ In episode 8 she uses a talking robot made of parts found in the trash to explain the process of synthesis. She demonstrates how sound is produced via the sideman using a y band oscillator, patching the output of the oscillator into an oscilloscope. What caught my attention was the way in which the oscilloscope allows you to visualise electronic currents and frequencies.
Combining sound and visual art in a reciprocative way using oscilloscopes is super intriguing, however “What sounds good doesn’t necessarily look good and great images mostly just make ear-deafening noises” according to sound artist Jerobeam Fenderson. Looking into his work its clear that hes developed some sort of vocabulary of sonic data that informs the image in ways that are understandable to the human eye. Some of his work even looking like literal wireframe drawings.
A quick look into Lissajous-mode oscilloscope generation shows how some of this can be done, graphing the visualisation of the sound on an X/Y plot. Watching a how to video by Jerobeam gave me further insight into how the actual shapes were made. Making a simple circle involves using the left channel for horizontal and right for vertical deflection, adding a sine and cosine wave to each one respectively. By increasing or decreasing the volume of both channels one can alter the shape of this circle. Adding a sawtooth wave to the right channel results in a spiral… and so on and so forth. As well as an idea for future sound experiments, it also seems like a great way to better understand the nature of different sound waves.
I wonder what the limitations are with this fascinating practice of running audio through an oscilloscope.
References
“This 3D Oscilloscope Drawing Music Might Make Your Brain Fall Out – CDM Create Digital Music.” CDM Create Digital Music, 10 June 2015, cdm.link/2015/06/watch-oscilloscope-draw-3d-make-amazing-music-time/. Accessed 20 Jan. 2021.