Audio Modulated Thunder Music Pleases Thor
March 29, 2009 9:44 PM Subscribe
Perhaps the most apt instrument to use to perform The Imperial March - in response to the Dr. Who theme on the singing tesla coils. From Faraday suited DJs at ArkAttack.
You know who else used a Faraday suit? Dr. Megavolt! And Electrobot!
(also power linemen and engineers in the course of their work...still, these guys make music)
You know who else used a Faraday suit? Dr. Megavolt! And Electrobot!
(also power linemen and engineers in the course of their work...still, these guys make music)
They need to cover Electric Avenue.
posted by Foosnark at 9:53 PM on March 29, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Foosnark at 9:53 PM on March 29, 2009 [1 favorite]
Now, see, if Vader had offered THIS to Luke as one of the benefits of the Dark Side, well, things would have just ended up a lot different.
posted by WolfDaddy at 10:04 PM on March 29, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by WolfDaddy at 10:04 PM on March 29, 2009 [3 favorites]
Now we just need a video of the Emperor bored in his chair...sighs a couple of times since nothing is going on...and all of a sudden he starts playing the Imperial Theme with his fingertips.
Come on Internet, you can do it.
posted by Chan at 10:18 PM on March 29, 2009 [2 favorites]
Come on Internet, you can do it.
posted by Chan at 10:18 PM on March 29, 2009 [2 favorites]
I hope no one figures out how to use this for evil. Immediately.
posted by griphus at 10:27 PM on March 29, 2009 [4 favorites]
posted by griphus at 10:27 PM on March 29, 2009 [4 favorites]
I just want to say that this made the ysalamiri in my pants wiggle a bit.
posted by Avenger at 10:36 PM on March 29, 2009
posted by Avenger at 10:36 PM on March 29, 2009
I'm so tired of the movement to reclaim the words nerd/geek. But in moments like this, when a man uses a machine that shoots lightening to play the imperial march, my blood stirs. A primal, nerdy rhythm beats in my veins. I'm not sure if it's the quarter million volts rushing down his metal suit, or the ultimate battle hymn playing. I do know this is a man I would follow into battle to fight the good fight for nerds everywhere.
posted by JimmyJames at 10:52 PM on March 29, 2009 [5 favorites]
posted by JimmyJames at 10:52 PM on March 29, 2009 [5 favorites]
I think the most apt instrument would be some kind of pulsed laser. But this is pretty damn cool.
posted by hattifattener at 10:59 PM on March 29, 2009
posted by hattifattener at 10:59 PM on March 29, 2009
Nooooooooooo.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:20 PM on March 29, 2009
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:20 PM on March 29, 2009
Clearly, they have to adapt this to live performances of EBM...
posted by markkraft at 11:53 PM on March 29, 2009
posted by markkraft at 11:53 PM on March 29, 2009
Damn, and I thought playing it on the bass clarinet was cool.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 12:48 AM on March 30, 2009
posted by furiousxgeorge at 12:48 AM on March 30, 2009
I know I say it a lot and therefore it reduces its impact, but that was awesome.
posted by slimepuppy at 3:47 AM on March 30, 2009
posted by slimepuppy at 3:47 AM on March 30, 2009
Some lunatic neighbour I once had (who claimed he could see electrons) told me that he made a Tesla Coil door bell, that when activated a huge arc would extend shockingly yet harmlessly onto the visitor's head.
posted by mattoxic at 4:05 AM on March 30, 2009
posted by mattoxic at 4:05 AM on March 30, 2009
I freely admit that I know absolutely zilch about electrical engineering, so I'm just trying to figure out the ultra-simplified kindergarten version of how this thing works. My understanding is that there's a MIDI controller sending signals to the Tesla coil. In response to those signals, the Tesla coil shoots out bolts of lightning at preset frequencies (?) and the "zaps" come out as the appropriate notes. Am I anywhere close to correct?
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:37 AM on March 30, 2009
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:37 AM on March 30, 2009
I freely admit that I know absolutely zilch about electrical engineering, so I'm just trying to figure out the ultra-simplified kindergarten version of how this thing works.
It's basically the world's worst speaker. ;-)
A basic Tesla Coil has a primary with few turns, and a secondary with thousands, both carefully tuned to resonance. Faraday's law tells us that a changing magnetic field will induce a changing electrical current in another coil (and vice versa.) So, in a basic coil, a rotary spark gap is uses to switch DC on and off rapidly in the primary, which induces current in the secondary, which is discharged through the terminal.
Transistors are much better switches, but until recently, they weren't able to handle the power (at least, not ones that mere humans could afford) -- indeed, Vacuum tubes are still around in very high power applications, such as radio transmission.
However, modern IGBTs and MOSFETs are much better. So, you drop the input voltage a bit, and use a IGBT to switch the coil on and off. With a rotary spark gap, you could only vary the frequency slowly, but with a transistor, changing the switching rate is almost instantaneous. You already have a circuit that sends low voltage pulses to the IGBT's gate to trigger the HV pulse. You then replace that with a box that generates a series of very high frequency pulses, and then modulates an audio signal onto that, and you have a Zeusaphone.
posted by eriko at 5:33 AM on March 30, 2009 [12 favorites]
It's basically the world's worst speaker. ;-)
A basic Tesla Coil has a primary with few turns, and a secondary with thousands, both carefully tuned to resonance. Faraday's law tells us that a changing magnetic field will induce a changing electrical current in another coil (and vice versa.) So, in a basic coil, a rotary spark gap is uses to switch DC on and off rapidly in the primary, which induces current in the secondary, which is discharged through the terminal.
Transistors are much better switches, but until recently, they weren't able to handle the power (at least, not ones that mere humans could afford) -- indeed, Vacuum tubes are still around in very high power applications, such as radio transmission.
However, modern IGBTs and MOSFETs are much better. So, you drop the input voltage a bit, and use a IGBT to switch the coil on and off. With a rotary spark gap, you could only vary the frequency slowly, but with a transistor, changing the switching rate is almost instantaneous. You already have a circuit that sends low voltage pulses to the IGBT's gate to trigger the HV pulse. You then replace that with a box that generates a series of very high frequency pulses, and then modulates an audio signal onto that, and you have a Zeusaphone.
posted by eriko at 5:33 AM on March 30, 2009 [12 favorites]
I love how the fluorescent light hanging from the ceiling to his right reacts to the, um.. ambient electric field (did I get that right, engineers?)
posted by pyrex at 5:59 AM on March 30, 2009
posted by pyrex at 5:59 AM on March 30, 2009
I saw these guys in Austin at our First Night festival. When they set up in darkness it's indeed impressive. That Popcorn tune? Perfect.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:23 AM on March 30, 2009
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:23 AM on March 30, 2009
Inevitably, someone's going to incorporate this into a home Mannheim-Steamroller christmas display just so they can post it on YouTube.
Energy crisis? What energy crisis?
posted by Restless Day at 7:14 AM on March 30, 2009
Energy crisis? What energy crisis?
posted by Restless Day at 7:14 AM on March 30, 2009
Did anybody else read eriko's message and get a >DUMMY MODE ON< event? Seriously, Erik could tell me to go plug a fork into an outlet to increase it's frequency and I might do it.
posted by cavalier at 7:29 AM on March 30, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by cavalier at 7:29 AM on March 30, 2009 [3 favorites]
THAT IS THE COOLEST THING IN THE HISTORY OF EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE EVER
I MEAN REALLY WOW THAT
FUCK YES \o/
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 8:15 AM on March 30, 2009 [1 favorite]
I MEAN REALLY WOW THAT
FUCK YES \o/
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 8:15 AM on March 30, 2009 [1 favorite]
No screaming "UN-LI-MI-TED POOOOWERRRRRR!"?
I'm disappointed.
posted by PlusDistance at 8:16 AM on March 30, 2009
I'm disappointed.
posted by PlusDistance at 8:16 AM on March 30, 2009
Now I can die happy.
posted by The Whelk at 8:20 AM on March 30, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by The Whelk at 8:20 AM on March 30, 2009 [1 favorite]
When these guys go on tour with Kraftwerk I am so there. This is pretty awesome.
posted by GuyZero at 8:45 AM on March 30, 2009
posted by GuyZero at 8:45 AM on March 30, 2009
you have a Zeusaphone
You sir have a future in marketing.
posted by GuyZero at 8:46 AM on March 30, 2009
You sir have a future in marketing.
posted by GuyZero at 8:46 AM on March 30, 2009
Also, I'm pretty sure this rendition of the Mario theme is what the robot overlord celebration is going to look like once humanity the fleshy meatbags have been enslaved/exterminated.
posted by slimepuppy at 9:06 AM on March 30, 2009
posted by slimepuppy at 9:06 AM on March 30, 2009
Frakkin' A!
posted by humannaire at 12:06 PM on March 30, 2009
posted by humannaire at 12:06 PM on March 30, 2009
you have a Zeusaphone
a.k.a. a Thoremin.
posted by Doktor Zed at 4:31 PM on March 30, 2009 [1 favorite]
a.k.a. a Thoremin.
posted by Doktor Zed at 4:31 PM on March 30, 2009 [1 favorite]
I have been thinking about building a theremin.
Now I see the scope of my thinking is WAY too small.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:55 PM on March 30, 2009 [1 favorite]
Now I see the scope of my thinking is WAY too small.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:55 PM on March 30, 2009 [1 favorite]
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posted by pombe at 9:51 PM on March 29, 2009