This is a demo video covering some of my electronic works from 2011-2013. These are images of some of the circuitbent work that I had created over the years, which I performed with onstage and sold as custom commissions.
Early Electronics Works
Monolith Synth with Teensy Microcontrollers
For the 2017 Bay Area Maker Faire, Paul Stoffregen of Teensy Microcontrollers was contacted by Kickstarter to be a part of their group exhibit. Paul had successfully kickstarted his new Teensy 3.6, and wanted to build an interactive display that helped to showcase some of its possibilities. Stoffregen contacted me from LadyBrain Studios, Ross Fish of Moffenzeef Modular, Ben Davis of Malekko to build an interactive synthesizer to take to the Bay Area Maker Faire. Together we, created a multifunctional synthesizer we called the ‘Monolith Synth’.
Check out this detailed post on the DorkBotPDX page with links to the design files for this project. https://dorkbotpdx.org/node/1274
This was the display card included with the demos
We had less than a month to complete the build project, but with the other talented members on the team we were able to create a durable and collaborative synth in time for the Bay Area Maker Faire.
The kids at the event had a blast interacting with the monolith synthesizer.
We won a ‘best in class’ award for our creation, which we didn’t think much of at first, but apparently they only handed out one of those types of awards per building at the event.
LED matrix video wall installation
In summer ’16 I was commissioned to create a large-scale led matrix video wall installation to accompany steel plasma cut sculpture by Michael Christopher Matson. I created a ~4’x8′ led matrix. The LEDs are controlled with 4 Fadecandies on a raspberry pi with a HDMI touchscreen interface. The panel was initially milled with a CNC machine to get even spacing, and the touchscreen is enclosed in a parametric 3d printed case. Construction and raspberry pi configuration was done by me, and the video controller and touchscreen interface by Daniel Bornhorst.
https://www.facebook.com/neal.darcy/posts/10154612364184187?pnref=story
LadyBrain Studio Begins…
In early 2015, myself and Haley Moore joined forces to co-found Lady Brain Studios, which specializes in interactive electronics and lighting design, and any other props with an emphasis on physical computing and immersive lighting. We collaborated together on the many projects including the Universal Death cube for Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips.
Dallas Observer Article about LadyBrain Studios
Commissioned Lighting Installation for the MAC Gallery
In 2013, I was commissioned by Jenny Vogel to figure out how to build a programmable light sequencer installation at the MAC gallery. Her vision was to be able to control the lights with morse code to deliver a message to the audience. I had to devise a system that would work with the
limitations of the gallery space and power regulations. We achieved this by building her a series of customizable lighting control units for her project. The lighting units were designed to be motion triggered to respond in morse code for a 3 month-long installation.http://the-mac.org/2013/12/art-talk-with-jenny-vogel-121813/
This was the completed installation with relay units and Arduino interface connected.
Footage of the custom lighting control relay units being tested, which I housed in custom laser-cut cases.
Testing out the modules and code for the installation.
Discrete TV-B-Gone
This is my interpretation of the Tv-B-Gone, originally developed by Cornfield Electronics. This was a very fun project to build. I have produced several different versions of this device, all of which are housed with very discrete packaging, so that bystanders will not realize where the remote signal is coming from. The display case folds up nicely into a suitcase, which comes equipped with a shoulder strap, so this can be displayed on the go.
Another view of the display case. These particular devices were hidden inside of cigarette packages. (Only the additive free varieties, of course)
This is some of the circuitboards for the tv-b-gones. The circuitboards were hand-etched.
This is another prototype for a cigarette case being used as a disguise. All components would be hidden inside the metal case, so that there would be no components showing when the lid was closed.