Dorkbot.detroit 04

4 Sept2005

Signal Processing Chain

The idea of the signal processing chain is to have an audio source that will send an audio signal to a person with a device that can manipulate sound. That person's signal would then be passed to the next person and so on. Could we control the audio? Would it be just noise? How many people could we get to show up? At the fourth dorkbot we gave it a shot and a great time doing it. It was held at Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, MI on the day before Labor Day, 2005.

There was a total of seven participants. The devices that they brought ranged from Flanger pedals, Echo Boxes, cordless telephones, to digital effects processors. We tried different audio sources - electric keyboards, voice, and AM Radio - to explore which source had the best sound qualities and dynamic range to produce a quality audio piece.

To hear what each person was contributing to the audio output, each participant introduced their effects to the audio chain one by one starting from as minimal of an effect as their device would let them get. We also attempted to see how the overall sound would be ny just having certain portions of the chain manipulating the audio, while others went as minimal as possible.

Phase One Participants were (in order on the chain):

Jeff Karolski - www.woodcheese.com
Brian Schorn - www.circulus.com
Diesel Sam - www.phallusuberalles.net
Remy - www.phallusuberalles.net
Sarah Stopera
Curtis Paul - www.abusedcurrent.org
Charlie Pearson - www.proletariats.com

non-chain participant:

Jason Engling - bubblegone.cycylene.com

 

Be on the watch for more signal processing chains as we are going to give it a few more tries.

Below are couple audio samples from the session. Have a listen.

Selection 01 - Slow build up from the beginning of the chain and then back down.

Selection 02 - Slow build up from the end of the chain and then back down.

Selection 03 - A bit of the drums and radio.

Selection 04 - A bit of pop

 

Photos of the session.