This is an instrument I brought with me from a time travel to the year 2034. ;-) This name jyotiophon (or "jiotiofono" in Esperanto, the common language of time travellers) derives from "jyoti", the sanskrit word for "light", because light is the medium this instrument employs to recognize the player's body movements to translate them into ethereal sounds. The jyotiophon is played similar like a theremin/ aetherophone (see here), but unlike the latter it works without the emission of nervous system maladjusting radio waves, because it locates the hand positions solely by light beams from integrates lamps - reflected by the player's body at the light sensors.
The instrument can make a lot of bizarre, howling tones; some resemble
a singing saw, some resemble a motor bike, others can resemble a Hawaii
guitar and many sound like distorted C64 SID sounds. Also subsonic, fat
and knocking basses, synth- toms and even bell- like metallic clangs can
be played with some skill.
Here is a close look at the analogue electronics... |
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...and here the cardboard bottom of the case. |
The other problem is that the light reflected by the hand must not interfere the sensors of other ludcirkloj, thus I had to mount the light sensors into small dark plastic tubes to make them react only when hands are directly above them. The frequency ludcirklo responds badly non- linear which makes it severely difficult to hold the pitch, because it reacts often way too sensitive when the hands miss the center of the narrow light beam. The wacky, attachable deflection mirror also doesn't make the situation really better, but just changes the left hand movement from vertical to horizontal, which is slightly less strenuous. I guess the optics would need to be reworked much to function well.
The efekto unit (ring modulator?) was made from a "robot voice" electronic
voice changer kit and the case has been made from a modified Curver
makeup tray.
not to forget: If anybody will ask you what a jyotiophon or
a theremin is, just reply:
"It's a flyolin - neither a flute, nor a violin - a flyolin!". ;-) |
removal of these screws voids warranty... | ||
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