Photos From The Video Workshop

The video workshop Alex and I gave was one of the best I have delivered, all 15 attendees got to take home a working CHA/V module they built in the class, it's a hacked VGA signal generator that basically allows you to build a simple video synth by adding some home brew or off the shelf oscillators. We had a great mix of attendees and they were all from really interesting backgrounds and super engaged. Alex as usual did a nicely paced video synthesis tutorial and I then lead the theory and building part of the class. We rounded up with Alex leading a discussion around historical video synthesis work and then proceeded to enjoy the evening concerts that were also part of the fantastic Brighton modular meet. (Pics 3+9 here are from Fabrizio D'Amico who runs Video Hack Space) Thanks to Andrew for organising the amazing meet which hosted the workshop, Matt for making our panels last minute, George for helping us out on the day and Steve from Thonk for supplying some components for the kits.

Gieskes 3TrinsRGB1

Gieskes has come out with a lovely little closed architecture video synthesizer with a small break out bread board which opens up the whole thing to more interesting exploitation. Beautiful stuff.

http://gieskes.nl/instruments/?file=3TrinsRGB1

Analogue Video Workshop

So the Video Workshop went really well, we are planning to do more but I also have a bunch of other related projects going on at the moment, so if you want to host one send me an email and I am sure we could work something out. I currently have a diy sync-gen on the workbench and have been generating a lot of footage, theres nothing like meeting a bunch of people and getting them enthusiastic about video art to scare you into finishing some of your own work. Thanks to all who were involved in putting the workshop on including Encounters, Seeing Sound, Arnolfini and Bath Spa University.

oh yeah and one of the attendees wrote us a very nice review, which I think is a really kind thing I should do more often when I go to talks.
http://mydylarama.org.uk/spip.php?article252

Here are two shots of Alex's video synthesis lesson.

Gieskes Oscillatoscope1

So as usual Gieskes has come out with something cool the Oscillatoscope1
http://gieskes.nl/visual-equipment/?file=oscillatoscope1#p10

William Stuart Systems Videograph

Interesting advert for a William Stuart Systems Videograph, a DIY visualizer kit that displays sound in colour. I have seen many of this type of circuit but not that many in colour. William Stuart Systems seem to have produced a lot of interesting peripherals for the ZX Spectrum,  if anyone has an unbuilt kit laying around or knows where I can pick one up let me know ;)

::vtol:: tv404

::vtol:: tv404 is an video glitch synth specially designed to be shared through workshops.

http://samoletuvvp.narod.ru/vto/diy/tv404.html

Caleb Bradley Simple Cross-Hatch & Dot Generator

Here is some scans of a 70s kit for a simple cross-hatch and dot generator, It picks up it's synchronisation directly from the television line output stage, so will probably only function correctly with a valve set. I left the IC's in their packet.

I cant decide weather to build it up in a historically sympathetic way or leave it box fresh :>

DIY Micro Video Transmitter Workshop

on the 17th of this fine month I attended a DIY micro video transmitter workshop hosted by Ryan Jordan and run by Kyle Evans of Cracked Ray Tube, The design was based on one produced by Tetsuo Kogawa and continually developed as part of his practice. Kyle also uses this circuit in his work to great effect to derive perfectly imperfect images and abstract raw colour video signal in to new jagged forms. Everyone at the workshop got to make and try a transmitter and we even used two at once. The design is really simple and purposefully unstable to allow artistic exploitation of it's properties.

anyone with limited soldering skills could produce one of these devices easily and it was great fun tuning it in and watching the results. The construction is also beautifully simple using the copper coated PCB material a ground plane and attaching 'tags' to the surface using more PCB material make construction fast simple and relatively interference free. If you can't get to a workshop run by Kyle (which I would recommend due to the fun and social aspect and great documentation alone) then don't fret as the low parts count  make this easy to source and build on your own. 

I was sad not to be able to stay for the live performance by Kyle,  Ryan and a host of others but alas I was halfway though moving house :<

what follow are some bad phone pics 

John Robinson's DIY Televisions

John Robinson began building televisions while in school inspired by the excellent Philips Electronic Engineer kits that I hear are viewed with great respect and were responsible for many people choosing a career in electronics. 

VIDEO MESS TOOL

Todd Michael Bailey of excellent DIY bendable sampler kit (Where's the Party At?) fame has been messing around with video !!! his Video Mess Tool and other prototypes are the first steps in to some video kits he will be releasing in the future. I for one am very exited