DIY Colouriser

Here are some snaps of the colouriser I built for my DIY system based on the board from the Visualist

The Emergence of Video Processing Tools: Television Becoming Unglued

Very Exited about this one

http://kathyhigh.com/pdfs/writing-video-history/The%20Emergence%20of%20Video%20Processing%20Tools.pdf

"The Emergence of Video Processing Tools presents stories of the development of early video tools and systems designed and built by artists and technologists during the late 1960s and ’70s. They examine the intersection of art and science and look at collaborations among inventors, designers, and artists trying to create new video tools to capture and manipulate images in fascinating and revolutionary ways. The contributors include “video pioneers” who have been active since the emergence of the aesthetic and technologists who continue to design, build, and hack media tools. The book also looks at contemporary tool makers and the relationship between these new tools and the past. Video and media production is a growing area of interest in art and this collection will be an indispensable guide to its origins and its future."

The Electronic Palette

The Electronic Palette by Paul Gardener featured in Art News February 1985 is a typical article of the time that talks about electronic imaging. At the time real time computer imaging was a rare and costly proposition so the electronic artists studio (and many commercial imaging and effects suites) also contained analogue processors that offered real time image control. At the time this approach was a necessity and each section of the electronic studio used the least costly technology to achieve it's purpose because that was the path of least resistance. Digital and analogue, hardware and software sat together part of a combined work flow. I feel looking back on this approach from the point of view of the post digital electronic artists studio we can see how each technology can be valued for it's inherent qualities and physical manifestation. The physical realisation of the analogue video processor (or in fact the computer) and their interfaces both inform the artists approach and result in a unique finger print. It is futile to attempt simulation of both limitations, qualities and approach if you require the qualities of a specific technology. This is because simulation will result in a different experience for both the artist and observer as it is adding yet further layers of physical limitations and idiosyncrasies. In the post digital artists studio hopefully we can appreciate and utilise each technology and it's limitations with the goal of a more honest less flawed aproach to working with technologies. These are complicated issues :p

Here is a selection of scanned images form the article with credits to the respective artists.
If you are one of the artists and would like work removed or are from Art News,
please contact me and I will do so ASAP.

from the top,
Kenneth Snelson-Studies for Portrait of an Atom,
Lyn Blumenthal,Carol Ann Klonarides and Ed Panschke -Still from Arcade,
Robert Mallary-Variation #1,
J. Michael O' Rourke-Sahara II,
Michael Brakke-I Am Scared,
Kenneth Snelson, Image from Portrait of an Atom,
Michael Ardent-Effel Tower.

CORRUPT TOY ORGANIZATION

Some smart electronic video feedback work from Corrupt Toy Organisation, I especially like their black and white processing of computer animations, they say about themselves

"We are a collaboration of animalalikes and home video equipment. We spend our time warping composite signals with simple methods, searching for mulitfaceted beings and groundless landscapes. We then all remelt and continue."

http://corrupttoy.tumblr.com/

associated musical act monomal & muttermahl. have some cool videos and the above colour image is from a live collaboration

Serene Screens

some little screen shots from some video

Matthew Schlanger and his Lumpybanger Blog

a link was posted to this awesome blog over at muffwiggler

lumpybanger is the blog of Matthew Schlanger video artist and synth builder who for a time worked and made art at the experimental television center and he has some fantastic work and photos of his system well worth a look

from the blog:
"I went to Binghamton University in 1976 and studied video with Ralph Hocking in Binghamton’s Cinema Department. Ralph introduced me to image processing and the ETC. In 1981, I became one of the local artists-in-residence at ETC. I also worked for both the ETC and for Dave Jones’ Design Lab in Owego, NY.; where I built many of the image processing machines designed by Mr.Jones and used by ETC studio artists for over twenty five years."

find more of his work here 

ACE Video Enhancer

heres a nice ACE video enhancer from here also check GTH for more info 

AKAI PS-V20E

Here's a sexy Akai video processor the PS-V20E with a nice colourizer and a joy stick! via this auction. It also came in black

Nice looking set up of circuit bent video equipment

Heres a nice looking set of circuit bent video equipment via sharpie777 on flickr also see here for more info 

from Iain Sharp on Vimeo.

Pepposcopio Otolab Polar/scan Image Generator

Self build video polar/scan image generator for otolab performance, circo ipnotico via tonylight on youtube
 

Interesting Visuals

beautiful synesthetic video feedback from Barry S

Synaesthesia from Barry S on Vimeo.

Ars electronica 92

curated by video art giants Steina and Woody Vasulka, 
Ars Electronica 92 featured many video synthesizers and effects all in one place

thanks to arshistory on Vimeo you can now check out what it was like!


Ars Electronica 1992 - Eigenwelt der Apparate-Welt 1 from ars history on Vimeo.

The Arduino Eye Shield

The Arduino Eye Shield by David Chatting is a circuit board that can be plugged on top of the Arduino allowing it to interpret analogue video (PAL or NTSC) from a camera or other source. It gives the Arduino the power of sight. I can see allot of potential for interesting live video manipulation here!

LZX VISIONARY VIDEO SYNTHESIZER

very exiting stuff happening in the modular video synth market with two product ranges set to grace more experimental racks everywhere with modules to create and manipulate video signals 


the LZX Industries project seems to be going full steam and is very exiting check http://vimeo.com/7970725 and http://vimeo.com/lzxindustries for more info. I think its really good to build up customer support by posting these kind of dev/demo videos interesting stuff!


Lars Larsen one of the guys behind the project corrected my earlier conjecture about the The Jones Video Synth being the same project as the Visionary


"Hi Chris! Thanks for mentioning the Visionary. This isn't the same project, but ours will similarly be a EuroRack format modular video synthesizer/processing system. There is a splash page up at http://www.lzxindustries.com and we'll be releasing module details very soon. Please stay in touch with us!"

I hope the two projects make a new video synth renaissance a viable prospect 

S-Video to Composite Converter

so I got an adapter today in a junk shop it had square 5 s-video sockets on there and at 43p each from rapid I think that was 65p well spent 

here is my attempt at a neat little test jig for finding good bends on the s-video to composite circuit found here see Karl Klomps very nice version here. I can swap in different caps and pots to give me some interesting effects. video coming soon...

Electrocraft Colouriser

I just got this colouriser (or more commonly known colourizer or even colorizer ) for 99p. It gives some pretty dramatic effects but the image is giving me and un-synced scrolling effect. It also puts out some cool patterns on its own. I need to work out all the ins and outs because it requires a reference signal (possibly pure sync as I tried outputs from my mixer) the insides are very neatly wired and all the pots are on a separate board perfect for bending! It is however mains powered so Im going to have to be careful. Cool piece but because of the difficulty of use I wouldn't pay over £10 if you see one.

Elite Video Processor

Elite Video Processors often pop up on ebay US 
and they also have the unusual "flesh tone" control

JVC JX-C7 video correction unit

The JVC JX-C7 is another pretty standard video correction unit
more details here

Vintage Archer Analog Video Processors

Super chilled out video from a man named Kevin demoing some analogue video correctors that can get a little glitchy and interesting at the far end of the potentiometers

Sansui AV-77

The Sansui AV-77 is a fairly common AV unit that has a few video effects and some useful video features. picked up a unit in perfect condition the other day and had to look to see what I could find on the net www.audioinfo.net has some useful info and some screen shots of the device in action

while this unit has some cool retro colorizing effects I would not advise it as your first or only effects unit purchase. I also would not advise buying one with a view to circuit bending due to the fact it runs off an internal transformer so there are mains voltages running inside YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Where this unit comes in to its own is as a source switch (that also contains a few effects). I plan to use mine with a few of my other old bits of video gear (before going to one channel of my mixer).