digital electronics, speaker
4 1/2 w x 3 h x 3 1/2 inches
2001
This work digitally emulates the crackle and pop artifacts of audio playback of vinyl records on a turntable (spinning at 33.3 RPM.) This sound was
inspiration for the application of digital technologies to sound reproduction, with the intent to eliminate this noise from the playback process. Here
this digital technology is dedicated to the attempt of synthesizing the sound it exists to not make.
Our general experience with digital technology is very different than it was with analog, which could be understood in sight and the mechanics of
the technology influenced its shape and form. Rarely is the (real) experience one of form, but is rather of function in digital technology. This is
easily recognized with computers, where we operate within a shell, constructed to emulate as closely as possible the intuitive realm of analog
control – very few actually contact with the building blocks, the programming code.
In this work, the digital circuitry is shown without the usual shield (enclosure) and interface (screen). The volume of the piece is set relatively low,
which invites the viewer to lean over and closely listen. The result is the possibility for an intimate exchange between the viewer and this unshelled
digital circuitry.