)Demonstrating that all that's British really is best when it comes to brilliant commercial failure, a surround sound decoder for use with UHJ encoded CDs from Nimbus records, and does a pretty good job on Dolby surround and old SQ quadraphonic vinyl. Did you know that "The Archers" is recorded using some Ambisonic Surround content? Shuuuuush! It's a BBC secret! Eddie Grundy's tractor will never sound quite the same again.
Cheap Ambisonic Microphone and UHJ Encoder
Certainly not a Soundfield microphone but a much cheaper if lower quality soundfield microphone, that you might use for example for doing surround sound concert recordings of your favourite beat combo, or any portable surround recording.
It started out oh-so simple, and turned into a Frankenstein's monster. Still, "If a jobs worth doing, it's probably going to take sixty times as long as you first imagined." Strike while the iron's still damp in the fridge, and start building yours today!
An audio effects frequency shifter similar to the famous Bode/Moog design from the 1970s.
Made for Radio Glen at Southampton University, and still in use at the re-named low power AM and web broadcasting station SURGE: Southampton University Radio from Glen Eyre. Triumph of relay based logic, or unnecessarily retro? You decide. Nothing with this many illuminated push switches can be all bad.
Again, made for Radio Glen. Quote from then station manager Lex, "Beats the living fish out of those analogue Sonifex units."
Sampling, Who needs it, when you can create any arbitrary repetitive waveform you like and save it by cutting out a piece of cardboard and moving the faders up to it next time you want that waveshape. Contains a novel(?) analogue linear interpolator to create straight lines between the adjacent voltage levels, rather than the more usual staircase waveform.
Not in use any more but ran for a few years. Worthy of note for the synthesiser, modulator and especially the audio processing.
A440 Synth Tuning Crystal Controlled Oscillator
A cheap little crystal controlled sine wave reference oscillator unit, for tuning your analogue synth to.
Superheterodyne Mediumwave AM Radio
You can learn an awful lot of things you never knew, by actually building something that is relatively commonplace.
Transmission Line Enclosure Speakers
Built for my Ambisonic surround rig, and an interesting project. But don't do this unless you're clinically insane; Buy them instead.
Oscillator or Joystick Controlled Ambisonic Pan-Rotate
A system that rotates mono or B-format soundstage signals by joystick control or spins them continually with an oscillator. Also creates some attractive lissajous curves as a fortunate by-product.
Negative Air Ioniser With Rotating Ion Thrust Emitters
A fun way to show that an air ioniser is really working, using a self-propelled spinning emitter.
Photovoltaic Solar Power Load and Battery Charge Controller
Keep drinks cool in the field without flattening your car battery.
A spring reverb unit using three high quality Accutronics spring tanks with different decay times and feedback controls.
An authentic tape flanging effect system using easily obtainable three-head cassette machines as the core. Also useful for tape feedback and echo effects.
Every lounge needs an ambisonic analogue synth studio. Colin and Justin are soooo wrong.
(designs by henry: )