várhafsóll
electronic sound and light sculpture, 2023
+5Vdc 1A, external power supply
300mm x 200mm x 80mm
várhafsóll is built around an ESP32-S2-Saola, which for the purpose of filling out the circuit with more discrete components is relegated to oscillator duties for the most part. While most of what is going on here technically could be done by the ESP32 alone, the construction technique and general aesthetic benefits from decentralizing certain tasks, such as multiplexing data signals and creating envelopes for the LEDs. I’m also using a PT2399 delay chip, as well as a new amplifier I’m trying out, namely the PAM8403. The latter is, as far as I know, only available as SMD, so I had to 3D print a mount for it. I’m also pleasantly surprised by the 3D printed speaker enclosure, which due to tight dimensional tolerances actually is able to reproduce fairly decent low end. This makes me hopeful for future iterations with more advanced and low frequencied synthesis, possibly using the Electrosmith Daisy Seed again.
Sound-wise, I have made a musical scale out of something approximately similar to the intonation used in traditional Scandinavian cow herding songs, aka “kulokk” in Norwegian, or “kulning” in Swedish. These songs are generally simple melodies loaded with blue notes and are quite lyrical in nature, so the similarities between my square wave bleeps and the cow herding songs end there. As in previous projects, I’m again using randomized repeating sequencers to progress the music, which results in new “compositions” each time the sculpture is switched on.
