Ambitious Project - Tesla Synth - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Lak · 06-30-2007, 08:29 AM

Not really sure where I should put this... mods feel free to move it.

Inspired by Steve Ward's Amazing Singing Tesla Coil, and other projects located here, here and here (my personal favourite), I wish to construct and use a tesla coil for musical purposes.
Its sick and wrong, and tricky, I know, but holy crap do I ever want one.

I have never constructed a coil before, but have enough skill that I could create one from schematics and I understand that basic principles. However, what i [i]think]/i] I need is a solid-state coil, which is considerably more complicated. Here are some of the main issues I can think of and my proposed solutions, hopefully someone with more knowledge can throw me some pointers.

1) Its a tesla coil.
The most obvious problem is the vast amounts of stray voltage yearning to reach out and kill my gear. What I have in mind is a device like this, with two towers (even if the second on is just a fake which is grounded) to give the coil a favourite discharge spot, so it won't be tempted to go anywhere expensive.

2) Transformer voltage
Interfacing a 12V DC keyboard controller with a bajillion volt resonating coil can't be safe, for the gear or the player, so drawing on ideas from these guys, I think it'd be good to introduce an optical data link to break the physical connection between the systems. This could be done with a cheap laser pointer or IR send/rec LEDs (I think).

3) Modulation
I have no idea how I'd modulate the signal to the appropriate frequency. The chap from the above video (this one) discussed his design at some stage and mentioned he simply turned the coil on and off at the specified frequency, which was being given by the signal generator on an old roland JX-8P. When you're talking tesla coil modulation, some folks get hardcore, but all I really want is a monophonic thing.

The remaining issue is, even with the discharges contained, whether this kind of thing could be operated in proximity to, well, anything else. Ideally it'd be a modest thing in a wooden box that I could use alongside my other instruments, but most tesla coils will light a flouro tube without touching it, so theres a good chance that this type of EMF would seriously fuck with my other gear (not to mention the theremin).

Ideas, criticisms and pointings-out of further issues to conquer, please. Particularly if you have experience with either tesla devices or synthsizers.

MikeSty · 06-30-2007, 11:08 PM

I'll read the rest of your post tomorrow when I wake up, I probably won't be able to help, but I must say, this is one of the most awesome things I have ever seen.

dirtyrascal7 · 07-01-2007, 04:03 AM

I think the likelihood of it destroying any of your other equipment would depend on how big you made it. The coil in the last link that you posted produced a pretty small arc... I wouldn't be too afraid of using other equipment around it. Also, at the end of that last video, they advertise "Design Book and Kits" which sounds like something worth looking into... their coil and control box was nice and compact, which would obviously be an asset if you planned to take it anywhere.

That's about all the advice I can give, but I'm interested to see how things turn out if you pursue this project... so keep us updated!

PulpMind · 07-05-2007, 10:35 PM

wow! totally rad!
I'm imagining an entire array of these things.. one for each frequency band, producing an orchestra of sounds. the "hardcore" vid you posted was amazing - it would be mind blowing to see something like that at a size and range of frequencies to make a party of people groove to it...!

Lak · 07-06-2007, 03:09 AM

I emailed this chap, and that particular device has had two years and two thousand dollars of caring attention, but that was a fully MIDI controlled masterpiece which is waay-hay-hay out of my league. If anyone has any proposals as to how to modulate a simple coil please throw some ideas around.

RonRyan85 · 07-11-2007, 07:49 PM

LOOKS and SOUNDS pretty cool. I never thought of using a Tesla coil in
this manner. Always wanted to build one just for the foot long spark
display. I joined a Tesla Club for builders once on the internet and if it is
still working you could Email them for some info and ideas if you wanted
to. Good Luck on your project.

06-30-2007, 08:29 AM	#1 (permalink)
Lak Insane Location: New Zealand	Ambitious Project - Tesla Synth Not really sure where I should put this... mods feel free to move it. Inspired by Steve Ward's Amazing Singing Tesla Coil, and other projects located here, here and here (my personal favourite), I wish to construct and use a tesla coil for musical purposes. Its sick and wrong, and tricky, I know, but holy crap do I ever want one. I have never constructed a coil before, but have enough skill that I could create one from schematics and I understand that basic principles. However, what i [i]think]/i] I need is a solid-state coil, which is considerably more complicated. Here are some of the main issues I can think of and my proposed solutions, hopefully someone with more knowledge can throw me some pointers. 1) Its a tesla coil. The most obvious problem is the vast amounts of stray voltage yearning to reach out and kill my gear. What I have in mind is a device like this, with two towers (even if the second on is just a fake which is grounded) to give the coil a favourite discharge spot, so it won't be tempted to go anywhere expensive. 2) Transformer voltage Interfacing a 12V DC keyboard controller with a bajillion volt resonating coil can't be safe, for the gear or the player, so drawing on ideas from these guys, I think it'd be good to introduce an optical data link to break the physical connection between the systems. This could be done with a cheap laser pointer or IR send/rec LEDs (I think). 3) Modulation I have no idea how I'd modulate the signal to the appropriate frequency. The chap from the above video (this one) discussed his design at some stage and mentioned he simply turned the coil on and off at the specified frequency, which was being given by the signal generator on an old roland JX-8P. When you're talking tesla coil modulation, some folks get hardcore, but all I really want is a monophonic thing. The remaining issue is, even with the discharges contained, whether this kind of thing could be operated in proximity to, well, anything else. Ideally it'd be a modest thing in a wooden box that I could use alongside my other instruments, but most tesla coils will light a flouro tube without touching it, so theres a good chance that this type of EMF would seriously fuck with my other gear (not to mention the theremin). Ideas, criticisms and pointings-out of further issues to conquer, please. Particularly if you have experience with either tesla devices or synthsizers. __________________ ignorance really is bliss.

07-01-2007, 04:03 AM	#3 (permalink)
dirtyrascal7 That's what she said	I think the likelihood of it destroying any of your other equipment would depend on how big you made it. The coil in the last link that you posted produced a pretty small arc... I wouldn't be too afraid of using other equipment around it. Also, at the end of that last video, they advertise "Design Book and Kits" which sounds like something worth looking into... their coil and control box was nice and compact, which would obviously be an asset if you planned to take it anywhere. That's about all the advice I can give, but I'm interested to see how things turn out if you pursue this project... so keep us updated! __________________ "Tie yourself to your limitless potential, rather than your limiting past." "Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him."

07-06-2007, 03:09 AM	#5 (permalink)
Lak Insane Location: New Zealand	I emailed this chap, and that particular device has had two years and two thousand dollars of caring attention, but that was a fully MIDI controlled masterpiece which is waay-hay-hay out of my league. If anyone has any proposals as to how to modulate a simple coil please throw some ideas around. __________________ ignorance really is bliss.

06-30-2007, 11:08 PM	#2 (permalink)
MikeSty The Computer Kid :D Location: 127.0.0.1	I'll read the rest of your post tomorrow when I wake up, I probably won't be able to help, but I must say, this is one of the most awesome things I have ever seen.

07-05-2007, 10:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
PulpMind Addict Location: Portland	wow! totally rad! I'm imagining an entire array of these things.. one for each frequency band, producing an orchestra of sounds. the "hardcore" vid you posted was amazing - it would be mind blowing to see something like that at a size and range of frequencies to make a party of people groove to it...!

07-11-2007, 07:49 PM	#6 (permalink)
RonRyan85 Insane Location: Lone Star State,USA	LOOKS and SOUNDS pretty cool. I never thought of using a Tesla coil in this manner. Always wanted to build one just for the foot long spark display. I joined a Tesla Club for builders once on the internet and if it is still working you could Email them for some info and ideas if you wanted to. Good Luck on your project.