Final Sound Proposal

I will create an iteration of my Three Million Widows book that will increase volume through the addition of multiple tracks of recorded sound. As the tally lines decrease, and the negative space (blank page) increases, the sound will increase until the book is closed. This will be achieved using an LDR that will add sound tacks of chalk on a board with each step of increased light detected. The light will increase as more dense layers of printed lines on paper are pealed away (as the book is read). The LDR will be mounted in the last page of the book. When the book is closed light will be eliminated, and the sound will cease until the next reader opens the book.

Thoughts on final Interactive Proposal

What I'd like to do for the interactive final is a combination of prototypes:


1. I'd like to have my Three Million Widows book case be interactive, so that when a viewer removes the book from the case, the video will play, either in sequence or randomly, with speed varying depending on proximity of the book to the box, or something like that.



2. I want to learn to control a motor to make it spin, again variably, depending on distance or movement of viewer.

3. I'd like to have my TMWidows proposal/prototype be interactive, with a method for registering the chalk marks, This could also relate to prop 1, in that a video could also play depending on the action of the viewer.

Extra: I'd still like to have an interactive cabinet, with various sounds and videos interacting with the opening of drawers, windows, proximity etc...

Artist's Book Proposal

I met with Melissa today. She showed me the Quickset debossing and the pearl foil. The book will go into the 1st show, the wooden case will count as the final. I'm not sure about the interactive part of the box yet, that is I don't know if I want to hear the sound of chalk or if it really fits in with the book.

I also showed her the idaea for the new book in which people would add there own marks, and donate. she agreed that it would work best if it was in conjunction with a performance.

For this class the proposal and prototype of the book will be enough. t may just stay as a proposal, or may be sold as a "proposal" to help fund the project.

As for tallying, she mentioned that it could be a dispenser which dispenses chalk when money is put in. This couldbe costly, unless I get inexpensive chalk. I also need to contact oxfam or other agencies to see about the viability of raising money, and the appropriateness of donating.

Free but Pricey

I brought in my new guitar, slighty worried that I bought the ultimate clunker. I couldn't get rid of the buzz, especially on the higher frets of the D string. The tech took it in and adjusted the action on the truss rod, which only made it less playable, so I took it back again, and showed him how you have to hold the guitar just right to hear it really buzz.

Was it a broken brace? or a loose wire? - God forbid, split wood?
Nope, just a loose security tag taped to the inside of the body!

Now it's as sweet as can be!:)

Raise Three Million

I've been thinking about a number of variations on Three Million Widows. I would like to try to create a fold-out book with 29 black pages which will will start out blank. Each time a line is drawn on the page with chalk, a number is recorded, adding to 75,000. Hopefully this would be done in 29 days. Each visitor to the book would donate $1 equivalent. Upon reaching 29 days or $75,000, the book would be folded up, and the money would be collected for Iraqi widows.

Perhaps a pressure sensor could be used to record the number of lines on the pages? or it could just be a button is pushed. If this were done in 40 cities, in major museums, Three million dollars could be raised to send to Iraq, to Nawal al-Samarra's office (She rescinded her resignation offer on March 9th) to use.

I can try to contact Ox-fam, or other agencies to see about the feasibility. The obvious place to start is in Chicago.

Tracing Brick

Did a 7 min. sound performance of tracing brick, to add to the video shot last night of Tamale and Kristina. It was actually a senuous experience? who would have thought that rubbing a chimney could be like massage! It once again took a while to set up Cubase 4. I sent the two Sure Beta 57A's directly to the 828, then to Cubase, but I had to remember how to set up the inputs/outputs. I played with eq, maximizer, limiter and normalize, but the limiter was not helpful. I have to take care of hum and high-frequency hiss. I'm going to try to add another eq. After using the (virtual) mixer eq, I added an insert eq, StudioEQ, one band at 7000kHz, -24.0 gain, 0.5 Q-factor, which cut the his significantly.

Actually, I just put in all 4 bands in the Studio EQ as well, and it sounds less artificial and pumped up.


I've also been playing with my new guitar a lot. I recorded a clip at flat eq directly from the acoustic guitar amp> straight 4's on fron panel>feedback notch3>string dynamics 6>rvb/dly on 2 with line out volume on 3> normalized in Cubase at -2dB. Sounds amazing except for the buzz in the upper register due I believe to low action which needs to be addressed.