Various experiments in the lab at Hideaway Studio to listen in and explore a secret world of reflected and modulated light in the audio-frequency domain from various sources in everyday life.

Literally listening to shadows, no microphones were used to make any of these recordings - they were entirely made using light sources and analog high-gain photo-sensors.  I've dubbed this new technique The Optical Microphone...

Concept & Recordings Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio, 2022-2025.

The Optical Microphone... (Optically Generated Audio Experiments)

Optically reflected sound from the grooves of an 70 year old classical music 78rpm shellac record... 

Recorded over at least 10 grooves at a time using an analog optical sensor resulting in a bizarre ghostly droning effect.  The optical sensor was fixed to a surface some distance from the record to capture the modulated reflections.  It took a great deal of concentration to position the light source by hand at the correct angle to catch the inside of the groove and reflect it towards the light sensor whilst moving it slowly across the surface of the record!  To be honest, I was truly amazed it worked this well.

Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio, 2022.

Sound of Reflected Light From An Old 78 Record... (Optical Sound Experiment)

Made by splashing water creating ripples in a pan whilst shining a bright light onto it and directly receiving the resulting audio frequency domain modulated reflected light some distance away with a photo sensor as sound.  The resulting raw audio was overdubbed 4 times at different points into the recording and various pan positions to create a pseudo-stereo effect. More sound from light recordings here: 

https://soundcloud.com/hideaway-studio/sets/sound-from-light-optically

Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio, 2022.

Sound of Light Reflected From Water Ripples (Optical Sound Experiment)

This is what happens if you place a Picardie tumbler upside down on a turntable, shine a light at it, and pickup the resulting reflected light with a photo sensor :)

I found by carefully moving the position of the light and the sensor it was possible to "perform" the chopper fly-by effect with all manner of interesting sonic artefacts coming out in the process thanks to the imperfections in the glass.

Concept, Sound Design & Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio, 2022.

Sound of Light Reflected From Rotating Picardie Glass (Optical Sound Experiment)

Ever wonder what happens if you shine a flashlight through a glass full of water, olive oil and marbles, give it a spin and then record the resulting modulated shadows of light on the other side of the glass with an optical sensor?

All sounds from the optical sensor bar the rain which was courtesy of our back garden one soaking wet afternoon.

Incidentally, the long reverb tails on the thunder claps were the result of the contents of the glass slowly coming to a halt - only a very short reverb was added to increase the effect of outside ambience.

Concept, Sound Design & Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio, 2022.

Sound of Light Through Oil, Water & Marbles (Optical Sound Experiment)

This was not recorded with a microphone but made by shining a light through a glass beaker full of water whilst dropping an effervescent Vitamin-C tablet into it and recording the modulated light on the far side of the beaker with a photo sensor whilst it dissolved.  Multiple takes were recorded and layered together at various pan positions to create a pseudo stereo effect.

Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2023.

Sound of Light Thru Effervescent Vit-C Tablet... (Optical Sound)

Following the release of new long player ‘Only Good Dreams For Me’, Polish producer Zaumne shares an hour of inspirations with NTS – covering contemporary alt-pop, weirdo rap, ambient drift and beyond.

 
Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/guests/episodes/zaumne-21st-december-2024

Zaumne 211224

À Moi Le Sarin

spiry stuff

A segue of recordings played back at normal, twice and half speed of the sound of laser light being modulated by plumes of dust kicked up by dropping nuts and bolts into dry icing sugar in a large glass jar. The optical mic was positioned on the far side of the jar and sometimes you can just make out the glass walls pinging as the bolts land on the bottom of the jar.

The slowly building up vortex was made by swirling the icing sugar and then playing back the resulting return to still  air in reverse.

Rather like the oil in water and electrolysis experiments, since it all takes time to disperse, you get a kind of natural decay tail effect.

Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2025.

Sound of Light Through Icing Sugar Dust: Nut Drop Field Segue...

Rough re-edit adding various effects and things, its rough  so some parts work better than others, completely improvised.  I actually think it sounds quite good like this , but you know..

Aphex Twin-Tha (Qeta Remix Q)

jumanjy, 25/8/17, did a little afternoon thang - it's really simple, and probs should have given myself more time, ah well
(this was just a rehearsal, so there's mistakes, too !)

I did an afternoon thing (some background music?)

Wicker Man (2014)

Lost in a field (premaster) (2014)

https://mnlth.bandcamp.com/album/music-off-the-telly 

Dave Monolith - Music off the Telly - Good Friday

Snippets : soundcloud.com/grid-records/doline-threnody-of-moaning-sparks-grid018

Doline is back with his sophomore album !
A one-of-a kind experimental and bassy release where stars meet hearts in the deepness of the universe. Thirteen tracks exploring emotions, from sorrow to happiness, from fear to serenity. A rich path into the unique and colourful world of the French producer, always evolving over his music researches.
This LP is another milestone for Grid, the fourth release from Doline and maybe his best piece of work so far.

The album opens on Earth, Under Starry Dawn, linked to the last track of the previous LP, to take off straight to the hyperspace. Then Flutina continues the story, with suspens and discovery in weightlessness, floating towards a new world. Janus Complex is a post-trance track with Y2K vibes, like humans explaining their origins to someone new. Sensunreal and its deep synths shows Doline's groove before Through The Stellar Foam lost us into a thick fog trying to find a way out : Chœur, our wormhole to distant stars, where then Etherrestrial Xo suggest the joy and relief to find them, an emotional mood as Doline has the secret. Cockcrow will softly awake us with its AFX-like lo-fi tickling loop and his synth melodies, before Oniromance makes our heads shaking with its thin and unpredictable bass groove. For the last part of the album Carolus Ex-Lament, probably an unknown space conqueror, brings back trancy synths and melodies, while Before What's Beyond choose to show Doline oddness and his speaky synths again, reminding his 'Dompte Regard' era. Star Funeral, a tribute to his loved ones, shows once again Doline's talent for emo-pop melodies. Phœnix too, a brilliant closing track telling us there are always other new worlds to discover : it's already time to fly away!

https://gridrecords.bandcamp.com/album/threnody-of-moaning-sparks

https://soundcloud.com/grid-records
https://soundcloud.com/doline

PREMIERE: Doline - Etherrestrial Xo [Grid]

a series of short pieces distantly inspired by the work of Mustapha Skandrani, and written for (ideally retuned) piano and/or physical models of piano  
this is a first, rough & unedited output from SuperCollider — maybe inconsequential, maybe not, distorted without a doubt
https://lucienezri.com/work/for-semaison

for semaison ( preview )

D.A.Wilson is an Electronic Engineer, Sound Designer & Vintage Synth Specialist with a particular interest in combining vintage tube, classic analog and modern digital technologies working as a synth engineer looking after a very considerable amount of vintage studio equipment for Will Gregory (Goldfrapp / Moog Ensemble) and a number of other internationally celebrated electronic musicians and producers.  Having undertaken several major restorations and produced custom electronic designs for a number of major artists including Jean-Michel Jarre, Dani is also known for fully restoring two out of the world's four remaining 1979 Crumar GDS and partially restoring 1938 Novachord 346 (the only known operational Novachord in the UK) to playable order along with developing and producing the new Elfin family of 8-bit polysynths and the popular MIDI Front Panel Animator (FPA), Filter Defeat Module (FDM) and XD-280 Drive Emulator upgrades for the AKAI S612 sampler.

Demos of the S612 Upgrades in Action: 

https://soundcloud.com/hideaway-studio/sets/hideaway-studios-s612-front


Hideaway Studio Kontakt Sound libraries may be purchased directly from: 
https://www.lootaudio.com/category/kontakt-instruments/hideaway-studios
 

..and a nice introduction by Cory Pelizzari to the Hideaway Studio Kontakt Libraries:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-C7a3ChC9U&feature=emb_title


For more on releases from Hideaway Studio for Kontakt please visit the blog at:  www.hideawaystudio.net

Sound of Light Through Oil, Water & Marbles (Optical Sound Experiment)

Hideaway Studio

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