Melted
Electronics

Hi folks, over the last ten months I've been working on a new device called Glitch Boy: a compact retro console that turns a classic 8-bit system into a playable instrument for visuals and sound.

Load your NES-compatible ROMs from microSD, run them directly on the Glitch Boy, then corrupt them in real time with the on-board controls or sync the glitches to music via audio input or MIDI to create your own visuals.

It is not only a video synth but also an 8-bit audio synthesizer: you can play the console's four synth voices independently over MIDI, turning it into an authentic chiptune instrument.

Both NTSC and PAL video output are supported, the firmware will be open and hackable for custom mappings and new glitch behaviors, and the device will be available in both stand-alone and Eurorack versions.

It will launch on Kickstarter on April 14th, so if you want to get an Early Bird unit at a discount hit the Notify Me button there!

Feedback Studio is an After Effects plugin that models video feedback loops, allowing you to change and keyframe all their parameters, giving you full control over them.

The effect can be controlled by slightly altering where each frame is redrawn when it re-enters the loop, by means of translation or rotation, or by adjusting the image Hue, Saturation or Brightness.

Slight changes to the feedback parameters can create completely novel results, giving you almost infinite possibilities.

Mirroring the image will produce mesmerizing fractal and kaleidoscopic imagery.

Feedback Studio is GPU-accelerated, allowing for real time playback and processing at full resolution on capable workstations.

The Strange Loop MK-II preorders are officially open!

The last few weeks have been pretty hectic. I've spent them perfecting the audio reactivity and doing revisions of the front panel with Eugenio from Spazio Muffa (who also designed the boxes and manual), but now everything is ready.

A new take on the original design, it is essentially a video feedback loop contained in a box, specifically crafted for video art, live performances, and experimental setups.

The device can process live NTSC and PAL video from a capture card and also play 720x576 videos from a USB drive. It is also compatible out of the box with webcams, HDMI capture cards, and other V4L2 devices.

It allows for luma-keying of the source video into a frame buffer feedback loop, and lets you adjust this loop's parameters using knobs and thumbstick, as well as scaling, rotating, and tilting the source image. It also responds to audio or CV signal, allowing you to modulate those parameters in real time.