'ETHER' Electromagnetic Field RECEIVER

ETHER is a wideband receiver that allows us to perceive and record the electromagnetic scape around us.It runs on 2 AAA batteries, and has a compact size of 73g that is very convenient to carry.

Below is a description from the manufacturer.

 ETHER is a kind of anti-radio.Instead of tuning into a specific radio station, it picks up all the interference and radiation that conventional radios try to filter out to create a clean signal.Radio waves from hertz to gigahertz can be captured "as is" because there is no tuning input circuit to filter all but a narrow band of specific stations.This allows ETHER to perceive invisible electromagnetic landscapes created unconsciously by humans, enabling live listening and recording of electromagnetic waves.

The inspiration for this project was the design of a very early radio (early 1900s) without a tuning wheel.At that time there were still few radio stations, and all radio stations used Morse code.Each transmitter had a unique timbre or "voice" that made it possible to distinguish them by ear.Also a pioneer of electromagnetic wave artInspired by Christina Kubisch.

ETHER is pocket-sized (103 x 58 x 17mm) and lightweight (73g including batteries).It consumes little power and runs on two AAA batteries.When using alkaline or lithium batteries, the battery life is over 4 hours.

ETHER has also been carefully designed to be a unique accessory for the conscious modern person.again,We used European enclosures and high quality PCBs that provide long life and high reliability. Ether V2 is a cool-looking, high-quality gadget that offers a unique sound experience.

ETHER carries both magnetic and electrical components.The magnetic component contains a magnetic antenna similar to those used in old longwave radios.This antenna is most sensitive at the axis of ETHER. You can change the sound by changing the direction, angle, and position of ETHER.Electrical components include an antenna printed on the PCB and a dedicated input pin on the front of the main unit.are placed

ETHER V2 has two external antenna pins.By contacting this pin with any conductive material or surface (including your own body), you can use an object or yourself as a large external antenna. The two pins are connected to different points in the circuit and interact differently with electromagnetic waves.You can change the sound by switching one or using both.Away from the city, a 2-2m wire on one pin produces interesting sounds.

ETHER V2 has two wheels for sound control and a power switch.The upper wheel adjusts the amount of high frequency amplification and reproduction.The lower wheel is volume.By adjusting the high-frequency gain, you can focus ETHER according to the dynamic level of surround interference for the richest and most interesting sound.

ETHER is not just a guided sniffer like the projects you can easily find on the internet.A simple low-frequency inductive sniffer will silence most of the sound-filled areas of the video.Such devices should be placed near the source of radiation and should not work on the street.Only the coil and low frequency amplifier are included.ETHER, on the other hand, is equipped with a regenerative circuit and a demodulator, and can actually receive radio waves, not just a low-frequency magnetic field amplifier.However, ETHER can also perceive low frequency magnetic fields.But honestly, if your goal is to scan close objects (0-20cm), a simple inductive sniffer will work cleaner and more focused due to its narrower bandwidth and lower sensitivity. ETHER is designed to pick up the sounds of forests and beaches as well as walking around town.ETHER can also perceive the electrical component of radiation, capturing radiation well beyond the range of audio, making it more sensitive.As such, they differ significantly in design, functionality, and implementation from simple inductive sniffers, even though they may have overlapping functionality.

ETHER is very sensitive to any kind of digital circuitry in close proximity.Therefore, an SD card recorder is not built-in.Also, in order to avoid interference, other electronic devices you carry (smartphones, laptops, recorders) should be kept at least 30cm/1ft away, but you can put your smartphone or laptop in other pockets or bags when walking. But definitely ETHER works well. ETHER's output is a regular 3.5mm headphone stereo jack with L and R contacts connected in parallel (ETHER is a mono output). To record ETHER, you need an audio cable with a length of 1m or more to connect with a device such as a ZOOM recorder.

 

Size: 103x58x17mm
Weight: 73g with batteries
Required: 2x AAA batteries 

ETHER is a wide-band receiver that makes it possible to perceive the electromagnetic landscape around you.

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"ETHER is a kind of anti-radio. Instead of being tuned to a specific radio station, it receives all the interference and radiation that a traditional radio tries to eliminate in order to create a clean signal. It captures the radio waves “as is” from hertz to gigahertz because it doesn't contain the tuned input circuit that filters out all frequencies except the narrow band of a specific station. This allows ETHER to perceive the invisible electromagnetic landscape that humans created unintentionally, making possible live electromagnetic field listening and recording .

As the inspiration for this project, I took the design of the very first radios (early 1900s) that had no tuning wheel. At this time there weren't many radio stations, and all of them used Morse code. each transmitter by ear, as each one had its own specific timbre or “voice”.

Also, we have to mention the earliest pioneer of electromagnetic fields art investigations"

—Christina Kubisch

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"ETHER is pocket-sized (103x58x17mm) and light-weight (73g with batteries). It consumes very little power and runs on two AAA batteries. How long it can run on two batteries is unclear, because I still use the very same set of alkaline batteries I put into the first ETHER prototype 6 years ago! (yes the project has taken 6 years).

We paid special attention to the design of ETHER, as it's intended to be a unique accessory for the conscious modern human. We used special designed enclosures made in Europe and high-quality PCB and furniture providing long life and high reliability. You get both a unique sound experience and a cool-looking high-quality gizmo.

ETHER has both magnetic and electric components for sensing radiation. For the magnetic component, it has a built-in magnetic antenna, like the ones used in old long-wave radios. The antenna has maximum sensitivity on ETHER's axis. angle and position of ETHER, you will change the sound. For the electric component, it has antennas printed on the PCB and the special input pins placed on the anterior surface.

ETHER V2 has two external antenna pins. You can touch any conductive material or surface (including your body) with the pins and use objects or yourself as a big external antenna! Often it makes a totally different sound and I love to check out different metal objects on a street (rails, tubes, metallic doors, parts of buildings etc.) Two pins are connected to different points of the circuit and interact differently with electromagnetic waves. Switching from one to another or using them both, you can change the sound Far away from a city, we recommend trying to use a piece of wire 1-4 meters long connected to one of the pins for getting some interesting sounds.

ETHER V2 has two wheels for sound control and the power switch. The upper wheel adjusts the amount of high-frequency amplification adjusting and regeneration. The lower wheel is the volume. By high-frequency gain you can focus ETHER on different dynamical levels of surround interferences getting the richest and interesting sound.

ETHER is not just an inductive sniffer like some projects you can easily find online. A simple low-frequency inductive sniffer will be silent in most places that are full of sounds in the video. Such devices need to be placed close to an emitting source and will not work on a street. All they contain is a coil and a low-frequency amplifier. In comparison, ETHER has a regenerative circuit and a demodulator, making it an actual radio wave receiver, not just an amplifier of low-frequency magnetic fields However, ETHER can perceive the low-frequency magnetic fields as well. But, honestly, if your goal is to scan objects in close proximity (0-20 centimeters), a simple inductive sniffer will work cleaner and more focused due to its narrow band and lower sensitivity. ETHER was designed to be a part of your walks in the city and may even pick up sounds in a forest or at the seashore (I have such experience). Also, ETHER can perceive the electric component of the radiation as well, capturing r adiation that is far above the audio range and is much more sensitive. Therefore, it has a significantly different design, functions and implementation than a simple inductive sniffer even if in some cases their functions can overlap.

ETHER is very sensitive to any kind of digital circuitry that's in close proximity. This is why I didn't put an SD-card recorder or something like that inside. You also have to make sure to keep other electronic devices that you carry (phone , laptop, recorder) at least 30cm/1ft away to avoid interference, but ETHER definitely works well when you walk around with a smartphone and laptop in other pockets and bags. The output of ETHER is a regular 3.5mm headphones' stereo jack with L and R contacts connected in parallel (ETHER has a mono out). To record ETHER, you need to use an audio cable of at least 1m/3ft in length to connect it to a device like a ZOOM recorder. Even with a long cable, ETHER can sound different than when using headphones.To get the purest sound, headphones are required.Some sounds you can record only with the mind, sorry.But the best snapshots are kept in our heart so let it be a part of the game: )

Here you can download the ETHER SONG placed at the end of the demo video. The archive contains the track in lossless and multitrack + used ETHER samples as well. All of them are copyright free, so you can use them for any purposes including commercial use All we ask is that you credit ETHER from SOMA laboratory.

We hope that a new kind of field recording will arise with the release of ETHER. We want people to experience and enjoy the artificial urban environment in a new way. There is lots of sonic beauty to discover amid the concrete and steel greyness of the modern -day metropolis, a true invisible electromagnetic world for us to uncover. Take your friends and together go find the coolest disembodied electronic sounds of the urban and industrial landscapes around you!"

Label: Soma Laboratory