SOMA ETHER V2 Unboxing
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- ETHER is a wide-band receiver that makes it possible to perceive the electromagnetic landscape around you.
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. It was possible to distinguish 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.
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). All I can definitely say is that battery life is more than 300 hours if you using alkaline or lithium batteries.
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. So with ETHER, 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. By changing the orientation, 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 sound.
ETHER V2 has two wheels for sound control and the power switch. The upper wheel adjusts the amount of high-frequency amplification and regeneration. The lower wheel is the volume. By adjusting 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 radiation 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.
somasynths.com...
Vlad is an innovative genius ,taking chances and pushing boundaries .You cannot compare this to a shortwave radio and I think this is great value and not difficult to get hold of.Unlike the Pulsar 23 which I am on a long waiting list.
Was able to order one recently for £120 (included shipping) so unlike most electronics this hasn’t tripled in price.
The cost for this is largely for this being a niche market item and small runs if it's been manufactured by the designer, but it's definitely an interesting I remember crossing paths with a few years ago on another channel and thinking 'All that damned noise is out there!'
This one was thankfully easy to get, compared the the one from LOM where I waited over 8 years and still never was able to get one. SOMA finally and thankfully fixed that. The price is high for some reason, but it is worth it since these devices are not common to find.
UTP kable tracer reciver can detect under 2KHz and a bit higer (AM, LF noise, not FM or else), this thing can input much higher but is ouch on the walet
Great video :D I love my Ether!!!! Sub'd
Thanks for the sub!
@@nonsensicalchild no problem:)
I think this big one is not a capacitor, but a coil (like an antenna). :)
I'm interested in the Ether, but just wondering about the actual variety of signals I might get from it. Have you taken it outside? This video sounded a bit limited in terms of what the unit was picking up (just sounded like my world radio when it's struggling to pick stuff up, tbh)
there are a few videos of outside randomness on you tube. It is mainly electromagnetic radiation and you have to get quite close, but i have picked up a few radio stations who knows what it might pick up ?
Pretty cool. How would I record the sounds to use with my modular or Lyra-8?
I guess the headphone out to external in if you have one.May need to attenuate or keep the output low.
Its not hard to get - actually, SOMA is quite straightforward in purchasing anything from them. Got the Lyra 8 without any trouble. And, now, they have a few dealers in Europe and N. America - got the Ether V2 directly from Analogue Haven, hassle free.
Seen it on Thomann now, a few months back I just found it a bit harder to find.Glad I hesitated for a while and got the mark 2. that extra aerial loop makes quite a different sound.
Expensive.
I think so too