This was a public installation in Millvale for a couple weeks in November 2021. Here is a demo of it in its original location:
Supported in part by the Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry.
Here's what this website looked like:
Freak Modulation
Hello! This is an art project...
There are FM Radio receiver headphones in a black box on Grant Ave between Sheridan and E Sherman. North from the box there is a series of six short range FM radio transmitters attached to telephone poles, up to Grant and Butler. Each transmitter is transmitting a different sound, at the same radio frequency of 90.1 MHz.
Grab a pair of headphones from the box (turn it on and make sure it's tuned to 90.1). As you walk along Grant, you will pick up the different tranmitters' sounds depending on which ones you are closest to.
Enjoy the sounds, and please return the headphones when you are done, thank you :)
About the Sounds
The sounds were generated with the technology of frequency modulation in mind. There is a carrier signal which provides the base of the sound, and a modulator signal which changes the pitch of the carrier. This is the "FM" of FM Radio. The high rate of freuquency of the carrier and modulator signal create complex and unique sounds, akin to the artifacts of shotty radio reception.
About Us
We are Miles Scharff and Nikolas Diamant, we made this for a class at CMU. If you'd like to contact us, please feel free to text/call us at (314)496-1319 (Miles) or (510)599-4727 (Nick).
