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Light-Controlled Synthesizer
Bleep Labs Thingamagoop| April, 2008When a true analog synth is the size of an effects pedal, it’s newsworthy. When that box is designed to look like a toy robot, it’s noteworthy. When the sounds that emanate from said robot are a treasure trove of glitchy electronica, it’s absolutely buzzworthy. For the past month, Bleep Labs’ oddly-named Thingamagoop has perched atop my workstation, providing both inspiration and stress relief. While the Thingamagoop is a genuine synth, it’s not keyboard-like at all. If anything, the ’Goop has more in common with a theremin. The ’Goop’s pitch is controlled by light. The “nose” of the robot contains a photo-resistor — the brighter the light, the higher the pitch. What’s more, different light sources create different timbres. Incandescent and sunlight coax a smoother tone from the oscillator, whereas fluorescent creates a grittier sound due to the fact that fluorescent lights actually “strobe” in sync with 60Hz wall current. An “antenna” on the robot’s head, called the “LEDacle,” is a colored LED on a flexible stalk that you adjust in relation to the nose, facilitating more consistent pitch (as long as the ambient light is consistent as well). The ’Goop’s synth engine is deceptively straightforward. The oscillator generates a square-like waveform. From there, a simple LFO imparts squawking, pulsing characteristics. The ’Goop is capable of everything from head-splitting caterwauls to video game burbles. It’s like a Geiger counter from another dimension. Controls are simple: volume and LFO rate knobs, plus two toggle switches for LFO behavior and oscillator frequency range. There’s a built-in speaker as well as the 1/4" output, so you can fool around with it pretty much anywhere. It's uncannily useful for creating the harsh electronic textures that currently dominate the electro-house and glitch scenes. The complexity and variation it dishes out is quite difficult to recreate on any other instrument, even full-featured synths. That said, its sonic character is very specific, and you’ll either gravitate toward it, or run away at full speed. All in all, the ’Goop is a one-of-a-kind analog tone generator. It's a real secret weapon in live performance. If you make club music, video soundtracks, or experimental performance art, it could be the best hundred bucks you spend this year. SPECSStompbox-size analog synthesizer with photocell pitch control. PROS CONS $100 |
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