Plasma Arc Speakers And Flaming Synths

Audio buffs tend to be quite technologically oriented, and many enjoy experimenting with new ways of doing things. Building alternative instruments and audio reproduction gear can sometimes be very entertaining…

Tweeter, Lighter, Faster

Audiophiles will know that using lighter materials in high-end loudspeakers leads to faster response times and higher-fidelity transient reproduction.

This is the appeal of the Plasma Arc Speaker (apart from the obvious coolness factor) – it uses a voltaic arc which is then modulated by fluctuating electric current to produce sound, and consequently has no measurable weight.

Dancing About Arc

Interestingly, William Duddell used this concept in 1900 to create what may well be the first electronic music instrument. He basically took a standard arc light, which typically produced quite a loud hum, and attached a keyboard to it which interrupted oscillations in the circuit to produce musical notes.

Here’s an example of a modern-day DIY plasma arc speaker…

And for that old-school science lab retro games console theme tune appeal, here are two Tesla coils performing a spirited rendition of the Mario Bros theme music…

Hot Synth

If that’s not enough home-brew pyrotechnics for you, then the team at Electric Western have another treat – a flame-powered synthesiser called the Thermatron…