Those Crazy Tesla Coils.....

I'm one of those that has been fascinated with Tesla and almost everything that he's made, researched or experimented with. So of course anytime I find any reference to something/anything with the word "Tesla", I'm drawn to it like a moth to a fire...

So was the case when I came across this little article about how some seven foot tall 'Tesla coils' throwing out twelve foot long "bolts", were being used to create music.... well like a magnet I was there.... LOL

Theres a great little video with sound that is rather astonishing to me considering there are no speakers being used to create these sounds, simply the Tesla coils hooked up to a computer and using 'midi' notes. I understand that this was demonstrated at a "game convention"

Tesla Coil Music Thread Link

Twin Solid State Musical Tesla coils playing Mario Bros theme song at the 2007 Lightning on the Lawn Teslathon sponsored by DC Cox (Resonance Research Corp) in Baraboo WI. The music that you hear is coming from the sparks that these two identical high power solid state Tesla coils are generating. There are no speakers involved. The Tesla coils stand 7 feet tall and are each capable of putting out over 12 foot of spark. They are spaced about 18 feet apart. The coils are controlled over a fiber optic link by a single laptop computer. Each coil is assigned to a midi channel which it responds to by playing notes that are programed into the computer software.

[edit on 11-11-2007 by JohnnyAnonymous]

Funny you should post this Johnny.A friend of mine referred me to the video a day or two ago.

I had always heard about Tesla Coils around here,but never did a lot of research.The fact that they can be used to play music (Especially the Mario theme ) is just plain awesome.

Now I wonder if they can whip up some Beethoven or Hendrix with those things.

Originally posted by DocGonzoNow I wonder if they can whip up some Beethoven or Hendrix with those things.

Now... wouldn't that be something...!

I'm sure it won't be long before someone not only does Beethoven's 5th, but probably we'll be hit with some retro 80's classics too... Hmmm.... Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me With Science" anyone?

Still.. this is so amazing to me... a light show and sound all in two nifty 7 foot high structures...

Electrifying (sorry couldn't resist)...

Johnny

[edit on 11-11-2007 by JohnnyAnonymous]

I have to say that is damn cool stuff....and 'cool' isn't a word I usually use...ever.. I'm another one with a Tesla factination I'm afraid, its amazing how many people still have no idea at all about the man...rather sad really.

Wayne...

Awesome! Best thread on ATS today. I wonder if this thing can have an application in clubs or raves. Now that would be cool. Brings new meaning to the term 'electronica'.

Starred and flagged

Did someone want classical?

www.youtube.com...


www.zeusaphone.com...

Ok, now I've seen it all.

That is pretty cool. Tesla would be proud.

I bet it won't be long before some rock band uses a Tesla coil on stage for a concert.

Another Tesla fanatic here.

It is a shame that Tesla isn't better known, since he was the guy who practically invented the 21st century.

I've heard of musical Tesla Coils before, and they are down right awesome! I wouldn't mind making/getting a pair for myself someday.

If Tesla was never suppressed, Hendrix could have been setting his mobile Tesla coil/Zeusaphone on fire on stage.......

This stuff has real potential to add new spice to guitar solos!

i love it.

Tesla was a genius

JohnnyAnonymous - Thank You so much for sharing that with us. That was so freaking cool, big star for you my friend.

You made this Nerd/Geek very happy.

i posted this extact link first a couple days ago and a forum mod moved it to chit chat thread. you sir are a reposter

Originally posted by zeroeffect
i posted this extact link first a couple days ago and a forum mod moved it to chit chat thread. you sir are a reposter

But JohnnyAnonymous is a moderator. >_>

Originally posted by Voidmaster
Another Tesla fanatic here.

It is a shame that Tesla isn't better known, since he was the guy who practically invented the 21st century.
.

Hmmm... The man who invented the twentieth century. That's a book, and I've read it several times. He is amazing. He actually beat Marconi to inventing the radio. He also made a mechanical laxative machine. And then he invited Mark Twain, a good friend of his, to come over and try it. They had to send a servant to Mark's house to get a new pair of linen trousers

Can someone please explain to me how the hell this works?? I don't understand how it makes the noises.

I'm no scientist, but the sound is produced from the Tesla "bolts" superheating the air like a lightning bolt makes thunder. Then you should be able to adjust the power going into the machine to make the Tesla Bolts stronger or weaker and that should adjust the pitch of the bolt.

reply to post by Trauma


Well, as it says from Irma's youtube link:

Source

The Zeusaphone Tesla coil system is an amazing device that actually plays music through its lighting-like electrical discharges. Just as a speaker vibrates the air to produce music, the Zeusaphone controls the vibrations of its electrical arcs to do the very same.

Figured I'd add one more vid:




Edit: This video goes into greater depth as to how they work.



[edit on 11/12/07 by redmage]

Originally posted by JohnnyAnonymous
I'm sure it won't be long before someone not only does Beethoven's 5th, but probably we'll be hit with some retro 80's classics too... Hmmm.... Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me With Science" anyone?

Hmmm, didn't find "She Blinded Me With Science"; however, I did find the theme to Weird Science.




[edit on 11/12/07 by redmage]

Very Interesting. Yet, is it really the lightning bolts creating the sounds, or is it the stimulation of the metal electrodes that are making the sound. IE: I would bet that the sound is coming from the electrodes themselves rather than the air in between them. Still, its damn cool stuff and it only makes Tesla that much more interesting.

A question for you Tesla folks then… I while ago I head that Tesla was working on all kinds of plans for major weapons. In fact, I heard that he had come up with a plan to use electricity in order to create a nuclear type explosion. I also heard that the Russians had experimented with his ideas and tried to create electrical weapons and defense systems.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for finding the truth of these rumors?

Thanks

I think you are referring to the Tesla Death Ray. A google search will give you plenty to read. He wanted to make a weapon that would make war obsolete and this was well before nuclear bombs. Rumors are he went to demonstrate his death ray to Robert Perry when he was on an expedition to the North Pole and when fired he missed the target and caused the Tunguska explosion in Siberia. After the failure he supposedly dismantled the weapon and never used it again. Of coarse that is a bunch of hooey, but many still believe it.

edit: here is a recent news article about Tunguska.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

[edit on 11/12/2007 by Hal9000]

Amazing.

I one day wish to replicate some of his experiments.

I was a little skeptical at first about this, but, with a little looking into it, its legit, and amazing.