Semi-Conducting: Rambles Through the Post-Cagean Thicket

Chapter 6: The Infinite Amplification of Silence

The Shure 61B Vibration Pickup -- the Rolls Royce of contact microphones, perfect for feedback (as used in Nodalings, 1974, score HERE). Photo by Nicolas Collins.

Adaptors for mounting PA horn drivers onto woodwind and brass instrument for feedback manipulation (as used in Q, 1975, score HERE). Photo by Nicolas Collins.

Performance of Feedback in Ayton Basement, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England, December 1976. Vince Gould, feedback saxophone (left); Peter Todd, feedback flute (right). Photo by Nicolas Collins.

Nicolas Collins, Pea Soup (1974). Recording of premiere performance by Robert Poss in the Electronic Music Studio at Wesleyan University, October 24, 1974. Score HERE.

The magic of Pea Soup: The Countryman 968 Phase Shifter. At the end of the 1970s Carl Countryman stopped producing them and went over to making high-quality lavaliere microphones. Whenever I ran into him at pro audio trade shows in the 1980s I begged him to sell me any remaining stock or parts, of which he insisted he had none. Finally he faxed me this schematic in 1996 with the proviso that I never bother him again.

Ron Kuivila (left) and the author (right) in residence at the ZBS Foundation, Fort Edward, NY, June 1976. Photographer unknown, possibly Bob Bielecki.

An extract from this chapter as published in The Wire Online.