Analog vs Digital Dimensions Part II

Hi! Hope you enjoyed the last post about Analog vs Digital Dimensions. By now I wish you have a clearer idea about the process sound recording and playback with the use of transducers in the process. The Ted Talk from Neuroscientist Greg Cage, opens up a big realm of questioning and possibilities based on the conclusions after experimenting with botany. The main idea behind this experiments is that action potential in plants encodes information for them to move, same as we do with muscles or neurons. So then if plants can communicate by electricity triggering an action, ¿What type of information are we able to transmit? ¿Are they able to learn?. I still try not to be overwhelmed by the numerous interrogations that arise through my mind. I decided to take one step at a time and focus on the fact that there is action potential inside plants, that encodes information to trigger a certain function. In this case once the voltage arrives to cells, the membrane opens allowing water to exit. As water leaves the cell, the cell itself experiences a change in shape. By this changes in cellular shape the plant is able to move.

Once this concept was clearly stated and proved by science I decided to study what is the technology available today that can bridge between life systems and music. For my surprise I didn’t find so many, yet their kindness, passion, compromise and dedication was enough to keep this intuition alive and bring music closer to the realm of plants.

Different developers have different approaches that result in different products, yet all of them use ECG / EKG probes (Electrodes) as their main way to connect the plant with the transducer. ECG stands for Electrocardiogram, a monitoring machine that records the electrical signals in your heart (see picture above). This already is standard in the ECG test and you can purchase this electrodes easily in the web from any health certified seller.

Once we have the bridge (electrodes) we are ready to send action potential (Potential meaning voltage, and action because it moves quickly up & down). The destination of this signals is where these actors come on stage. The photo from above is a DIY kit from SPAD Electronics (Sicily, Italy) “Symbiotic Sound”. His founder Alessandro Spadaro was kind enough to share his knowledge about the way his invention interacts. In his own words Symbiotic Sound “Translates the micro electrical fluctuations which are read and amplified from the 555 module. This later sends the amplified signal to the microcontroller which according to the signal received, generates MIDI protocol. You can control the MIDI signal via the sensitivity knob that regulates both sensitivity and even stairs based on its location. Then the MIDI exits the MIDI door yet it is also sent to the Optocoupler which in return translates and sends the signal to the Attiny85, which generates the CV and Gate. It goes more less for 1 Volt per octave”.

This microcontroller allows us to transform the action potential into either MIDI or Control Voltage for a Modular system. The following image corresponds to the recording of MIDI information from a Snake Plant at noon. This plant was not excited in any way during the recording process. I wish to keep this approach as Generative As I can without the voltage in my body affecting the fluctuations on the plant.

Now i’m able to capture different measures (MIDI) in order to contrast and compare information in reaction to different conditions such as touch, sound, voice, water, light (artificial - day / night) and between different types of plants. It’s very important to highlight the fact that plants are living organisms. As we do, they also suffer from stress. It’s crucial to have this in mind at all times while creating a structure for testing and interaction without harm.

In the next post I will showcase a bit more about this experimentation using another transducer from Playtronica. Have a great day!