Anthesizer I

The Ants

Pogonomyrmex rugosus

or in short, roogs

P. rugosus are desert harvester ants from Sonoran Desert, primarily rely on seeds.

Ants are known to communicate with chemical elements called pheromone. However, there are some ant species that also communicate with sounds. They do this by stridulation, rubbing their body parts against one another.

Anthesizer I focuses on their stridulatory communication, especially the sound itself, and turns it into a deep cave-like ambience using real-time synthesis software, MaxMSP.

The Structure

Anthesizer I is featuring THA Mini Hearth Type III

There are three contact mics placed inside the Nest area and the Outworld area each.

Each mics are connected to amp circuits, sending the audio signals to MaxMSP.

The circuit

Ants’ communication is picked up by contact mics and go to amplifier circuits.

Circuit Schematic is from HERE

The Patch

This is where the magic happens. Turning stridulation into a beautiful soundscape.

Anthesizer I Input Section