Description
This is a vintage IQ video mixer, which has been circuit bent by me to provide some additional effects for glitchy video art.
Spec
This is a fairly basic black and red vintage video and audio mixer with single composite and S-Video connections for video, and RCA for audio. Please note that I have only tested the unit with composite video signals, and can’t speak to how well S-Video or the audio portions will function, if at all. I have modified the device to add 9 additional potentiometers to mangle up your composite video signal. I deliberately used red and white knobs to match the a e s t h e t i c of the original.
The unit comes with:
- The original box (a wee bit tattered given its age, but generally in good nick)
- A 12v DC UK PSU.
- The original manual.
No other accessories are included. The old mic was rubbish anyway. If you don’t want or need the UK PSU, please let me know when you order. If you are going to use a local PSU, please ensure that the polarity and input/output voltage is correct!
Description
This is a hard glitch unit. The effects are especially harsh and extreme, with distortion, rolling, dropuouts, and colour breakdowns. While you can dial in some extremely cool effects, especially if you make very small movements of the various knobs, and experiment with different signal sources, do not buy this if you want or expect nice, neatly defined results. This is an unpredictable beast that refuses to be tamed. More than any of the other devices I’ve bent, this will almost certainly need to be used with an analogue display (CRT TV or similar), or else with a time base corrector to smooth things out. If you try and record this straight into a digital capture card, TV, or HDMI projector, you will almost certainly be disappointed.
Make sure to experiment with the video gain and colour sliders, in addition to the knobs along the top of the mixer that have been added, as these have an impact on the intensity of the final results.
The base unit itself is in good condition, but has cosmetic marks and wear that you would expect for a device of this vintage. This is priced a wee bit lower than my last couple of devices due to its mad-cap nature.
Please read and note the following important things:
- If you are outside of Europe, you will possibly need to use a PAL to NTSC convertor box in order to get the best results. These are very cheap and easy to get from eBay or Amazon, and I use them successfully with my various devices from overseas.
- Glitchy video enhancers work best with analogue CRT TVs. If you want to use these with a digital TV, projector, or capture card, you will most likely experience drop-outs in the signal. This is normal and expected. You may wish to investigate a Time Base Corrector (TBC) to compensate for this – Especially important for this device!
- The audio sliders of the unit may still function, but they are untested. I did not deliberately bend any of the audio portion, but who knows what might happen with it. Don’t buy this if you want to use it for audio!
- This device has been modified by me, and so comes with limited to no warranty. Even though I’ve taken a lot of care to make sure this will work and last, I am not an electrician or electronics guru. I am not responsible for anything that blows up as a result (!). As with any of this kind of gear, it’s probably wise to not leave it running unattended.
- All analogue video art devices produce results that vary wildly depending on the input and output. As a result, any example pictures of the art shown will almost certainly differ to what you get. The key is to experiment!
- The signal from this box will never be ‘clean’, due to the nature of it. There is no untouched pass through or bypass. It will always look a bit glitched up.
- Read the above description carefully. This is a dirty, unpredictable beast, not a pleasant, manageable video effects box. 🙂
I have been modifying and using video enhancer devices for my own artwork for around about a year. This is the twelfth unit that I’ve put together, and I am selling it on to free up some room in my chaotic flat, but also to pay off some ludicrous music gear purchases. Any questions please fire me a message at allmyfas@gmail.com.
Postage
Postage costs are calculated at checkout. I will send the item out tracked, no matter what option is picked. For non-UK buyers, I know that the cost of shipping is high, but unfortunately this is the reality. I have subsidised the cost by 20% to make it more affordable.
Sample Images
Below are some pictures that I have shot of experiments with the circuit bent mixer, running video through it, displaying on a CRT TV. Shot with a Sony mirrorless camera.
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