Description
This is a Sima Pro Ed/it 2 analogue video processing unit, which has been circuit bent by me to provide some additional effects for glitchy video art.
Spec
This is a fairly basic video and audio mixer from Sima which has composite video connections. I have modified it fairly heavily, and so many of the original sliders, buttons, and connections will not do what they were intended to.
I have added:
- 7x knobs that control different glitchy parameters.
- 1x latching switch to enable or disable one of those knobs.
- 2x additional latching switches for other effects.
Note that 3 of these knobs are on the side of the unit, rather than the top. This is down to space constraints.
The unit comes with a new 12v UK DC PSU. 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. I can’t fix it if you blow it up!!
Description
Don’t let the size of the Sima Ed/it 2 fool you. This particular device packs a punch. With only a single ‘enhancer’ slider, it is a trickier one to bend, and took me longer than usual to get it to a good place. However, I managed to stumble upon a particularly cool rainbow effect which provides bursts and waves of colours, making this even more powerful than the Sima Pro Ed/it 3 that I recently had up for sale. This is probably one of the best bends I’ve done, and I was tempted to keep it for myself, but after a few months of using it with my own art, it’s time to move it on so I can pay off some of the other ridiculous devices I’ve bought in the meantime.
By removing the additional video inputs and audio portions of the unit, I have been able to squeeze in a number of additional knobs and switches. Using a combination of these plus the original enhancement slider can provide some of the coolest effects I’ve ever managed to get out of a video enhancer.
- The blue knob on the top of the unit is activated or de-activated by the switch to its left.
- The ‘silver’ knob has the added bonus of being touch capacitive to some degree, with skin contact having a varying impact on the output, depending on the particular effect.
There was originally two sets of RCA inputs on this device, with a switch to select the source. However, I have removed the ‘cam’ inputs to fit three additional effects knobs. As a result, there is now only one composite video input and output. Similarly, I have removed the microphone input on the bottom of the unit to make space for the other modifications, so this feature also obviously no longer functions – neither do the corresponding audio sliders. Finally, please note that the bypass and auto-fade functions of the unit no longer work as they did before – in that you will not get a clean video signal by engaging bypass.
Please note that the following important things:
- This is a PAL unit. That means that if you are in a region that uses the NTSC format (like the USA), you will need a PAL to NTSC convertor.
- 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.
- 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 (!).
- 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!
I have been modifying and using video enhancer devices for my own artwork for a couple of years. This is the ninth unit that I’ve put together, and I’m selling it on at a relatively cheap price – partly to free up some room in my chaotic flat, but also to fund the purchase of other base units to modify and experiment with. It would be an ideal affordable device for somebody looking to get into the world of video art. 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 current reality. I have subsidised the cost by about 25% to try make it more affordable.
Example Images
Here are some pictures that I shot by running stock videos through the circuit bent Sima Edit 2, photographed from a couple of different CRT screens.
Reviews
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