Circuit Bent Sima Pro Ed/it 2 Video Enhancer – #010 (sold out)

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.

I have added the following to control different glitchy parameters.:

• 4x knobs.
• 4x latching switches.
• 1x momentary switch.

Note that 3 of these knobs are on the side of the unit, rather than the top, and two of the switches are on the front of the unit. This is down to space constraints, and to re-use existing holes from the audio inputs.

The unit comes with:

• The original box (a bit tattered).
• A new UK 12v DC PSU (120v or 240v switchable) – or the original 12v DC US PSU (120v input only).

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

With only a single ‘enhancer’ slider, and limited internal electronics for the enhancement circuit, it took me longer than usual to get the Sima 2 to a good place. However, I managed to stumble upon some particularly cool liney and colour effects.

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 with minimal case modification. Using a combination of these plus the original enhancement slider provides some really cool and usable effects.

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. 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 always necessarily get a clean video signal by engaging bypass.

Please note that the following important things:

1. I haven’t been able to definitively work out whether or not this is a PAL or NTSC unit. It works fine with my PAL equipment in the UK, but it came with a US PSU, and the warranty card said it was purchased in NYC. As a result, you may need a PAL to NTSC or NTSC to PAL adaptor for best results. These can be picked up very cheaply from Amazon or eBay.
2. 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.
3. 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!
4. 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 (!).
5. 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 around about a year. This is the tenth unit that I’ve put together, and I am selling it on 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 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 reality. I have subsidised the cost by 20% to make it more affordable.