Rorschach in the Wild: Synth East, First Shipments, and Live Shows
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for Lumatic Visual Devices, and we wanted to share a quick update on what’s been happening behind the scenes.
Between exhibitions, live performances, and the first units leaving the workshop, Rorschach has started making its way out into the world.
Synth East
First up was Synth East in Norwich, which marked our first exhibition as Lumatic Visual Devices.
The event, organised by Molten Modular, Electronic Sound Magazine, and Norwich Arts Centre brings together a wide range of instrument makers, artists, and experimental hardware designers. Most of the exhibitors focus on audio — modular synthesisers, effects, and controllers, so bringing a stand built around analog video synthesis felt like a slightly unusual contribution to the room.
Lumatic Visual Devices' stand at Synth East.
We set up several CRT televisions driven by Rorschach, letting the visuals evolve throughout the day. In a space full of audio instruments, glowing analog video patterns definitely drew attention, and we had some great conversations with people encountering video synthesis for the first time.
For a first outing, the response was incredibly encouraging. It was lovely to speak to so many people who seemed to genuinely love what we have created, and to make some new friends. Synth East has a really nice community vibe to it, we got to see some amazing performances, and meet other brands.
Rorschach Starts Shipping
The other big milestone is that Rorschach units have now started shipping.
Seeing the first instruments leave the studio after months of development is both exciting and slightly surreal. These early units are heading out to artists, experimenters, and visual performers who have supported the project from the beginning.
We can’t wait to see what people create with them once they’re in the wild.
We still have many preorders to build and DIY kits to put together, thank you for being patient while you wait for yours, we will have it to you soon, if you don't already have it.
Corsica Studios - Bleep 43
Last weekend, Rorschach visuals were also used at Corsica Studios in London for Bleep 43, the long-running underground electronic music night.
Visual artists Chromatouch and L'Aubaine incorporated Rorschach into the visuals for the night, for a line up that included Surgeon, Azu Tiwaline, Trappist, & Linnley. Seeing the instrument used in a club environment like that was a huge moment for us.
It also carries a bit of poignancy: Corsica Studios is closing its doors at the end of this month, so Rorschach being part of one of its final events made the event feel even more special.
Cable Festival
At the same time, Rorschach was also out in the field at Cable Festival in Stoke-on-Trent where Lumatic Visual Devices were an official partner.
Both myself (Mundane Consciousness) and Traindeer, my partner in Lumatic Visual Devices, used Rorschach as part of the visual setup across four days of the fesitval, providing visuals for sets including:
- µ-Ziq
- Palendrones
- Leg Puppy 2.0
- Die Dan Die
among others.
Mundane Consciousness using Rorschach at Cable Festival for Traindeer's set.
Running Rorschach in a live festival environment is always the best kind of testing ground. Nothing reveals the strengths and quirks of an instrument faster than real performances in front of a crowd.
Looking Ahead
With the first Rorschach units now shipping and the instrument already appearing in live environments, things are starting to move quickly.
Over the next few weeks we’ll be sharing more examples of how artists are using Rorschach, along with practical guides on integrating it into different visual setups.
As always, thank you to everyone who has supported the project so far.
It’s still early days, but it’s incredibly rewarding to see Rorschach beginning to find its place in studios, clubs, and performances.
Big Love
Lumatic Visual Devices