Maker Interview: ArcAttack
Saturday, October 18 - Sunday, October 19
Travis County Exposition Center (7311 Decker Ln.)
[info] | [tickets]
Austinist: What inspired you to make music with Tesla coils?
Joe: From the very first time I ever saw a solid state Tesla coil (SSTC) in action, it was obvious to me that it could be modified to play music. That was back in 2002? I'm not even sure anymore. I moved to Austin in 2005 and shortly after met Oliver at a coffee shop. I overheard him talking about robots actually, and invited myself into the conversation. We started working on projects together and decided that it would be good fun to go ahead and build a Tesla coil. After getting our first prototype working in October of 2005, the very next thing we did is hack it to play music. I remember being very surprised at the time that there was an aspect of SSTCs that was basically unexplored.The first song to ever play from a disrupted mode singing Tesla coil was the demo song on our casio keyboard back in November of 2005. After realizing the potential of producing audio with Tesla coils, it was basically a no brainer.
Austinist: Tell us a little bit about the ArcAttack team.
Joe: Our group essentially consists of myself (Joe DiPrima), Oliver Greaves, John DiPrima, Tony Smith, Patrick "Parsec" Brown, and Craig Newswanger. Oliver and I designed and built the Tesla coils. John and Tony have been writing most of the music and Pat... well he speaks to the crowd. Craig isn't with us at shows so much, but he offers a hand at tech support and building equipment. He is the one responsible for the robotic drummer. We're a diverse group of people and that helps making what we do a little bit easier.
Austinist: What is your favorite thing about being able to present this type of art to the public?
Joe: My favorite part about bringing this art to the public.. well that's a tough question to answer really. It's fun seeing how people react to it. People are starting to get used to it now, but when we first started presenting it, no one expected to see what this stuff actually does. It's also an excellent way to get people interested in the science behind it, though it's just as effective as an inane form of entertainment. I think most importantly, it keeps us entertained. We love building this stuff. Having an outlet for our productivity? Well I guess that's just kind of a bonus.
Austinist: What are your thoughts about how Austin fits together with Maker Faire?
Joe: I think that Austin is a pretty ideal town for the Maker Faire. There are a lot of people here that like to make things, and really get into it. There is a lot of quality work for the Maker Faire to showcase.
Austinist: What is your favorite part about being involved with ArcAttack?
Joe: Electronics and music have always been very important to me. Since before I can really remember. It's great to be productive in a project that incorporates both. I like having deadlines and dealing with last minute engineering problems, and we definitely get a lot of that. I guess it's better than spending your time watching TV, right?
Austinist: What are you most looking forward to at Maker Faire this year?
Joe: There is a lot of stuff we're looking forward to. Everything from the people we know and the projects that they are bringing, to my friends that are coming to visit and help out with our set. It'll be good to walk around see everyone's projects, and notice how it's different from last year. It'll be good to see the crew from Make and have the chance to make this year's Maker Faire better than last.
Interview by Aaron Haley
Maker Faire, a celebration of all things do-it-yourself, is taking place in Austin on Saturday, October 18th and Sunday, October 19th at the Travis County Expo Center. Discount tickets are available now through Friday the 17th at the Austin Children's Museum and at Whole Foods on Lamar.
