Quasar Wave Transducer (1980-2014)

The Quasar Wave Transducer is a subsonic non-linear dynamic analog feedback sound sculpture that produces low frequency vibrations that sound like a big cat purring. Some research has shown that cat purring has a healing effect and this may work in a similar fashion. It consists of bass guitar strings detuned extremely loose to subsonic notes that are mounted directly to a bass speaker cabinet powered by an audio amplifier that is amplifying the strings vibrations. They are tuned to subsonic frequencies (the frequencies are too low to measure, approx. 4-14hz) in the range of human brain waves and the Earth’s Schumann resonance. They vibrate continuously in a non-linear chaotic pattern due to feeding back through the amplifier. These sounds and vibrations can having a soothing and healing effect as well as promote a meditative state.

Many thousands of people have experienced this sound sculpture as it has been used inside of the Portal installations that have been at Burning Man and many other festivals since 2004. Its is available separately or comes with all Portal installations.

This is a prototype with a tactile transducer attached to the strings to vibrate them directly, instead of being vibrated by the speaker cabinet in the original version.