Koma Elektronik

Notes: It's all about the things you connect to the The Field Kit! To get you started, Koma Elektronik have decided to offer an Expansion Pack with a bunch of different sources that you can use and connect to create your own signature sounds.

The Expansion Pack contains:

- 2 x Contact Microphones: Use these contact microphones to pick up vibration or sound, they are an amazing versatile input source
- 1 x Electro-Magnetic Pickup: This guy is good at picking up changes in magnetic fields, you can use it to amplify a string like a guitar pickup or amplify a spinning motor
- 1 x Solenoid push-pull motor: Use the solenoid to hit things, together with the DC Interface the solenoid can make anything rhythmical and percussive
- 1 x DC motor: The Motor can be used to rotate things or as a noisy oscillator together with the Electro-Magnetic Pickup
- 1 x small speaker: Use the speaker to listen to the main mix or as a sound source and to feedback sounds
- 3 x patch cables Always handy to have around to patch up different parts of your Field Kit... and a bunch of little objects to play with (little springs, marbles)

The new KOMA Elektronik Field Kit is the perfect tool for everyone who would like to experiment with electro acoustic sound. Use everyday objects, amplify them and use them to make sound, like our heroes John Cage and David Tudor used to do!

The Field Kit is optimized to process signals from microphones, contact microphones, electromagnetic pickups and able to run DC motors and solenoids. On top of that it can receive radio signals and convert signals from switches and sensors into control voltage!

Notes: The Field Kit Sensor Pack A consists of 5 sensors:

- Button/Jack
- Electret Microphone
- Light Sensor
- Temperature Sensor
- Ball Switch
- 2 x Dupont 3 contact cable to connect the Sensors to the Field Kit

Button/Jack:

This is rather a utility tool than an actual sensor. It allows you to either use a pushbutton or any CV-Signal (0- 5V) as a signal source. You can select to either use the button or any signal connected to the jack input with the jumper located right next to pin-header. The voltage present at the output upon a button press can be selected with the two jumpers next to the button. The button and jack can be used with both the ANALOG IN and the DIGITAL IN of the Field Kit's Sensor Interface.

Electret Microphone:

The electret microphone provides a simple solution to use your surroundings as a sample source. The board features a little trimmer to adjust the gain of the microphone pre-amplifier. Use a little screwdriver to adjust the gain according to the printing on the sensor board. It's preferable to adjust the signal level with the trimmer first and only use the level pot of the analog signal interface as a second adjustment stage. The electret microphone has an omnidirectional directivity and is capable of capturing the whole frequency spectrum from 20 to 20000 Hz. The electret microphone is best be used with the ANALOG IN of the Field Kit's Sensor Interface.

Light Sensor:

The light sensor will change the output voltage depending on the light intensity. The spectral sensitivity is similar to the human eye, covering the full spectra of visible light, with a peak at 570nm (green/yellow). The change of the voltage according to the light intensity can be set with the three jumpers on the board. Set those jumpers according to printing on the board. The light sensor can be used with the ANALOG IN and the DIGITAL IN of the Field Kit's Sensor Interface.

Temperature Sensor:

The temperature board features two output modes: a continuous CV or a trigger.

CV Mode: The board will output a continuous voltage in range 0 - 5 V depending on the measured temperature and scaled to the set lower and upper temperature limit.

Trigger Mode: The board will generate a trigger whenever the measured temperature rises above the set upper limit temperature. LED 1 will blink whenever a trigger is generated. The sensor covers a temperature range from -55-C to +125-C.

Ball Switch:

The ball switch consists of a little bouncy ball jumping around in a container connecting two contacts and thus acts like a switch. In contrary to a normal push button, which has very well defined states, the switching of a ball switch is more similar to a percussion shaker. There are two resting-positions which define a certain state of the switch: the board is lying flat on the table with its bottom facing the table: the switch is open the board is lying flat on the table with its top facing the table: the switch is closed. The voltage assigned to those states can be set with the two jumpers on the board. Refer to the printing on the board to identify the position that suits your needs. The ball switch can be used with the ANALOG IN and the DIGITAL IN of the Field Kit's Sensor Interface.