The Ocular Organ V3 has been a long time coming…
As dedicated followers know, the Organ has been through a couple iterations over its life. The original piece was a Plug In installation winner for Electric Forest Music Festival which served as a springboard to our many future projects. Deploying such a complex installation has taught everyone on our team a lot about portability, modularity, reliability in all conditions including weather, large crowds and extreme dust and it has continually invigorated our love for interactivity and observing human nature.
After using Version 2 at Electric Forest in 2019, we decided it was time to build a totally new piece from the ground up using all of the knowledge we had gained over running this installation for four years. Designing, as usual, began with sketches, lists, and CAD and throughout the process we always tried to remember the Organ’s roots and incorporate aesthetic updates that made sense evolutionarily. The CAD process became especially important for this project because we knew from the start that we wanted this piece to be modular and, ideally, be assembled by only two people. Previous versions had been one piece and too heavy to move without a machine.
The year 2020 brought us many things but the first half of it, for us, was dominated by the fabrication of V3. We started with an all new steel frame, welded entirely by Natalia, which would serve as a base structure for all the removable panels and pieces. From there we moved in many directions from carpentry to acrylic fabrication, to electronics, wiring and paint. As with all of our projects, we investigate and explore new products and skills and because this was our own project we were completely free to make any and all aesthetic choices. Along the way we honed our skills in CNC routing, laser cutting, low voltage electronics, resins, 3D printing, and even got familiar with some really special paints.
Version 3 of the Ocular Organ now employs over 4,000 individually addressable LEDs which we control through a combination of Resolume and MA. Each of the four removable wall panels are lined with LEDs, each of the pipes have LED rings, the keys are illuminated, the title plate including the install’s moniker is side lit and the most ambitious addition, the video panel, is made of individually addressable LEDs. For those that know LEDs, this project was designed and built mere months before 12v addressable tape was widely available in the US. That’s right, this whole thing is 5v. In total it draws over 100 amps@5v. Yikes.
Because it all runs on 5v pixels, power needs to be distributed as close as possible to the LEDs in order to avoid voltage drop. We drafted nine custom power and data distribution boxes which are spread throughout the inside of the Organ and are fully removable for transport and teching. The nineteen pipes have a special power/data distro to handle the complex data path and high draw.
To complete the Organ, we acquired an actual organ bench and refinished it with a new paint job and a beautiful resin pour for the seat. The new bench is large enough to support a duet, and though it is taller than the average piano bench, it does leave room for a potential pedal board.
The exterior finish of the Organ is just as complex as the electronics within it. With a purple tinted stain and rich gold accents from Modern Masters, it looks more regal than ever while still being funky enough to fit in at Electric Forest. The small accent pipes were finished in a metallic copper paint and the patina was achieved using an activator that produces a real physical patina. The CNC facades of the side and rear panels were treated in the same fashion.
Surrounding and reacting to the Organ was a lighting rig designed by Tyler Ellis and supplied by LEC Event Technology. Eight Aryton Perseos and twenty four Chauvet Professional Colorados crowned the Organ in the trees. Version 3 is an entirely different design which means a different patch and programming and Tyler has been working for years at this point to get it right. The nature of this installation means that much of the organ is publicly facing but the amount of effort and engineering that takes place behind the scenes is astounding. Creating something that can react so quickly and in ever changing ways throughout an event is no small programming task. Our hats are off for Tyler and Jimmy for pushing this system to the limit while also leaving room to create relaxing and thoughtful moments for those times the Forest gets a little crazy.
Thank you
The Ocular Organ was the start of it all for Dark Moon Designs, to finally see it at its home in Electric Forest after a three year gap was extremely satisfying! Many patrons of the Forest have waited a long time to let their fingers fly on the keyboard while all of us on the team have looked forward to seeing this prized piece back in action.
As always we have to send our heartfelt thanks to the Art Operations team in Sherwood Forest for always going the extra mile and for their unwavering support for this grand idea.
Thanks to our entire team including Tyler Ellis, Jimmy Gately, Annette Lucero and Conor Davis. You all worked extra hard for us this year and we really appreciate your passion and dedication.
