Okay, my studio might need an exorcist now. We're testing out the Demon Box, an odd analog/digital hybrid instrument/controller/listening device that translates EMF (electromagnetic fields) into audio, MIDI, and control voltage (CV) signals. It's the first commercial product from L.A.-based Eternal Research, and it's much more akin to a demonic science experiment than anything we've reviewed in the past.
The distinctive, sturdy triangular metal desktop enclosure of the Demon Box houses an array of 33 inductors on its top surface, organized into three overlapping channels that "read" EMF and then translate and transmit MIDI or CV to a source of your choosing. Anything that has an electromagnetic field will interact with the Demon Box – so that means anything magnetic or that has an electric current running through it. Think speakers, radios, power tools, tape machines, electric guitars, your electric toothbrush – there is plenty of mysterious and invisible electromagnetic energy passing through the world around us at all times. The Demon Box aims to translate that invisible chaos into something musical.
Powered by USB-C (which also transmits and receives MIDI), the Demon Box has three audio inputs and outputs (all 1/4-inch balanced mono), plus a "triphonic array" output (also 1/4-inch) that combines all three outputs. Three CV outputs and a standard five-pin MIDI output complete the I/O. The most intriguing use case for me was to patch the Demon Box via USB or five-pin MIDI to an instrument that accepts (CC) Continuous Controller values. Each inductor channel can pass different interpolated MIDI CC values, and each channel has varied levels of interpolation or "smoothing". When holding a small speaker output near the inductor array, I could find a variety of interesting (and predominantly random) modulation patches. The intensity of the modulation is "played" by simply moving the EM source closer to or further away from the inductor panel. It's like playing a Theremin, controlling a filter cutoff (for example) via the position of your hands in 3D space.
I also tried a number of motorized sources, such as Dremel rotary tools, drills, clippers, and micro-cassette recorders, but one of the sources that seemed to emit the most chaotic and intense EM was my phone. No surprises there – this is why engineers often facepalm during takes when someone forgets to turn their phone off before placing it near an unshielded cable. I found the audio of the various EMF sources to be more of a sound effect than a musical piece. Still, they were often worthy of recording, if for no other reason than as a demonic texture for further editing and sampling later.
For me, the MIDI note data coming from the Demon Box was a challenge to tame, especially since it's unclocked and can't (at least in the current firmware) be tempo-synced. If I patched in a synth, for example, most of the notes sent from the MIDI interface resulted in wild runs and super-fast glissandos. Although there are some sensitivity controls (both physical and also tweakable via MIDI input over USB-C), it would be interesting to see if Eternal Research could (via firmware updates) add additional controls to filter certain MIDI events or even constrain notes to scales. The lack of a way to clock the Demon Box is less of a restriction when using it with a DAW (which often have bundled MIDI filter effects) or even with modular, if you have something like a Busy Circuits Pamela's Workout clock source module to help tame the chaos.
The product manual highlights other possible use cases that involve modulation destinations like Digital Multiplex (DMX) lighting rigs/controllers (note that conversion from MIDI or CV to DMX usually requires separate hardware). Although I have yet to begin speaking in tongues after playing with this unit, I suspect that the Demon Box would find itself possessing experimental musicians or engineers seeking a unique expressive tool or an entirely new (and devilish) sound palette. While not for everyone, the Demon Box desires to exist as Bringer of Chaos: "I'm the Devil. Now kindly undo these straps."