If I recall correctly, I heard about four or five
unique sounds. A good representation of all of them would be ideal, but I'm not
sure if it would require recording the whole procedure or not. I can
always loop the samples in the studio...though ideally, it would be cool to have
an entire 30 min. MRI session recorded, and I would just use that as a backdrop
for experimental looping...one LONG freakin' song. I would also mangle
sections of the MRI recording with my VST effects, such as Antares Filter,
PSP84, etc.
Kris
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2005 2:15
PM
Subject: RE: The MRI and Looping: For
Ambient & Experimental Music?
How
much time would you like Kris? I'll see what I can do.
Michael
That would be outstanding. Perhaps putting the
recording in the control room of the MRI facility and having the wires run
into the room, two stereo microphones on either side of the machine would be
ideal, but that may not be feasible. Even a basis minidisc recorder
with a small stereo microphone attached would be good enough raw material
for me! :)
Your comment about the headphones explains why
the headphones they put on me were attached to plastic tubing that ran to
the control room...just the like good ol' fashion communication system in
boats and submarines! I think a mic would be fine outside the machine.
When I had my MRI, there were plenty of objects in the room around the
machine...I just couldn't have any metallic objects on my body inside it.
They were really concerned about that. I was shot in the leg by a .357
magnum when I was a teenager, which left several pieces of soft lead in my
leg, which were removed surgically. That was enough for them to open their
manual and search for data on that caliber of gun, types of bullets, copper
vs. lead shells, etc.
Kris
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 5:01
PM
Subject: RE: The MRI and Looping: For
Ambient & Experimental Music?
I have connections and could probably sneak into one, the challenge
is recording it with something non-magnetic. It's been a challenge
to design headphones that won't rip off your head (read that as you
like;-) ) or mess up the images. Let me think about a
technique....
I just had a most exhilarating experience:
my first MRI (on my lower back). This was amazing. I laid down on
a sliding table, and they pushed me into a sarcophagus like tube
with mere inches around my entire body. They put large
headphones on my head, and then for the next 30 minutes I was eased into
a seemingly euphoric and meditative state. What I heard were a
series of interesting sounds...from jackhammer-like hammering, to
buzzing or vibrating cycles, bizarre sci-fi industrial like sounds, and
so on. It was delightful. The MRI technician said it was a rarity
for someone to actually enjoy that procedure. At one point
in time, I was in a half waking/dream state and was awoke by my leg
twitching. I could have stayed in there most of the
day. And the amazing thing is that when I asked about the source of
the sounds, he said they were not mechanically generated; rather, around
my body, encased in metal, was a giant electrical coil surrounded by
helium, chilled down to a cool minus 270 degrees. The sounds were
a result of changes they were making in the electrical current and the
resulting vibrations to the machine. Unbelievable...not sure how all
that produces an image of my back, however.
...anyway, I started thinking, I would love
to have that 30 minutes captured on a digital recorder so that I could
use it for looping or as an ambient backdrop to my more experimental
looping.
Are there any MRI technicians on the
list?
Kris
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