Jacob's Ladder

How it's made

Source

a hot conducting air channel climbs two diverging wires, stretches, breaks and restrikes below. Filtered white noise models turbulent expansion; 120 Hz amplitude modulation gives the mains buzz.

Body

a broad noise emphasis climbs from 650 to 3000 Hz as the arc thins. A quieter band-limited buzz rises from 110-210 to 330-580 Hz with random flutter. A 1.4-8.4 kHz rolloff opens during the climb.

Envelope

one, two or three climbs fill a 6 s loop. Each starts in 18 ms, swells while stretching, sputters near 85% of the cycle, then extinguishes in 22 ms; the final 8% allows a clear reset.

Events

70-440 filtered microdischarges/s grow denser near the top. A separate 1 ms pressure attack, 16 ms crack and 65 ms low air-body mark the break 10 ms after extinction, with a softer second spark.

Layers

quiet 60/120/240 Hz supply hum remains through the reset. Arc noise has independent narrow stereo edges, while buzz and the terminal pop stay near the centre. No room reverb is baked in.

Variation

seeded flutter, noise, discharge grains and per-climb strength vary the cycles. Size lowers the buzz and thickens its body; brightness, instability and top-pop balance have bounded ranges.

Presets

tall slow arcs, fast small gaps, heavy ragged arcs and fine smooth wires differ in cadence, spectrum, discharge density and transient balance. Six seconds holds whole cycles and mains periods.

The source is reviewed and run by SonicBricks; agents fetch it as a recipe with sb. It is not published on this page.