Richard Gorbutt has been building an analog modular video synthesizer over a period of years. The invention is capable of producing original synthetic images from live recordings and input; it is one of a kind and one of a handful of similar inventions in the world, and he also distorts the image input using or in conjunction with his live sound art.While there are many video artists working with film, a layman understands that that the commercial film sector works primarily with digitally produced film. Gorbutt's analog video device develops and re-imagines a defunct branch of technology as analog is not presently in widespread development or use since analog recording signals are generally reduced into data signals for use with computers.In the process of refining his invention, Gorbutt used a camera and a large television, soldered to add additional components including 6 oscillators, a mixer, an 'rgb and syn interface', and these were paced into a finished cabinet.
Gorbutt says, "I've been researching and designing an analog modular video synthesizer for the last couple of years, and building one since the beginning of 2010." He has described the engineering of the device in great detail on his blog (below).