An incantor is the name given to a circuit-bent Speak and Spell or Speak and Math. The name was given by the incantor's inventor, Reed Ghazala. The name originally referred to instruments built by Ghazala, but the term has come to describe any Speak and Spell-type toy modified by circuit-bending. If you're unclear on what circuit-bending is, check out An Introduction to Circuit Bending. Because of their availability and ease of construction, incantors have proved to be one of the most popular circuit-bending projects. Even Mick Jagger has one.
The Sound
Incantors are aleatoric (Ghazala's term) instruments. This means they are made to produce random sounds. And they are most definitely random. They don't even have to sound anything like the toy from which they are made. Digital blips and static along with scraps of random syllables or parts of syllables. Streams of random music are produced by bending circuits within the Speak and Spell. The loops that are supposed to sound like letters, numbers, or words are broken down and reassembled into a variety of unrecognizable sounds. Maybe it is best to hear it for yourself. Oddmusic has an page dedicated to incantors, along with an mp3 of incantor sounds.
The First Incantation
The incantor was introduced to the world in the June 1993 issue of the now-defunct Experimental Musical Instruments. The article, appropriately enough entitled "Incantors", featured Ghazala's photos and descriptions of his new device. As with many other circuit-bent instruments, they became much more popular when instructions were published on Ghazala's website in 2000. By that time, thrift stores across the country had many Speak and Spells or similar toys from Texas Instruments available at bargain prices. Speak and Maths and Speak and Reads are also good circuit bending projects. Ghazala and others have made incantors from all three models and each produces a unique set of sounds.
Construction
The most important aspect of an incantor is the modification of the looping circuit, which allows the instrument to produce the signature random strings of music. A pitch bend/speed dial to change the pitch and hence speed of the loop is usually present also as it greatly expands the range of sounds. Other common modifications include "body contacts" which are metal contacts that use the player's body's own resistance for vibrato or as an additional pitch bend. Reed Ghazala's instruments also feature a light-sensitive switch for further loop modification and an RCA jack for audio output as standard. If you are interested in building an incantor, Ghazala's Make Magazine article, Build an Incantor is an excellent, in-depth guide.
Additional Information
Introduction to Circuit Bending
Artist Profile - Reed Ghazala: Father of Circuit Bending
