Analogue. Some people love it, some people hate it, and some people quest after it like it’s the panacea of sound. Personally, I love analogue synthesizers – I love how they sound, I love how they feel, and I love how they look.

Even among analogue synths, some filters and oscillators can sound more organic than others. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the most ‘organic’ oscillator on earth: the electric fish oscillator!

If you go into most pet stores, you can find a little fish called a Gnathonemus Petersii – a member of the Mormyrid family. Most pet store employees will recognize it as the Elephant Nose Fish.

http://www.synthgear.com/2009/audio-gear/analogue-oscillator-fish/

The interesting thing about this fascinating little animal is that it emits pulses of electricity into the water. It uses these tiny little shocks to locate food, other fish, and potential mates. You can actually listen to this electric fish rather easily if if use a small piezoelectric earphone or amplified speaker.

Here’s what you do:

Get a piezoelectric earphone  here or at Radio Shack or any electronics store. Piezoelectric earphones are very sensitive to small electrical signals. Alternatively, you could use a cheap computer speaker.

Take one of the wires (there are two connected to the earphone, it doesn’t matter which one) and put this wire underwater  into one side of the fish tank. Put the other wire into the other side of the fish tank – make sure that there is a small amount of bare wire at each end.