A Piano for Visuals: Affordances of Scan Processing Instruments

Abstract The analog technology of scan processing was developed and used during the 1970s as a means of electronic image animation. Because their real time modes of operation strongly resemble those of electronic music instruments, scan processors can be considered instruments for composing and playing moving images. Despite being replaced by cheaper digital tools in commercial studios during the 1980s, scan processing has a distinctive aesthetic that continues to inspire both visual artists and instrument designers. This article examines how the affordances of scan processing instruments arise from specific combinations of user, technology and situation by surveying a number of technical and artistic use cases involving two different instruments: the VP-8 Image Analyzer and the Rutt/Etra Video Synthesizer. The article also demonstrates how reenacting an instrument works through its historical affordances using current technological means to address contexts of the present day.