About This Site
Hi! I'm Allan Sydvall. When I was 16 I read an article about electric nerve-stimulation. Since then I've been experimenting with electric stimulation (E-Stim).
In 1998 I published my first version of Wg32. Wg32 generates .wav files and runs on Windows. I didn't have the time to further develop Wg32,
and instead started testing the other stimulation programs that appeared on the Internet. Here is a list of all the software I've
tested during the last years. Click on the small icons for a screenshot of the software's main window!If you want your E-Stim software to be listed here, please drop me a line:
Shortcuts:
Electro-Stimulation Software Overview
E-Stim Software Review and Test
The Phaser Step-up Circuit Demystified and Where To Get The Transformers
Strong Compression of E-Stim Sound Files: ZIP Is Back!
Electro News
----- May 2009 -----
I finally updated the transformer page. There have been problems to get hold of the transformers from Pulse in small quantities, so the guys at
Phaser "approved" some comparable transformers from Tamura and Block. I ordered some samples from Tamura and checked
their frequency response characteristics. Read the details here: The Phaser Step-up Circuit Demystified.
I got some e-mails asking where to download the software I've listed here. All I can say is: Use the search engines. It's a sad fact that most of the promising E-Stim software projects ended up cancelled. Developing software can be tedious and time-consuming, and that's the reason I stopped my work on wg32 ten years ago. There's not too much that developers get in return when developing this kind of software. They even choose to stay anonymous, at least most of them. After a short time, the first enthusiasm has gone, and all that remains is a handful of users asking to implement this and that, which eats up all your time.
OK, back to the question at hand, where to rip the software off the Web? It's yet another fact that all software, once available on the Internet, is unlikely ever to go out of circulation. That's also true for the E-Stim software listed here. I've seen unauthorized copies of RXTC, SmartStim, Phaser, and even my own wg32 on Russian sites. Some were repackaged and some may contain additional software you do not want on your computer. If you are after this, be warned!
I got some e-mails asking where to download the software I've listed here. All I can say is: Use the search engines. It's a sad fact that most of the promising E-Stim software projects ended up cancelled. Developing software can be tedious and time-consuming, and that's the reason I stopped my work on wg32 ten years ago. There's not too much that developers get in return when developing this kind of software. They even choose to stay anonymous, at least most of them. After a short time, the first enthusiasm has gone, and all that remains is a handful of users asking to implement this and that, which eats up all your time.
OK, back to the question at hand, where to rip the software off the Web? It's yet another fact that all software, once available on the Internet, is unlikely ever to go out of circulation. That's also true for the E-Stim software listed here. I've seen unauthorized copies of RXTC, SmartStim, Phaser, and even my own wg32 on Russian sites. Some were repackaged and some may contain additional software you do not want on your computer. If you are after this, be warned!
----- April 2009 -----
Did you ever wonder what the popular Mp3 compression does to your E-Stim sound files? Would you believe that the good old Zip compression algorithm
compresses your E-Stim files much better than Mp3 or WMA or FLAC do? If not, read my article on
Strong Compression of E-Stim Sound Files!
Phaser updated their stimulation software to version 5.2. If you are using the DynaShape module to review and fine-tune your transformers, this update definitely is for you.
I noticed they published a new step-up circuit at Phaser, so I will modify my transformer page during the next weeks.
Phaser updated their stimulation software to version 5.2. If you are using the DynaShape module to review and fine-tune your transformers, this update definitely is for you.
I noticed they published a new step-up circuit at Phaser, so I will modify my transformer page during the next weeks.
----- January 2009 -----
X-F, SmartStim founder and programmer of the SmartStim software, has left the community, leaving the administration of the forum
to its moderators. There are plans for a new CI, and some 2 or 3 of the large video files were made freely accessible to push donations. Changes are due...
----- December 2008 -----
The development of the free and popular SmartStim software was stopped. At the time being, the software is not available
anymore from the SmartStim forum. The centralized SmartStim server was also taken offline, so any attempt to connect to the server will fail.
The forum is said to stay online.
I revised and updated the E-Stim Software Review and Test to reflect the changes made in the Phaser 5 software, which was released in October 2008.
I revised and updated the E-Stim Software Review and Test to reflect the changes made in the Phaser 5 software, which was released in October 2008.
----- November 2008 -----
25.11.2008: SmartStim server up again.
24.11.2008: SmartStim server not available. No DNS entry. Maintenance?
24.11.2008: SmartStim server not available. No DNS entry. Maintenance?
----- October 2008 -----
The best thing the Phaser guys ever did were the audio level meters. Although the DynaShape features were for sure more challenging to
realize, I won't stim without the level meters anymore. I couldn't find any better way to display the levels of a three-phase setup on the screen, so
here they came up with something really innovative! (No, I'm not playing down the DynaShape features, please read on!)
I did some tests with my step-up transformers and the DynaShape filter. Surprise, surprise, my transformers are better than I ever thought, even without DynaShape. Setting it all up is a little bit time consuming, but the results are really worth it. I found that leaving the cutoff frequency at its default of 3000 Hz works just fine with my transformers, while the auto detection sets it to 2600 Hz. This does not make a big difference, I learned. With DynaShape turned on, the short 50 us pulses look fine in either case.
16.10.2008: SmartStim services are back.
13.10.2008: SmartStim services are down for maintenance.
Phaser released their new Phaser 5.0 version which introduces a new filter to improve the pulse response and, long awaited, level meters to indicate the levels of the stimulation signals. I will check out the new DynaShape feature during the next weeks, so come back please.
I also noticed that the Phaser manual is now a pdf download, which allows to easily print out the 50 pages. Printing the old HTML online manual pages really was a mess.
I did some tests with my step-up transformers and the DynaShape filter. Surprise, surprise, my transformers are better than I ever thought, even without DynaShape. Setting it all up is a little bit time consuming, but the results are really worth it. I found that leaving the cutoff frequency at its default of 3000 Hz works just fine with my transformers, while the auto detection sets it to 2600 Hz. This does not make a big difference, I learned. With DynaShape turned on, the short 50 us pulses look fine in either case.
16.10.2008: SmartStim services are back.
13.10.2008: SmartStim services are down for maintenance.
Phaser released their new Phaser 5.0 version which introduces a new filter to improve the pulse response and, long awaited, level meters to indicate the levels of the stimulation signals. I will check out the new DynaShape feature during the next weeks, so come back please.
I also noticed that the Phaser manual is now a pdf download, which allows to easily print out the 50 pages. Printing the old HTML online manual pages really was a mess.
----- July 2008 -----
As mentioned in my E-Stim Software Review and Test, the SmartStim software (version 2.3.5) does
not run on Windows x64 systems. Now there is a patched DLL available from the SmartStim forum that actually solves this x64 issue.
----- May 2008 -----
Not much going on in Electro-Land these days. Had some time for workout ...
Yet another software must be added to the Hall of Fame: Stimulus. The website is down for quite some weeks now. Thomas was the developer of this promising Java based software. Too bad...
In the meantime I took the chance to review and test the remaining versions of E-Stim software. Whether you prefer freeware or are willing to pay for your E-Stim software, it's worth reading anyway: E-Stim Software Review and Test.
Yet another software must be added to the Hall of Fame: Stimulus. The website is down for quite some weeks now. Thomas was the developer of this promising Java based software. Too bad...
In the meantime I took the chance to review and test the remaining versions of E-Stim software. Whether you prefer freeware or are willing to pay for your E-Stim software, it's worth reading anyway: E-Stim Software Review and Test.
----- February 2008 -----
The latest attack that hit the SmartStim website on the weekend 23rd/24th probably exploited a PHP vulnerability and left the forum
inaccessible during the weekend. Here is a screenshot. SmartStim was running the phpBB 2.0 forum
software on PHP 4.3.10 and IIS 6.0, and now upgraded to phpBB 3.0, introducing a new look and feel.
We are now looking forward to the announced update of the free SmartStim software. I'll keep you updated...
Some discussion is going on for quite a while now about the right choice of transformers for a Phaser step-up circuit. So I asked Marc (Phaser) if he could give me some more information about these transformers, like specs and availability. He replied with a fact sheet and, yes, the part numbers. Good news: these transformers are available worldwide, at a reasonable price. Here are all the details...
We are now looking forward to the announced update of the free SmartStim software. I'll keep you updated...
Some discussion is going on for quite a while now about the right choice of transformers for a Phaser step-up circuit. So I asked Marc (Phaser) if he could give me some more information about these transformers, like specs and availability. He replied with a fact sheet and, yes, the part numbers. Good news: these transformers are available worldwide, at a reasonable price. Here are all the details...
----- December 2007 -----
Phaser updated their software to version 4.2. I just noticed, no time to check out the new features.
[04.01.2008]: It's an update fixing some problems with Vista. Interestingly, there now is only one version. The Standard Edition is discontinued, the website says. So if you have the Standard Edition, upgrade now for free and get the full (network) version. And yes, they finally changed their license scheme to a more user friendly one: just a serial key. This allows easy reinstallation onto new hardware at any time. See the Phaser FAQs.
[04.01.2008]: It's an update fixing some problems with Vista. Interestingly, there now is only one version. The Standard Edition is discontinued, the website says. So if you have the Standard Edition, upgrade now for free and get the full (network) version. And yes, they finally changed their license scheme to a more user friendly one: just a serial key. This allows easy reinstallation onto new hardware at any time. See the Phaser FAQs.
----- September 2007 -----
On September 5th SmartStim 2.3.4 was available for a short time, unfortunately introducing a new bug. The new feature, to export directly to mp3, did
not work properly. SmartStim 2.3.5, released only one day after, promised to have all bugs fixed.
Phaser is giving a special discount for Phaser 4 licenses, promising that they will also work with the upcoming and long awaited Phaser 5.
Phaser is giving a special discount for Phaser 4 licenses, promising that they will also work with the upcoming and long awaited Phaser 5.
----- August 2007 -----
There were some problems with SmartStim 2.3.2 like export to .wav not working correctly (wav file corrupted), frequency modulation
not working (no effect), and some other problems with the volume settings. SmartStim 2.3.3 was released on August 10th, but does not fix all problems.
----- June 2007 -----
Since 26.06.07 the SmartStim web site is having trouble with the MySQL Server not running, thus preventing users from logging in.
If someone has more details, please let us know! (Fixed)
SmartStim released two updates, the most recent version as of today (08.06.) is 2.3.2. The high CPU utilization issue still persists... On my Vista PC (3.2 GHz) the CPU usage dropped to about 20% (@ 44,100 Sampling rate), so you'd better get Vista right now!
SmartStim released two updates, the most recent version as of today (08.06.) is 2.3.2. The high CPU utilization issue still persists... On my Vista PC (3.2 GHz) the CPU usage dropped to about 20% (@ 44,100 Sampling rate), so you'd better get Vista right now!
----- May 2007 -----
SmartStim updated their free SmartStim 2 software to version 2.3. On my 2.8 GHz test PC (XP SP2) I noticed a high CPU usage, up to 30%.
With version 2.2.3.2 CPU usage stays below 10%. So we hope for a fix in the next version...
During the next weeks I will be checking Vista compatibility of our beloved stimulation software. Stay tuned...
During the next weeks I will be checking Vista compatibility of our beloved stimulation software. Stay tuned...
----- February 2007 -----
SmartStim released two versions this month, latest is 2.2.3.2 (as of 22.02). The expected 2.3 release introduces some changes
in the session file format, so let's hope our old files will still work...
I finally finished poking around with Phaser 3 and 4 session files. Find my conclusion here.
Auto1250, site admin of former MSN ElectroSexClub, closed the forum which had been transferred to WorldGroups.com in April 2006. "MSN was fun all the time but Worldgroups isn't at all. People are not able to find us any more", he posted to SmartStim a few days ago.
I finally finished poking around with Phaser 3 and 4 session files. Find my conclusion here.
Auto1250, site admin of former MSN ElectroSexClub, closed the forum which had been transferred to WorldGroups.com in April 2006. "MSN was fun all the time but Worldgroups isn't at all. People are not able to find us any more", he posted to SmartStim a few days ago.
----- January 2007 -----
The SmartStim software was updated to version 2.2.3. As far as I can see, X-F finally fixed that annoying bug I mentioned in the September
column.
It occurs to me that Phaser will be releasing version 5 of their software in the near future: They mention a Vista related problem to be fixed in Phaser 5.0 (Details).
It occurs to me that Phaser will be releasing version 5 of their software in the near future: They mention a Vista related problem to be fixed in Phaser 5.0 (Details).
----- October 2006 -----
Phaser updated their software to version 4.0.061010. The manual is no longer included in the trial download, but all of the manual
is accessible from the website. If you have a licensed version of Phaser 4 you might be interested in knowing how to use Phaser 3 formatted sessions with Phaser 4.
Phaser 3 session files are uncompressed and can easily be edited with Notepad or any other text editor. I found that the new Phase mode introduced with
Phaser 4 can also be set using a Phaser 3 session file! Details coming up soon!
----- September 2006 -----
SmartStim updated their software to version 2.2.2. The package comes with 63 sessions, which should last for a while. Too bad they
didn't fix the old bug that keeps smartstim.exe running in memory after you close the main window. Starting and closing SmartStim 3 times results
in 3 processes staying alive and consuming 20 MB of RAM each. The uninstaller will not remove the SmartStim folder and subdirectories Import and Export.
----- July 2006 -----
SmartStim recently updated the 2.2 version, so make sure you have the latest version. I wish there was just one place to get the latest
build of the software, instead you have to thoroughly browse through the messages to catch the newest release.
The "hidden About page" at Phaser turned out to be the official About page.
The "hidden About page" at Phaser turned out to be the official About page.
----- June 2006 -----
I accidentally stumbled over the hidden About page (!) at the Phaser website showing photos from the guys. My guess is that
they will publish this update on July 1st, as the main page shows that date (07/01: Our weird About page). The page is (at this time) only available from the
mirrors, not from the main website. Here is the link. Click on the ? in the upper right corner!
SmartStim's long awaited next version 2.2 was released on June 23rd. Get a copy and help (de-)bugging: "SmartStim gets better every day..." SmartStim now requires the MS .NET Framework 2.0 Runtime and Windows Installer 3.1, both being a 25 megs download. I will take a closer look during the next days, so check back please.
After the blackout at SmartStim in April the Phaser web site went offline for two days this month (4.-6. June). Most surprisingly all mirrors were off, too. Marc of Phaser Remote Solutions replied to my mail: "it... was an accidental deletion of the site...". However, here is a screenshot of the weird error page. I also asked Marc for an interview and mailed him a comprehensive questionnaire. He promised to reply soon, so stay tuned!
I received several complaints about problems viewing the screenshots of the listed programs, i.e. when clicking on the icon in the table, no new window with the picture pops up. Please let me know if you experience the same problem!
SmartStim's long awaited next version 2.2 was released on June 23rd. Get a copy and help (de-)bugging: "SmartStim gets better every day..." SmartStim now requires the MS .NET Framework 2.0 Runtime and Windows Installer 3.1, both being a 25 megs download. I will take a closer look during the next days, so check back please.
After the blackout at SmartStim in April the Phaser web site went offline for two days this month (4.-6. June). Most surprisingly all mirrors were off, too. Marc of Phaser Remote Solutions replied to my mail: "it... was an accidental deletion of the site...". However, here is a screenshot of the weird error page. I also asked Marc for an interview and mailed him a comprehensive questionnaire. He promised to reply soon, so stay tuned!
I received several complaints about problems viewing the screenshots of the listed programs, i.e. when clicking on the icon in the table, no new window with the picture pops up. Please let me know if you experience the same problem!
----- May 2006 -----
I may be wrong, but it's my impression that SmartStim is the by far most active forum around? Since the MSN ElectroSexClub disappeared,
almost everyone is posting to SmartStim. There is still a fistful other abandoned clubs at Yahoo left, but it makes no sense to even list them.
I got some mails asking for a parts list and a pcb for the Phaser circuit. I forwarded the mails to Phaser as the guys over there do have a lot of unpublished docs about E-Stim "they plan to publish soon". I really can't remember, but I'm quite sure I once saw a pcb layout somewhere. So if anyone can help...
I got some mails asking for a parts list and a pcb for the Phaser circuit. I forwarded the mails to Phaser as the guys over there do have a lot of unpublished docs about E-Stim "they plan to publish soon". I really can't remember, but I'm quite sure I once saw a pcb layout somewhere. So if anyone can help...
----- April 2006 -----
The MSN ElectroSexClub is being transferred to WorldGroups.com. MSN has sold off all of its MSN Adult Groups
to Intercosmos and Sig Solares, who will be operating the former MSN groups under their "WorldGroups" brand signature. The handoff from MSN to Intercosmos has been an absolute
disaster of erroneous disseminated information, links that don't work, and credit card numbers being demanded by Intercosmos from new registrants. WorldGroups.com is owned and
operated by Sigmund Solares, whose proprietary company, Intercosmos Media Groups, has long been accused of spamming, cybersquatting, domain hijacking and trademark infringement.
[Intercosmos Media Group, Inc. - Sigmund Solares -, 650 Poydras Street, Suite 1150, New Orleans LA 70130, USA]
SmartStim's outage on the 25th / 26th was "due to a misconfigured firewall". SmartStim is hosted with FastServers.Net, Chicago, IL, and operated from Tel Aviv, Israel.
Phaser now uses a unified installer that also allows to install a (very) restricted trial version of the software. Shortly after the release of the trial version the first patch appeared on the Net. Phaser has been plagued by crackers since the first commercial release of their software. It won't be too long until the trial version will disappear from the Phaser web site!
SmartStim's outage on the 25th / 26th was "due to a misconfigured firewall". SmartStim is hosted with FastServers.Net, Chicago, IL, and operated from Tel Aviv, Israel.
Phaser now uses a unified installer that also allows to install a (very) restricted trial version of the software. Shortly after the release of the trial version the first patch appeared on the Net. Phaser has been plagued by crackers since the first commercial release of their software. It won't be too long until the trial version will disappear from the Phaser web site!
----- March 2006 -----
The Phaser software was updated to version 4.0.060331 and is available as either Standard Edition (no network connectivity) or Network Edition.
The software overview reflects the changes.
----- February 2006 -----
Apparently the operator and owner Tina Ann Coutu (Marietta, GA) aka Ishtaria of
ElectroStimMag died in the first days of January 2006. I had no chance to verify that so far, but it's a fact that all websites she was involved with
are now closed. This includes AvatarSearch.com, Pentacle.net and CyberCraftCorp.com. If someone has more details that might
shed light on this, please let me know.
----- January 2006 -----
The guys at Phaser finally did their job and released the long awaited Phaser 4 Network Edition to the public. Well,
not exactly to the public, only to those holding a Phaser 3 license. All the rest of us, we keep on waiting (another 4 years?) or switch to
The next announced SmartStim 2 version expected to run in the .NET 2.0 environment. Programmer X-F (a fan of the FOX mystery series X Files?) moans about backward compatibility issues with the .NET 2 Framework. Further delay of the next build to be expected...
The forum ElectroStimMag was closed on Jan. 7th.
The next announced SmartStim 2 version expected to run in the .NET 2.0 environment. Programmer X-F (a fan of the FOX mystery series X Files?) moans about backward compatibility issues with the .NET 2 Framework. Further delay of the next build to be expected...
The forum ElectroStimMag was closed on Jan. 7th.
----- December 2005 -----
Surprisingly BlackBox programmer Da Man on Dec. 18th released a completely revised version of the
Animated Stereo Audio Tool, now reporting as version 1.0. Remember those moving sliders of the
0.2 beta? This beta was released on 13.2.02, that's nearly 4 years for the final to show up. Browsing through the menu there
are those promising but yet grayed out entries TCP master and TCP slave, so we are looking ahead for more news
on that...