You can now find Bodytronix tracks on my SoundCloud .  We’re playing Friday July 2nd at the ND @ 501 Studios.  Come have fun with us, Pong, and Woodgrain.

Handmade Music Austin #9 (nine already!?) is coming up on Sunday afternoon July 11th at the usual location, Salvage Vanguard Theatre in Austin TX.  I came up with a new basic level project called 1976 Phototheremin.  Here’s a demo:

The original circuit is by Forrest Mims III, from the book OPTOELECTRONIC PROJECTS vol 1.  I fell in love with this circuit when I saw it, because it is ultra-minimal.  It has only seven components including the battery and speaker.  Its real transistor magic.  The active circuit is just two transistors, a capacitor, and photocell.  I’ve crossed my fingers that the PCBs will get here in time for the workshop.

I’ve also been experimenting with voltage-controlled oscillators.  In particular the 4069 CMOS VCO of René Schmitz.  I got rid of the PWM section and built two VCOs from one CD4069.  The temperature compensation method deserves some re-working however, because Schmitz’s design requires one tempco resistor per CV input.  It would more efficient to use one tempco per VCO.  So I am consulting some of the other VCO designs I see, including a nice one by Ian Fritz that you can see here.

In order to appreciate the subtleties of temperature compensation, the VCO must be tuned accurately.  This can be a chore so I imagined a circuit to make it easier.  It is just a voltage sequencer that outputs stairstep waveforms with 1.00V intervals.  This makes the VCO play descending octave intervals, and its easiest to hear if it is tuned accurately.  Here’s more information, and a demo.

a short documentary demonstrating an experimental field recording technique. lets roll from new jersey to brooklyn and listen to hidden sounds outside the window.  please pardon the shaky video.

more sound camera recordings

Eureka.  I designed a dual SP0256 vocal synthesizer and it works.

Also,  a new track …

 EDRUPT - m-u-s-i-k

 … and a photo of the Radatron JE Experimenter lounging in the yard.
Spring has come to Texas.

(wtf is a Radatron JE Experimenter? .. its the subject of a future update)

PS I just updated that page with schematics and perfboard layout, in case you have a lonely SP0256-AL2 waiting for a chance to jabber.

The vocal synth will debut at SXSW Interactive on 3/13 when Bodytronix plays Dorkbot at Brush Square Park.  We’re playing a bunch more gigs coming up so maybe we will see you.

• Sat. 3/13 6PM - Dorkbot 23 at SXSW Interactive (RSVP event)… located in Brush Square Park right outside the Austin convention center.
• Tues 3/16 8:30 PM - AWTHUMFETHT 2010 at the Independent (located in 501 Studios)
• Tues 3/16 11:00 PM - Club 1808 (1808 E. 12th St, Austin) w/ Reverse X-Rays, MANY MORE!!
• Sat 3/20 3:00 PM - Handmade Music Austin #6 at Salvage Vanguard Theatre
• April 22-24th (TBA) - Bent Festival ‘10 (The Tank NYC)

I’m working on a new DIY project for folks to build at Handmade Music Austin 6.  Tune In Tokyo started out as an experiment with the 74HC594 chip, and it turned out sounding crazy.  YES, I’m aware of the of nipple reference. XD XD XD

Tune In Tokyo

And finally . . .

Sailormouth, another Texas circuit maestro, interviewed me recently and you can read it here on GetLoFi.com.  Sailormouth’s work covers a good combination of circuit bending, original circuitry, mods, and microcontrollers.  Thanks for the interview my friend.

heres to a very analog 2010.

12 x ASR mini analog drum machines

In other related news, Nathan Wooster designed a PCB for his MIDI-to-IR sync converter, which lets a computer or MIDI sequencer be the master clock for all of these things.

The 4MS Autonomous Bassline Generator is now available as a kit from 4ms Pedals.  We’ll be teaching 20 people how to build them at the Handmade Music Austin workshop #2 on Nov. 15th.

In December, we’ll introduce the Nebulophone synth kit from Bleep Labs.

Church of the Friendly Ghost presents Handmade Music Austin.An exciting series of DIY electronic music workshops, with expert instructors from Bleep Labs, 4MS Pedals, and Eric Archer.SYNTHS AND DRUM MACHINES?

In a friendly workshop setting, we’ll present a newly-designed series of miniature electronic instruments, called Andromeda Space Rockers.  No bigger than a credit card, these projects are designed for DIY’ers like you. They can be built in a couple of hours to make a working drum machine, bass generator, or micro-synthesizer. These fun little instruments love to jam together, and they do it by forming a wireless network to keep the rhythm! They react to the environment as well… for example, the drum machines‘ filter, pitch, and envelope are controlled with light-reactive photocells.

Each workshop will feature a different instrument.
The full series of kits will be available online as well (to be announced soon).

BEGINNERS ARE WELCOME TOO

Basic classes are offered for beginners free of charge, where you can learn to solder by building mini space rockers.

Or you can skip straight to the ‘Upper Division’ and build one of the Andromeda Space Rockers instruments. Soldering equipment will be provided. To participate in the Upper Division classes you should be familiar with assembling printed circuit boards. An understanding of electronics theory is not required; just patience, hand-eye coordination, and enthusiasm for DIY music.

OPEN JAM AT EVERY WORKSHOP

Of course, there will be an open jam / performance once the instruments are built.  We encourage you to bring some pedals and a small amp to plug in your new synth or drum machine and participate in an exciting musical experiment. Huh? Since the Andromeda Space Rockers communicate with each other using infrared wireless, they keep the rhythm automatically - the space will be filled with synchronized sound as you tweak the tones and control the arrangement.

Performances are free to attend.

CLASS SCHEDULE

All workshops are on Sundays.

4PM - 5:30 Beginner’s Workshop
6PM - 8 Upper Division instrument building class
8:30 - ? Open Jam and featured performance

CLASS DATES

2009

October 18
November 15 (coincides with East Austin Studio Tour)
December 20

2010

January 17
February 28
March 14
April 18

LOCATION

Salvage Vanguard Theatre
2803 Manor Rd
Austin, TX

HOW TO REGISTER

Beginner’s Workshop is free.  Upper Division registration is $45 and includes materials.  We’re accepting workshop preregistration for Oct 18th and Nov 15th.   The first 2 workshops are filling up quickly!

REGISTER VIA EMAIL :  churchofthefriendlyghost (@) gmail (.) com

Prototype 4ch powered pocket mixer blowin out analog beats thru a bare 12″ speaker.

This jam is crying for Gakken SX-150.

Pocket mixer: 2.8W service into 4 ohms w/ soft clip. 4 C-cell batteries. Connects to any external speaker with binding post terminals.

four tiny drum machines from ALH84001 on Vimeo.

Four tiny drum machines with analog sound, IR wireless network, and photocell control.

One drum is running through a DigiTech Synth Wah pedal. The other three are mixed dry. The mix is playing through a guitar amp.

 TR808 Bass Drum DIY Project

 TR808 Snare DIY Project

TR808 HiHat DIY Project

Hopefully somebody finds this useful.  I did these layouts in 2007 and the clones came out nicely.  I’ve been playing them ever since.  One advantage to building them on protoboard is that you’ll be able to experiment with modifications and not worry about trashing a real TR-808.  I’ve found that most of the component values are non-critical;  there are lots of ways to vary the sound.

Notes on diodes and transistors:

1N914A diode is a very common diode.  also just called 1N914.  also called a “small signal diode”. you can substitute 1N4148 or probably 1N458.  here’s 1N914 at mouser.com.

sorry I didnt include the exact parts list I used.  I substituted transistors.  for all NPN I use BC546B, and for all PNP I used BC556B.  You should get these instead of the old “2SC” and “2SA” transistors listed on the last page of the plans, because some transistors have different pin connections.  that means I dont know if my layout would work with the old 2SC / 2SA transistors.   So use the BC- parts.

Notes on triggering:

If you’d like to trigger these drum modules manually, it is easy.  All you do is get an SPST momentary pushbutton and wire it between +15V and the Trigger input terminal.  You need to use the diode-cap-resistor trigger circuit here.  Otherwise you will get a weird sound at the moment you release the button.

You can also trigger them with piezo discs and make a drum pad.  get some medium or large plain piezo discs (20mm diameter for example).  Wire the piezo between the Trigger terminal and GND.  When you tap the piezo, it will sound the drum.

Remember, the Accent terminal has to be high (+2 to +15V) for the drum to make sound.