This is a new one I cooked up. It's a nice little keyboard which makes some crazy sounds.
I added two potentiometers, one distorts the tones which emanate from the speaker area when you press a key. The other slowly fades in a tone, and distorts the original tone. Really, words will never adequately describe the sounds this thing can make, which is why I made a video for you. But really, the only way you're ever going to truly know what kind of sounds this truly wonderful machine can make, is to buy it.
I also added a 1/4" output jack for all your outputting needs. We all have different outputting needs, so I added the most ubiquitous connector. You're welcome.
I added another knob to this one which fades in a tone. You can pitch a note played on the keyboard down, until it is playing a constant sound, maybe a singular tone, maybe a glitched out stream of tones, and squeaks and squeals. You can then fade in the tone controlled by he second knob to combine the two. It really creates a lot of possibilities.
I made this instrument from the amp that's in these pc speakers. It's a pretty good noise maker. It has pretty good range, and can do some interesting things, as evidenced in the videos.
You can feed other signals into it, and have it modulate the sound. This is done by using the green 1/8" jack and cable that used to be the pc peakers input.
You can feed the signal from the instrument out into your amp in two ways. One, through the 1/8" jack on the front, which used to be the headphone jack. The sound fed through this jack is not what you'll hear from the built in speaker, though. I use this method to apply an interesting vibrato effect to my little keyboard.
The second method to feed the signal out is through a 1/4" jack I added to the top of the instrument. This signal is the exact same as heard from the internal speaker.
This instrument is powered by an a/c adapter, which is included.
You have a switch that turns on the whole thing-a-ma-jig, located on the top of the machine.
Now the interesting part: the knobs. Those knobs are really where the whole thing comes together. Without them, this thing would only be mildly amusing, instead of super... amusing. Turn 'em any which way, and you'll be pitched up, down, right, left, and through dimensions you are too afraid to even question the existence of. Just make sure that once you feel a moderate amount of resistance, you quit turning the knob, cause you might break it (out of pure excitement, not cause they're faulty knobs.
In all seriousness, it is a good little sound maker, which can be sampled from, or played through your other synths, or played straight.
I have included pictures of how one might want to change the batteries, should that ever be an issue.
This here is a very unique item, which I have named "super", only cause it was the most available word for gluing. It is super though. I did construct it, if my memory serves, from a radio, and a voice changer, plus some knobs, and switches, and audio jacks.
You have a switch that turns on the whole thing-a-ma-jig, located on the left of the machine, below the first audio jack, which just happens to be an input. There are also two more switches. Both have different effects when switched on, or off, or even vice versa. In the right top corner you will find the second audio jack (both are 1/8th inch, by the way) and that one can be used as your output, but I'm not the boss of you, so you go ahead and do whatever feels right with it.
Now the interesting part: the knobs. Those knobs are really where the whole thing comes together. Without them, this thing would only be mildly amusing, instead of super... amusing. Turn 'em any which way, and you'll be pitched up, down, right, left, and through dimensions you are too afraid to even question the existence of. Just make sure that once you feel a moderate amount of resistance, you quit turning the knob, cause you might break it.
This piece can generate it's own tones, distort them, and you can pitch them up and down. It can also have other signals fed through it, as evidenced in the videos I will post links to. In all seriousness, it is a good little sound maker, which can be sampled from, or played through your other synths, or played straight.
Here is #20. It basically has three pitch knobs, two of which I added. They all pitch it down, but with pinpoint precision. The effect is quite good. I also added an rca output, but normally I would have added a resistor to fine tune the audio signal, as sometimes it can sound kind of funny. But this time I didn't, to see if folks might prefer it. In the video it is playing through its own speaker, the sound file below it is what I recorded coming from the output.
Number 19 is pretty sweet. It has a pitch knob. Turn it one way, it pitches down, till it starts to glitch out, turn it the other way it pitches it up until it glitches out. If you pitch it too high it can become unstable and die. The best way to get it back, that I have found, is to take a battery out, and reinsert it, or if that fails take a battery out and insert it backwards, then reinsert it correctly. It is real easy to recognize if you have it pitched too high, and very easy to avoid. Along with the pitch knob is an 1/8" output jack I have added. Video:
Here is #18. I had some troubles with it. Apparently what circuit controls the demo, is different from the circuit which generates tones for the keys. I had the thing in demo mode while bending it, then I switched it over to play mode, and none of my bends worked. I figured whomever would rather have bends which affected it while in play mode rather than when in demo, so I rebent the thing, to, in my opinion, much better results. Makes some crazy sounds. It was rather sensitive to touch, so I added body contacts, four to be precise. I also added an 1/8" output so you can sample it, play it through an amp, or possibly stick an 1/8" jack in your mouth and feel the current, though I doubt that would be enjoyable. Video next:
I bought this guitar, and it was non-functional, a rare occurrence with thrift store purchases, so I opened 'er up, and located my problem. Some one had failed to properly secure the lead from a capacitor. I fixed that, and it works awesome now. I wired up a pitch bend, and called it a day.
I finished this synth I began a while ago. It is based off of this voice changer that one may purchase at wal-mart for six buckaroos. It is circuit bent of course. Originally it came with a mic and maybe three or four different voice settings, like "alien", "monster", and such like. I took the speaker out, wired that to two fourth inch jacks, took the switch, which changed the voice setting, out and rewired that to a six position rotary switch, and added in two potentiometers, or variable resistors, to change the effects. It produces its own audio signal which can be altered by turning the potentiometers, flipping toggle switches, or by switching which voice setting its on.
Want to play with this? Well you will need to buy it. If interested click here. Audio and video at the bottom.
I did it again everyone! Meet #13 (to the left). Of all the things I have made, I like this one most.
I still am no good at describing these things, but I'll give it my best shot.
It generates a simple tone, which is then controlled by eight potentiometers (knobs), and four toggle switches. Five of the potentiometers control pitch; three pitch it up, and two pitch it down.
It is necessary to have all those pots for pitch, as precise control comes into play when the tone is fed into the modulation circuit.
The tone generation circuit has three switches which control it. All three need to be on, but only one can affect the sound, that being the middle one, if my memory serves me. When switched off it deactivates the tone, but in a pleasant way.
It has a separate circuit that the tone is fed into to modulate the sound further. This circuit has one switch, top middle, to turn it on, and three pots, which add different distortion, and generally do insane things. I got five commas in that last sentence.
This really can produce a lot of sounds and I am super proud of it. It also has an input into the sound modulation circuit, and an out put, to your favorite computer, or amp, or tv. Both are rca.
It also features a 1" x 1" likeness of its maker above the top middle knob.
Audio. Its long cause I was just goofing on it, had no real plan, but it gets good nearer the end, so listen to the whole of it:
You really need to see a video, as that would demonstrate how you can control it like a theremin.
Video:
Look for this when I can convince my friend to bring his camera to my house, or I travel over to his. Worst case scenario, it will be next Sunday before I can get it done.
If you would like to trade some cash for this, click here.
I finished the technical aspects of this piece a while ago, but just recently put the finishing touches on it. It functions rather well, and is capable of a lot.
I am sort of at a loss on how to describe it. It is the first non toy(though I did make it from a toy) I have made. I used some on/off/momentary toggle switches. The bottom right switch turns it on, or plays a tone rather. The down position is the permanent one, and plays a high tone, while pushing it up will play the low tone momentarily.
The knobs all do strange things including some distortion, and pitch stuff. Its best to watch the video to see how it all works:
It has two momentary switches, one which acts just as the high tone toggle switch does, and the other activates some distortion, which is fed through a capacitor, so it sounds pretty weird.
It also has a body contact which adds rather random effects, though generally just pitch. If you can get the setting just right, it will even act as an antenna, and you can control pitch without even touching it, sort of like a theremin.
It has a speaker, and an 1/8" audio output, and it is all cased within a cigar box.
I found this embedded youtube player, provided by youtube coincidentally. I will add a label called "youtube", and then if anyone ever wanted to see all of my videos, all they would have to do is click on the label "youtube"
I am finished with all of the technical stuff with the casio ca-110. I'm sorry it took me so long, and I'm also sorry that I didn't document very well. I get into working, and I can't get out, cause if I do it is definitely possible I would never return to finish.
For those non-believers, here is a video briefly explaining the ins and outs of its functionality. I should make a video tomorrow of it operating.
I do some bending. I ought to post all my projects here, and so far the only one I've left out is number one. I am not against custom orders, in fact I'm for it, so if you want to send me your keyboard or toy, and have me bend it, give it a go. If anybody ever needs anything at all, I'll be happy to help you out: preposterousman at gmail.com
