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Circuit Bending, Hardware-Hacking


Simple, Cheap, Synthesis

index
air mike
amplify your toy
box your toy
circuit sniffing
clock tickling
contact mike
hack the clock
laying and hacking
laying of hands
light theremin
make a cable
pickup
piezo driver
resistors
soldering
sudomini
synthesis
tape head

This circuit is based on the misuse of an IC never intended for making sound.


Task 4 Name: Synthesis on a chip Set: w5 Due: w13 Weighting: 10% Courses: cbhh
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Task Summary All CBHH tasks

See Handmade Electronic Music, Chapter 18...

You will need:

  • A plastic prototyping board ("breadboard"), e.g. Rapid online part number 34-0650
  • 1 CMOS Hex Schmitt Trigger Integrated Circuit (74C14, CD4584 or CD40106), e.g. Rapid online part number 83-0482.
  • Assorted resistors, capacitors, pots, and photoresistors.
  • Optional: Some small signal diodes, such as 1N914, Rapid part number 47-3116.
  • Some solid hookup wire.
  • A plug to match your amp.
  • A 9-volt battery and connector (or other power supply).
  • A (battery) powered mini-amplifier.
  • Hand tools.

  • NB As noted above, in order to hear the sound created by the chip, you will need to send the output to a powered amplifier.

Photograph of the circuit

A schematic of the IC

A schematic of the IC being used as a synth!


 

The idea is to utilise the circuitry of a simple logic switch as the basis for a synthesiser; the misuse of an IC never intended for making sound.

to top of page The Task

  • Assemble the above components.
  • Read this document (you'll need a password to open it) [9MB]
  • Assemble the unit - you should follow the instructions at least until the section entitled 'Your First Schematic' (first edition). Please go on as far as you can after this, but at least get to this point.
  • Check that it works
  • Experiment with different parts - resistors particularly. Try a potentiometer, try using electrodes, or just wires (lick your fingers). Try using LDRs.
  • Optionally try adding another 'voice'. See the document above for details.

  • Document the process with plans, photos, recordings and, yes, videos of it and of it working!

  • Media files
    You must submit media files, such as video, audio or image files, but please ensure that video files are compressed to a reasonable degree. You should never submit dv files, but compress these to mp4. You should submit no file that is greater in size than 25MB/minute.

  • Added value
    By completing the details of the task you will achieve at least a pass mark. By imaginatively and creatively considering how you might implement the task originally you can add value to your submission, and this added value may increase your mark significantly. Even when making videos of short demonstration tasks try to consider musical and performance criteria.

  • Zip or Stuff your patches, demos, photos, videos etc. into one file called your_student_number_"synthesis" (e.g. 0504335_synthesis.zip), include a readme with your name and student number and, if necessary, what to so with your submission.

  • Submit a copy of the files to the i-Centre by 5pm on Wednesday 9th May 2012