Project 6: The Tetractys

This is a little noisemaker. The interface is electrodes. So your fingers, toes, or tongue for the daring completes the circuit which drives six hex schmitt trigger oscillators.

The glory:
1. you become part of the circuit
2. totally random feel
3. volume control
4. its made of wood
5. homemade electrodes
6. six oscillators mixed in a ring mod kind of way

The defeats:
1. my woodwork needs work
2. volume shorting out occasionally due to arrangement in enclosure resulting in random peaks of volume
3. don't like the coin electrodes, I think small dome-headed lag bolts would be better
4. too many Lo-Frequency oscillators

Project 5: Heisenberg Uncertainty Tremolo

This project is a photo-tremolo with weird polyrhythms instead of a constant warble like a normal trem. The unit is just a prototype. I decided it needs a preamp to boost the signal, but it sounds great with other effects that boost its signal like a fuzz pedal or overdrive. I also need to figure out a bypass switch and some way to kill the battery when you are not playing. I think it could really be a sellable device with a unique sound. It took me 4 attempts to solder it before I could get it to work. I discovered heat shrink during the process which cleans things up inside the box and prevents shorts. Modern hairdryers do not get hot enough to shrink the stuff very fast though. I may invest in a heat gun. The cool thing is the internal led circuit which changes the photo tremolo effect is a circuit I can also use to make a cool expression device. I might try that too. I am really happy with this!

Project 4 my own circuit (expression device)

Okay despair ended. I built something that works. The best part is I designed it all myself. Used the breadboard prototype to work out the circuit then reproduced it on some veroboard or strip board. Veroboard is a type of circuit board where all the holes are connected in long rows. I was able to play around with different capacitors to get the right sound. In the final design I included a on/off switch and an LED. The project is an analog synthesizer that sounds a little like the Atari Punk Console. I am unhappy with how the LED + its resistor is attached and need to figure out a way to mount everything in a nicer way. I used a tin my grandmother gave me to house the board and pots and all that. The circuit board is hanging upside down from the lid by the potentiometers (or little turny knobs). Having the board attached to the lid seems good. Otherwise the knobs would have to be on the sides. Overall I am quite proud of my first expression device. I won't call it a pedal because you can't control it with your foot.

Here are some pictures and a video. No name for the device yet. Suggestions?

Oscillators sans Solder

I created some noise finally. I like it. Simple. 2 oscillators with pots for pitch control. Cooler with overdrive. Project from Handmade Electronic Music. Awesomeness. No solder, yet. 

Project 3 Unsuccess

Double Fucksticks! I am working on a Fuzz pedal clone called the Bionic Guzzfun. I really felt in my heart this one would work, but after testing I am met with failure. This wouldn't have been so bad if I had not just failed on 2 other attempts to make an Atari Punk Console. The electronic music god spits in my face. Bastard. I am getting a clean signal, so I must have a circuit, but no fuzzy chaos. I have a message in to the head Poodle at Poodle parts, just for recommendations on what to try. We'll see what he says.

Here are some photos I took of the project, hoping they would be accompanied by a nice sound or video clip of the pedal working. I send a prayer out to St. Isidore that I can get it working in the next few days.

I know this is not something I can be instantly successful at but I really need a little boost. I am just trying to make a little noise. Maybe I will go bang some trash can lids or something. I could always just practice my guitar more. I really want to wow my bandmates with this pedal. Seriously bummed. 

Feedback Loop

Loop created with two effects pedals. The Swollen Pickle and a Cheap Arion Phaser with a stereo output. Really cool noise I thought.

Project 2: Confidence Boost

My second project was a kit by BYOC. The device is a simple volume boost. It has one potentiometer for gain that you adjust with a screwdriver. It runs around $14.99. The purpose of this kit is to get your feet wet at a low cost. If you fuck up soldering you've only lost a few bucks. I did not fuck up too bad and the thing actually works. The directions were pretty clear and includes useful info about the different parts and how to populate a circuit board. The most interesting part was figuring out the color code on tiny resistors. Every resistor has a number of color rings printed around it to indicate it's resistance value and tolerance or how close to that that value it may be.

 My soldering went pretty well.

Populated circuit board.

 Mounting device in enclosure.
I used a mint tin. My holes for the in and out jacks had to be moved to make room for the battery, leaving 2 unsightly holes in the enclosure. Everything was super snug in the mint tin. It didn't really fit right. Hence, the black electricians tape

Unsightly hole.