up goes the posty!

Scribbles is a simple painting app for OS X ... it won't rival photoshop level features or anything, but still I like. The app eschews text labels, opting for big & simple graphical icons instead. I find it relaxing. [seen above - the much-feared Purplanomnomicon fighter/cruiser, no.6 in a series]

Take for example - aah, the soothingly intuitive and animated layers UI -

Darnnit - where'd that confounded color picker go? oh IT'S RIGHT THERE -

Surprisingly convincing 5th-grade era drybrush + egg tempera look? -- check!

So yeah, the name's Scribbles - might even buy me the full version. Ok, fine - I'll buy the full version. (oh and Tweetie ain't half bad neither)

Moloko goes coo-coo when you amplify that yoohoo ... so many surprisingly defined patterns that somehow went undocumented. Oh well, not too difficult to setup - just mind the mess after.

for use with MIDI to control voltage arduino code found here - Arduino MIDI2CV Good stuff, tho I'm tempted to skip the pwm and head straight for an spi dac or even rig up an r2r dac. wee shalll seee.

It seems there's a rash a voice changer circuits going 'round major electronics publications. 03/08 issue of elektor - cylon voice05/08  nuts & volts  - build a voice changer07/08 everyday practical electronics - galactic voice This is a problem because I really like voice changers . . . and have less than no time to build them.

After searching the web for simple software to use for converting data of different types in my Arduino development, I realized the Arduino itself is all I really needed! So here be a little sketch for converting arrays - Array Converter

In an effort to get this site taken off google's "this site may harm your computer" list, registration has been closed. Comments can now be made without registering coutesy of WP-SpamFree. Here's hopin' this helps!

Cornstarch + water + woofer + SoundLab = addictively fascinating good times.(Next time - more cornstarch + tripod)

(hmmm, was that the way CC licensing was written in '06?)

I recently had an email requesting this 2-year-oldie be made available again -

Collin Mel - "Genius Beach"

• 1 - Balance Check


• 2 - Iceburg Dance


• 3 - No Room


• 4 - All-Time Recorder


• 5 - Secret Holiday


• 6 - Cut You Down


• 7 - Eveyone Pukes


• 8 - Black Hole Party


• 9 - Three Blessings Upon Me


• 10 - Sweet Life


• 11 - Bump In My Throat


• 12 - Oxygen


• 13 - Blurry Lines


• 14 - Indie Rock Bottom (bonus track?)

design layout by Erica Magrey (adapted a lil for the web by me) poker texas holdem,poker texas holdem gratis,texas holdem poker downloadsexy poker gratis7 card stud gratisamerican pokergiochi da pokertexas holdem on linetornei texas holdempoker on line italianopoker play moneypoker da scaricare gratisstrip poker flashpai gow pokergioco poker freewarestreet poker onlinepoker tour gamegioco poker texasforum poker on linepoker machine gratispoker sexi gratisfree omaha pokerpoker holdtorneo poker on linegiochi flash pokerpoker on line gratuitogioco poker,gioco poker scaricare gratis,regole gioco pokergioca poker online gratis,giochi online poker gratis,poker online gratiseurobet pokerplay poker on line,video poker on line,poker on linegiochare omaha poker in lineatexas holdem poker regoletornei poker gratisdraw poker goldgioco texas holdemonline casino pokercard studpoker pc gratisstreet pokertexas holdem milanoil pokerplay free omaha poker onlinepoker gioco completoplay omaha pokergioca poker on linepoker texano on linepoker roomtorneo poker onlinegiochi 7 card stud gratisscaricare gioco pokerpoker gratuitopoker superstar gratis

Future shaman Metalmags runs into the Alien Ambassador at the cantina - a short sketch from Erica's "Awesome Music Videos Vol. 1"
I consider this a preview of things to come.

post it in case anyone might find it useful. Feel free to use, CC-share alike, you know the routine. And here's the hacky PSD as well, enjoy!

I've decided to revisit my Arduino synth project from last September in hopes of creating a versatile synthesizer shield. I'm rather partial to the digitally-controlled-analog approach. I had an XR2206 function generator IC lying about, so I decided to put it to work as a possible core/VCO of this endeavor. It's quite easy to set up for accurate sine wave generation though driving the frequency with a convenient voltage is still something I'm figuring out.
Datasheets always seem to get a little vague just in the real clutch areas I need to focus on - a circumstance I find myself in often when getting to know a component, I suppose I'm a bit impatient and would rather experiment than attempt to decipher datasheet specs which I'm unfamiliar with. - And of course, why not? - the experimentation is the fun part! As a kid I remember acquiring new transformer figures and excitedly attempting to morph them without consulting the highly visible photo-instructions printed on each package. It's efficient to approach a new situation with proper procedure dictated to you - but that always leave me asking, "Why is that the proper method? and is it really the best way?" more to come . . .

Breakfast for E

A year ago today Boston authorities completely overreacted to a creative ad campaign promoting the Aqua Teen Hunger Force animated series. The people who made the promotional LED signs faced very serious criminal charges for a harmless decorative act. Let's all try to make technology a little more open, friendly, and familiar to the world. We need to keep all this rampant fear in check - our rights really do depend on it.

Here's the first working version of the Staccato guitar effect pedal. I ended up choosing the name based purely on sound description. It uses the Ampeg Scrambler distortion circuit and passes the signal through a Vactrol for a softened gating effect. Every time I try to record a sample of it in action, I end up playing around with it much longer than necessary. But this is a good sign.Controls from Left to right:Pots - Texture, Blend, Rate, WidthFootSwitches - Bypass/Power, Staccato-ON/OFFThere's switch built into the texture pot that acts as a big ol' gain boost as well as a DC Jack in the rear with reverse polarity protectionHere's a sample I recorded off of a little practice amp I rescued from the dumpster. It starts off Dry, then uses the straight distortion, and finally, adds the staccato gating/tremolo effect:Staccato Proto sample AAC 1,009KB

I've just been appointed MAKE Flickr Pool Curator! I'm very psyched about this new role I'll be fulfilling at makezine.com. I honestly couldn't imagine a publication I'd want to work with more. I'll be on the lookout for great projects in the pool and adding some hacks/how-to's/how-not-to's of my own as well. We'll be upping the interactive ante with some contests and prizes for user projects. It's a natural progression - MAKE shows people how to do cool things, people show make how to do cool things, repeat.

After viewing Johnny Lee's incredible head tracking demonstration using the Wii hardware I had to experience it for myself. I had a pair of LED safety googles lying around and decided it was time to put them to better use.

Click each photo for more info.

I start with a tiny light dependent resistor and an amber 3mm LED (use a yellow LED if possible). These two are going to be good friends.

I pushed the LED and photoresistor flush together, then place the kissing components down on a bit of electrical tape.
Thus begins a very long staring contest.

Now roll the tape around a couple of times. Bend the component leads apart and press the tape together in between in order to keep light out.

I then take a thin strip of black tape and wrap it between the leads horizontally.

Squeeze around on the tape a bit in order to seal any openings. (Remember the round leads go to the resistor, the square-ish ones to the LED) You can check to see if there are leaks by hooking the resistor leads to a multimeter - in a dark room shine a flashlight on both ends of your new vactrol. If the flashlight changes the resistance reading on your meter then you have a leak and need to seal the package a bit more.

This is definitely a quick fix, (a sturdier vactrol should be constructed using epoxy or perhaps silicone adhesive) but I've found these to be a great way to control resistance. Just add a little LED flasher circuit and you're good to go for all sorts of effect pedal, synth, and general electronics mods and designs.

PS - Here's an LED flasher circuit:
blog.makezine.com/archive/2006/10/blinking_eyes_c.html

I've been working on a guitar effects pedal based around the rare and coveted Ampeg Scrambler. I used almost all the original components specified in the schematic and integrated a simple polarity protection for the DC jack. The biggest enhancement I've added is a sort of vibrato effect as an optional modifier to the texture control. I find the effect quite interesting, but I have a hunch there's a simpler way to achieve it. Currently, I have a timer circuit driving a makeshift vactrol (LED taped to photoresitor). The main circuit's texture control is then fed through the vactrol's variable resistance. I'm concerned that driving the vactrol's LED and 555 timer in addition to the rest of the pedal will create an impractical strain on battery life. Hmm, I should probably measure the circuit's current consumption to learn more. More to come.

Here's a shot of the first decorative accessory I made. Inspired by the Cybermen from the Doctor Who series, these are pretty simple and cute.

get it? Kind of like pronouncing "earrings" with a southern drawl? No? Whatev.Here's a completed pair of the etched copper earrings I've been making. You can't quite see it here but there's a thick layer of hardened clear coat protecting the face. They became quite durable after a brief curing process. I should have a few pair up for sale @ Etsy soon.

While looking for substitution tables I ran into this pic of the first transistor. Amazing, It could easily pass a work of art in a modern gallery. I find the zig-zagging lead particularly interesting (I'm assuming it's the base junction). I was assumming the shapes purpose was to increase capacitance, but it turns out the odd shape acted as a spring to suspend the large plastic triangle very gently over a germanium crystal.

It consisted of a plastic triangle lightly suspended above a germanium crystal which itself was sitting on a metal plate attached to a voltage source. A strip of gold was wrapped around the point of the triangle with a tiny gap cut into the gold at the precise point it came in contact with the germanium crystal. The germanium acted as a semiconductor so that a small electric current entering on one side of the gold strip came out the other side as a proportionately amplified current.

- http://www.cedmagic.com/history/transistor-1947.html

Damn, that's cool.

further reading:
http://www.pbs.org/transistor/science/events/pointctrans.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transistor

Here are some shots of the etching process I use to make earrings. Unfortunately I was in such a hurry bringing them to La Superette that I neglected to photograph the final product. No biggie, another batch is on its way for Etsy.
I've been having some issues with bubble in the "window" transparency sheets I've been using to expose the boards. I think I'll try straight up transparency sheets for the next round as adhesion doesn't really seem necessary to the process.
The bandsaw my studiomate, John, recently purchased has been a huge help in cutting these boards. It's hard to imagine I was previously used a dremel cut-off wheel. The bandsaw kicks up a lot less noxious dust and works much faster.

Building The OpenEEG

I'm currently working on building my very own EEG via instructions from the OpenEEG project. It's a fascinating project to say the least. Above is a shot of one of the active electrodes I'm using with the project. These electrodes are then encased in silicone and wired to the main enclosure via shielded cable. I'll have some readings/results posted as soon as I get some fine silver fashioned into a comfortable interface.