Recently in DIY Category

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

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.

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.

I had a great time at the Create Digital Music / Make / Etsy Handmade Music Night. Many awesome projects were featured, check them out @ CDM and Make (and their respective Flickr pools).
What made this event extra fun for me was the fact that it was the first time I was able to demonstrate some instruments I've been working on to a very supportive and interested community. I have to say, the positive feedback I received (regarding the atari tube in particular) warmed my heart. I have spent so much time learning the language of electronics over the past few months - toiling over wire and solder - that I almost forgot how good it feels to see someone else enjoy something that I've made. What I see as a noisemaker with a couple of knobs on it becomes an instrument once someone else picks it up and begins to play. That is a very good thing.
A big thanks to everyone who came out to the event - Hope to see you again soon.

The ArduinoSynth is my first attempt at microcontroller programming( and pretty much any coding at all beyond a little html). It took me a bit to get started but it's turning out to be a fun way to learn the language.
So far it's a 12-note monophonic synth with transposition selection via one 10K pot. I'm using a gutted toy keyboard for the switches and a simple low pass filter to smooth the output a bit. Here's the schematic:

Features I'd like to add:
- Another octave (maybe add a transpose switch on each of the next octave, then they can share pins with the first)
- Last note hit priority
- Portamento (note-slide)
- Real sine wave out (no external filter, please)
- Polyphony (I had it working badly, need better math)
- any real keyboard feature in existence(or not) attack, decay, waveform, vibrato, etc.

Source can be found here.
Audio sample here
Sample with no LPF here

I recently attended an Arduino class at Lemur here in Brooklyn. It was fun and moved at a brisk pace. The Arduino programming environment is pretty damn friendly and intuitive.
I'm a bit staggered by all the possibilities microcontrollers open up but keep wondering - how do I turn this thing into a synth? Well I seem to be making pretty good headway via hacking bits of others' sketches. Will report back soon.

Here is the "Smooth Cube" - Two squarewave oscillators pass through a timer to gate rhythms, then a low-pass filter takes the edge before greeting your ears. It also has an input jack to utilize the timer/filter chain for other instruments.
Listen:
Smooth Cube v1.0 (dry) - mp3 2mb
guitar through gate/filter mp3 1mb

The heart of the smoothcube is a circuit I found on Worth Ekik's site:
www.geocities.com/worthekik//segen.html

followed by:
www.geocities.com/worthekik//hysteresis.html

and then capped off with an filter from:
www.oldtemecula.com/theremin/sixthvoice/index.htm

My version of Ray Wilson's Weird Sound Generator is complete! This thing was a joy to build and I learned a lot in the process. I debated adding labels to each knob but in the end I decided I'd accentuate the mystery by leaving them blank. Does that make it an MSG instead of a WSG?
Sample to come . . .

UPDATE:
Here be the Samples, no effects, 1-2mb, mp3:
Interdimensional Jalopy
Auditions for the Tardis Alarm
A Home for Lost Drones

Here we see the simple yet powerful Atari Punk Console in convenient tube form. Yes, my friends, designed for convenience and style - the Atari Tube is a welcome addition to any electro-noise performance. It features a borderline blinding white LED at its center and control knobs at each end for enhanced "twiddlability".
(Ear plugs not included . . . but recommended for square-wave haters)

UPDATE:
Listen to a sample - Atari Tube V.0.2 (w/reverb) mp3 2.4mb

It may be full of holes, slightly unreliable, and in need of some touch-ups, but it's mine and I'm proud. I didn't design it, Worth Ekik did. I etched it from a copper clad board with Ferric Chloride. And it was fun.

Aww, take a gander at the "Lil' Captain". Although I was unable to put in most of the finishing touches I intended (check out the hovering gain knob), Dad still loved it. Hey he's the one who taught me how to solder in the first place. He was an electronics engineer in the US Navy. I told him how frustrating I found resistor color codes and he agreed. Due to slight color blindness he almost wasn't admitted into the service. He explained,
"They had to give me a special test to get in. A guy held up a yellow pencil and a blue pencil and asked - 'Which one's yellow?' I pointed to the bright yellow pencil, and he said 'Fine, you're in.' "
Ah the rigorous scrutiny of military enrollment. Happy Father's Day, Captain Mel!

Decided to use a prescription bottle as a case for my VGA coupler. This somehow seems to say "narbotic" to me. Maybe it has some future as a logo/icon for this site.

Here we see another useful item built from a Make/Adafruit kit - Minty Boost. It's a battery powered USB charger using an Altoids gum box as its case - pictured here powering its very own lighting. My lady has been using altoids cans for crafty purposes for quite some time now. I wonder if the company is on to this trend.

Make magazine has me on a Soldering spree.

This is a VGA coupler I decided to make after having such a hard time finding a well priced premade one. It needs a case but already works quite well. NOTE: Remember to reverse the wires from one end to the other when making such a thing!

Mitch Altman, inventor of the TV-B-Gone designed this "brain machine", a sound and light brain wave entrainer. It's constructed using Adafruit's MiniPOV3 kit, a pair of safety glasses, and a spair set of headphones(not pictured). It still needs to be glued down/finished but hey - what doesn't?

Finally, a small guitar amplifier work in progress, the Little Gem. I originally tried this one a month or two ago but all it did was play Radio Disney incessantly. So I went back and rebuilt it with much sucess, now it must be mounted (like everything else, zing.).

More to Come - C