Circuit bent Yamaha mu5 multi-timbral synth with circuit bent MIDI interface by Spunkytoofers.  MIDI circuitry by highlyliquid. Precision LTC1799 oscillators by getlofi.

For more information: Spunkytoofers website

In the video below a 24 point patchbay is freely routed to manual control or midi. Circuit bent wavesequencing is controlled via midi from the dsi evolver. The evolver is used to send evolving sequences and is only used for control information of the midi interface. All sounds from the dark age tone generator is played via onboard interface.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The link below plays an mp3 of the dark age tone generator. MU5 + Evolver mixed/played live via midi wind controller. recorded direct, no processing.  Solo mu5 at 2:45

dave smith evolver and circuit bent yamaha mu5

by Mike Una.

Hannes Pasqualini is an illustrator, comic artist, and musician/noisemaker in Italy. He bought one my my Beep-its a few months back and wrote me today to describe the modifications he’s made to it. Inspired by Gijs Gieskes’ Fan Synth, Hannes added a speed-controlled fan in front of the light sensor to modulate the pitch.

I love that he made this new thing and just bolted it onto the front of his Beep-it- it’s very functional and clever. He had to move the Beep-it button to the front of his new case, and it looks seamless:

Here’s a video of the new device in action:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Gijs Gieskes’ original Fan Synth is pretty crazy in it’s own right- he’s got several versions, some with two fans and LED tentacles:

Video here:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Looks like he’s running everything off an ATMEGA chip- those little guys are becoming super popular for quickly working up a functional idea. Has anyone else used a fan or other mechanical moving parts to induce modulation? Drop us a link in the comments.

His work with Bleep Labs on the Andromeda Mk IR linkable sound modules, which are often used in Handmade Music Austin learning workshops, is as impressive as his circuits that convert light to sound or those that can generate complex visuals to be viewed on scopes or even plotted on paper.

I actually found Eric’s work through photos on Flickr, and followed back to his own site.

He seems to have a pretty full schedule, but he found some time to answer some questions for an interview.

EA: I’m not formally trained in electronics; I studied organic chemistry in college. But I was interested in music and electricity before that. As a kid, my folks encouraged me to tinker with electronics. My mom took me to thrift stores and we’d pick out old radios and gizmos for me to take apart. One of my first memories is my mom giving me a clock and a screwdriver when I was four years old. Later on, friends of the family began donating all kinds of old broken stuff for me to mess around with – photocopiers, teletypes, a 1970’s minicomputer… I collected electronics literature and started building circuits on perfboard in middle school. I remember ordering parts from Digi-key by phone as a kid in the ’80s, and spending many hours in a surplus electronics store called Altex in San Antonio. I sold a custom fuzz pedal to a friend in 9th grade, made with a 741 op amp. I loved playing metal guitar and experimenting with FX pedals. Space Camp is where the music fascination really took off… I bought a cassette dub of Metallica’s And Justice For All from another Space Camper for $5 and realized that music was perhaps more important than space.

I still have some of the boards I made back then. Its a trip to look at them now, 20 years later, and compare the construction style.

Digital counter with 7-segment LED display, ca. 1990

Actually, lots of the stuff I tried to make back then didn’t work, which was frustrating. The only instrumentation I had was an analog volt-ohm meter, making it nearly impossible to troubleshoot digital electronics.

Most of the literature I studied then is still useful now; Don Lancaster’s books stand out. Lancaster’s writing is very effective in communicating theory without walloping the reader with equations. Books by Forrest Mims III were a little more gratifying in the short term because of the variety of simple circuits he presents, but in many cases he doesn’t discuss how the circuit actually works. One book I really wish I had found earlier is The Art of Electronics by Horowitz and Hill. Its excellent as a reference; the theory is deep but presented really well.

If I had majored in electrical engineering in college, things might be different now. I’d certainly be better with math and circuit analysis. In place of those skills though, I’m always refining my sense of intuition, the ability to visualize what is happening in a circuit, and estimate which component values to use without math. In the realm of music and art, this works fine. But of course if I was designing cell phones, guesstimation would get me fired. I regret not studying computer science though. Writing code is a fundamental part of what a lot of people doing with DIY electronics today.

SM: What inspires you to design what you make?

EA: I look for new ways to generate patterns. Patterns are a connection between electronics and aesthetics. Patterns can be manifested as waveforms, timbre, rhythms, song structures, visual art, video, sculpture, language, everything. Electronic circuits are great sources of patterns. They can be digital if I want a deterministic (reproducible) pattern generator, or analog if I’m looking for a malleable and soft source of information. With a palette of pattern generators in hand, information is being generated, but it is not yet perceptible to the ear or eye. That requires a second category of circuits. This type accepts electronic patterns and converts them to sound or light. And there is a third category, circuits that interconvert aesthetic information, translating light to sound for example.

Raymond Scott’s work is inspiring. I was shocked to find out about the Electronium, and many of my ideas today revolve around designs for automatic composition machines.

SM: What has been the most gratifying device/project so far?

EA: Digital pattern generators are amazing. You just have to build an LFSR (linear feedback shift register) and play with it to realize these things just spew out aesthetic information, of however much complexity you desire, up to the point that you catch a glimpse of the beautiful horizon between repetition and randomness. Of course it’s impossible to generate random information with logic, but with digital feedback the patterns can become so complex that they appear random to humans. The digital algorithms I use are simplified versions of cryptographic key generators. An encryption key ideally looks like noise. But, take this same information and design a filter to reduce it’s complexity, and you gain access to its insanely detailed sub-structure.

Caterpillar Lens (2007) archival ink on paper, 8″x10″

I’ve made a number of experimental circuits that make aesthetic output from digital feedback. The MuseWave (2005) synthesizes complex waveforms directly. The Bird Box sequencer (2008) plays linear drum patterns. The Fibonacci Generator (2009) is my favorite so far. It creates note sequences and glide information to control a monophonic analog synth. I also used the Fibonacci Generator to synthesize vector graphics for video… it creates unreal, twisting animated pseudo-3D knots.

Click here to view the embedded video.

SM: Your circuits make a pretty amazing arc: visual-to-sound, oscillators-to-graphics, sequencers, sound modules, just to try to group a few ideas. They are not focused into just one pursuit. Do you have any idea of where your work will be heading?

EA: I’m gearing up to improve my live presentation. I love performing with handmade equipment. Down the road a bit I’ll be generating visuals and music simultaneously.

SM: How much of your work comes from previous work? Permutations of stumbling blocks/breakthroughs of other devices?

EA: Haha… well, every project seems to hit a point where there’s no room left for another chip or knob, so I stop there, and wait for a chance to reuse the good ideas in something new.

From 2006-2009 I did a lot of pro audio service, maintaining consoles and tape machines for recording studios, fixing synths and rack gear too. Spending time under the hood of high end equipment (and under the gun) taught me a few things about building reliable gear.

SM: You have many unique and complex circuits on your site. What kind of things were you making before those devices that led up to those devices?

EA: I made lots of stuff that didn’t work. In grade school I participated in the science fair every year, some of those things were pretty crazy. In 8th grade I designed a digital audio sampler with discrete logic (never worked). In 10th grade I had a vacuum apparatus to synthesize buckminsterfullerenes (couldn’t prove it worked). I got tired of trying to build AM and FM radios, most of which were failures. I built an electric guitar from scratch in high school, and it kind of worked. Later on the success rate went up. I built the Royer – MXL tube mic mod from Tape Op magazine and got lots of use from it. And somehow, I spent almost 10 years as a synthetic organic chemist, making funny white powders for universities and corporations.

SM: You say that BBoT and ABOT are improvisational because they offer no memory or storage. How much control do you have? Is the music reproducible manually?

EA: Its usually fruitless to try reproducing something from a previous session. While there are number of code-wheels that control parameters for the rhythm and melody generators which can be written down, there is also real-time programming involved, pressing buttons at the right moment to synchronize the rhythm tracks, load information into the digital feedback circuits, etc. That makes it much more tricky. There are also about 10 oscillators to tune manually. It really lends itself to serendipity instead of pre-conceived music.

SM: Does preferring old school technology/chips/design make your bigger devices power hungry? I am guessing your BBoT/ABoT rig is not battery operated.

EA: Actually it’s not too power-hungry. I use CMOS chips for everything (74HC, CD4000). And I switched to TL062 / TL064 op amps instead of TL072; this move alone cuts power consumption greatly. I recommend ditching the TL072’s in any battery-powered circuit. You probably won’t notice the difference and your batteries will last longer.

True, ABoT / BBoT are not battery operated. They run on split supplies, +/-12V or +/-15V. With analog music circuits, a good stiff power supply is important to keep things in tune and the tempo consistent.

SM: How did the photocell control make it’s way into the Andromeda circuits? Was it there from the start? It takes them up a level from already being amazing.

EA: The Andromeda Mk’s were designed as a projects for the Handmade Music Austin workshop series, so I’m associated with Bleep Labs in that way; they donated a huge sack of photocells and I figured why not use them? Putting photocells on a drum machine has been done before though; Quintron’s Drum Buddy is one example. I guess I imagined the Andromeda Mk’s as something for people to experiment with… why not build a dream
machine (light inside a perforated paper cylinder on a turntable) and surround it with light-controlled drums? It takes it from being analog to really analog. It tempers the predictability of a drum sequence with the randomness of ambient light.

The Bridged-T network is a theme that was used a lot in vintage analog drum machines both as a tone source and a filter. They are a little tricky to use because of the complex relationship between component values and the center frequency of the network. Check out that math expression. Ugh. It means that if you use a normal potentiometer, the response wont be smooth as you turn the pot. But when I was experimenting with photocells, I dropped a photocell in place of the fixed resistor R1, and found that it gives a surprisingly smooth response. Photocells are also quite nonlinear in the relationship between resistance and light intensity. It just so happens that these two nonlinearities cancel eachother out somehow and the photocell is a natural fit in the Bridged-T network; and when nature hands you something lucky like that, you better use it. I suggested this circuit to 4ms Pedals, and it became the analog filter element in the Autonomous Bassline Generator as well.

Click here to view the embedded video.

SM: You did a mini tour on your way to play Bentfest 09. Do you think you’ll do that again when you head to Bentfest 10?

EA: Erich and I (Bodytronix) intended to book some more shows but it’s been hard to keep up with contacts and scheduling. I found that the venues we played last year have less funding available this year. I guess the economy isn’t booming just yet. We may do a show in the Chapel Hill area on the way up to NY. And we’ve been booked for the Fusebox festival in Austin the week after Bent Fest, so we’re calling that part of our 2010 tour.

SM: Would you say living in Austin with it’s music scene and the Keep Austin Weird mantra influence your work?

EA: Haha, I’m acquainted with some of the “weirder” Austin musicians from the noise scene, creative improv, and electronic nerds. Its inspiring to see the ideas they come up with. It makes me feel like a square sometimes… like How I Quit Crack and VC Childcraft performing outdoors in a teepee full of pillows with lasers and a fog machine. I am so old and stuffy.

SM: You participate in a lot of local workshops. Do you find this interaction helpful for your own learning?

EA: Handmade Music Austin has been a great opportunity to connect with people who are developing an interest in DIY electronics. It reminds me of the difficulties I had earlier on, and as a designer, thats important feedback when I’m creating new projects. Also we usually ask the workshop participants what projects they’d like to see in the future, and that can inspire some homework.

SM: Could you talk a little about your work for the Childrens’ Museum of Houston and Austin Children’s Museum?

EA: These were collaborations with Erich Rose, a friend of mine who’s an experienced designer. When we work together, Erich does the mechanical design and fabrication, and I do the circuitry and wiring. For the Austin museum, we worked together on a transportation-themed exhibit called All Systems Go; I built a set of telephone intercoms for kids to use, a big remote operated switchboard with blinky lights, simulated card-swipe readers, etc.

For Children’s Museum of Houston we collaborated on a project called Bytes and Bots which is located in the Invention Convention exhibit, a large room full of activities. We were handed conceptual drawings from a design firm, and our job was to flesh out the designs, prototype them, and build the final versions. This was about 3 months of work for me; I had to design six types of sensors (sound, light, force, skin resistance, rotation, and proximity) and a set of output devices that connect to the sensors. The output devices are pretty interesting, there’s a mini laser light show, a mechanical face with servo-controlled expressions, a servo-controlled tilting labyrinth game, analog synthesizers, arrays of hundreds of RGB LEDs, and more. The biggest challenge in designing museum exhibits is to make everything as durable as possible. Just imagine hundreds of hands pushing every button over and over, people leaning their body weight on things that might break, etc. For the Houston exhibit, we built the enclosures with thick acrylic plastic held together with socket head cap screws. Its a nice durable combination, and the kids can see lots of handwired circuit boards inside everything. I hope somebody gets inspired to build!

To learn more about electronics check out Eric’s tips page, your local library, the internet, and resell book stores.

To learn more about Eric Archer check out his website and follow the links on his about me page.

By Sailormouth

Cosmicblooper points out this Harbor Freight deal on a Free LED flashlight. The future will look bright especially when playing dark noise shows, controlling your Opto Theremin, or biking safely with this badboy zip-tied to the handlebars. The offer is valid for a while. Go to this page for a link to the print out.

Some of you may know Harbor Freight as a very cheap direct from China tool supplier with crazy sales. Their stores can be found in many cities across USA. Most of their tools are “Economical” to say the least, however some things they can’t screw up, like a nice set of Neodymium magnets and Glue Dot Runner for only $2. A great deal of GetLoFi creations have been made with the HF tools at some point, but use YOUR best judgement, especially with their power tools. All that said praise be on HF for making tools accessible to people with not a lot of money, exactly the type of thing needed to encourage more handcrafting and self sustainability. Don’t forget that Thrift Stores and Pawn Shops also typically have a hardware section with various second hand tools to help you forge a better tomorrow.

Our friends at the Hack Factory in Minneapolis are hosting their first Handmade Music Event on Thursday Feb. 25th at 7:00 PM. On agenda is 555 LED throwies, cultivating of the DIY Music, and SN76477 chip exploration. The factory is only a few blocks down the street from Hexagon Bar.

More Information Here.

This weekend members of GetLoFi crew will be joining forces with performers from the Northern city of Minneapolis on 3 special occasions.

SHORT CIRCUIT – Saturday 02,20, 2010. 6PM – 9PM @ Shuga Records. Free All Ages.  Artists include: Bunk Data (MN), CMKT 4 (IL), Datura 1.0 (MN) , MEGACHURCH (MN), Pelzwik (MN), Talking Computron (IA).

D.I.Y. Soundscapers – Sunday 02,21, 2010.  7PM – 10PM @ U of M Ferguson Hall. Free All Ages. Artists include:  Shieldyoureyes, CMKT4, Pelzwik, Talking Computron.

Audible Humdrum – Monday 02,22, 2010. 10PM – 2AM @ Big Vs Saloon. Cover, 21+. Artist include: Terracide,  GunkelHeimer, Gorephanage, CMKT4, TalkingComputron.

Kits, Contact Mics, CDs and other special goodies will be available at all shows. Those who make it to all 3 shows will receive a very special prize. Performers are obviously excluded.

by Creme DeMentia

So, I am in my first rock band and it is my pleasure and privilege to be able to share this with GetLofi Readers. It consists of myself on drums/circuit-bent electronics, Jeff Cox on acoustic guitar/bass and Zach Adams on guitar/synthesizers. Here is a video from our first performance at the House Cafe, in DeKalb, IL:

In a recent GetLofi article, Spunky Toofers compared single circuit-bent devices to patches on a modular synthesizer.  I think it’s an apt comparison.  Despite the inconvenience of lugging around a gigantic array of devices, there is something to be said for the visual appeal of a table crowded with beautiful, weird-looking/-sounding gizmos.  Let us not discount either the incredibly unique sounds within some simpler devices.  I have found that performing solo has become an interesting puzzle when faced with a dozen or so instruments, all with different interfaces and sound potential, all able to make noise at the same time.

CMKT4, The House Cafe, DeKalb, IL 1/16/10 from Creme DeMentia on Vimeo.

For CMKT 4, I have added plywood wings to a student desk and done away with rack toms to accommodate some choice pieces of my circuit-bent gear as I drum.  I am currently using the Sesame Street All-Star Band Keyboard, The Animal Caller, The Bird Calendar, the Barbietron (coming soon), and a new device, the Haunted House, to get my palette of circuit-bent sounds.

I picked up a Halloween flashlight loaded with spooky sounds when I last was in Chicago.  Tommy from Roth Mobot had picked up one before when we were both at an American Science and Surplus months back, so I was familiar with the sounds and was pretty sure that he had circuit-bent it later.  I quickly dismantled it and found a pitch resistor.  What is amazing about this flashlight, musically speaking, is that it already drones on its own.   There are 8 sounds to choose from, each loops automatically until you press its button again or select a different sound.  This was probably my simplest and quickest project to date, it came together pretty fast over several days.

My only modifications were to the flashlight’s housing and pitch resistor.  The body contacts are metal beads from Michael’s, the case was a junky jewelry box from Salvation Army and the Haunted House illustration is actually cut from the cover of a garage sale book, “Haunted Houses.”  I was able to cut the flashlight lamp front flat with a Dremel cut-off disc chucked in my drill-press to turn it into the front window on the final instrument.  By doing this, it sat flush on the front of the jewelry box and I was able to use the flashlight’s own screws to affix it.  I replaced the flashlight bulb with an LED, transplanted its battery compartment, and replaced its buttons with some nice chunky black plastic DPDT switches.

As soon as I brought it to practice, it fit right in;  there are 3 different songs I use it for now.  It just goes to show that sometimes incredibly simple bends can sometimes result in very capable and good sounding instruments.

Also, CMKT 4 is coming for you, Minnesota!

by Mike Una

For real guys, check out the work of Alexis Malbert, aka Tapetronic. Just look at his website- you can’t deny the power. This gentleman has destroyed more tape decks than you have ever considered buying at the thrift store. View these videos, and feel the rise of your own urge to create tape-mangling monstrosities:

Click here to view the embedded video.

You may note the use of a rotary phone as a rhythmic gate- that’s a technique that Tim Kaiser gets a lot of use out of. It very nicely mimics the motion of scratching on a turntable, even if the sound isn’t the same. Here’s a nice high-energy live performance withs ome of these devices:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Also, you need to check out this animated music video. It’s off the hook:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Based on the Tapetronic myspace page, he’s got a good number of shows coming up in France. Any French benders reading this GetLoFi? Give us a shout-out in the comments.

(found via Today and Tomorrow)

The Knife and Mount Sims are my favorite electronic artists, so it was insane to hear that they collaborated on Tomorrow, in a Year project with another artist Planningtorock. The music was commissioned by a Danish Theater group for an Opera based on Charles Darwin’s “Origin of the Species”. Tracks evolve much like the life on earth from simple, yet surprisingly experimental and packed full of wonderful low frequencies. To complex orchestral compositions with pounding drum machines you’d expect from Mount Sims and heavy synth lines characteristic of The Knife. Great listening experience with a capable sound sound system or nice headphones. This treasure trove of sounds is completely free for listening online. More information: Here
Entire Album:
Tomorrow, In A Year by Rabid Records
Collaborators explain the writing process:

Click here to view the embedded video.