This “wee theremin”, the Gakken Theremin, is sized for a Barbie doll, but Ken Moore proves that it’s actually “playable”.

via kenmoore:

For my wife’s baby shower our friends Sarah and Mika got us a tiny Gakken Theremin so we can get our girl a head start as the next Theremin virtuosa. It’s a fun but very sensitive instrument, and since Sidney can’t even get her hand in her mouth yet I’ll wait a few more months before starting her lessons. THANKS SARAH AND MIKA!

In preparation for the new products coming out in early November, we’re having a sale on shirts and the last remaining Thingamagoops.

Only a few of each color combo are left.

Normally $130, the Thingamagoops are selling for $90 while stock lasts.

Description:

Featuring 13 original and uncompromising loops, GRISTLEISM delivers a mix of signature TG experimental noise, industrial drone, and classic melodies and rhythms.

GRISTLEISM was born from a collaboration between Industrial Records, Throbbing Gristle and Christiaan Virant (the creator of the original FM3 Buddha Machines) and is packaged in a “Chinese paper-cut” wrapping, featuring a repeating TG logo pattern, foil embossing and UV ink.

Gristleism retails for $28.

More details at Gristleism.com.

Description:

Bastard offspring of ambient loop player the Buddha Machine, GRISTLEISM is part industrial sound machine, part noise instrument.

Available in three colors — black, chrome and red — the palm-sized unit (size: w67mm x h69mm x d35mm) features a built-in speaker, volume control, pitch-shift control and loop selector switch.

Note: GRISTLEISM does not feature an audio output socket or a DC power input socket.

GRISTLEISM features more loops and almost twice the frequency range of the Buddha Machine.

GRISTLEISM is powered by two AA batteries and is the world’s first and only portable TG aural exciter!

This is a video demo of Microsia – an interactive sound game/tool which lets you dive into a plant cell to explore the sound of the microcosm.

Within the cell there are a multiplicity of cell particles which you can manipulate to generate music and visual effects. The particles’ interplay creates new audio-visual compositions again and again.

System Requirements: Windows XP/Vista, 1.8GHz CPU, 512 MB RAM (1GB for Vista users), 64 MB Graphics Card, DirectX-compatible sound card

A demo version of Microsia is available.

Image: Supertoys

via the Synthtopia Flickr Group

Casper Electronic

This awful figurine from the SAW movies is actually a pretty cool 30 second sample/playback module that’s easy to hack.

You can buy them here for $2 a pop from allelectronics.com. It’s almost worth the $2 just for the AAA batteries that come with it.

Horrible movie tie-in toys = bad.

Cheap electronics for hacking = good.

Would you play this thing?

The Otamatone is a new sound toy designed by CUBE works and Maywa Denki, Japan’s new-media artist.

More below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

via Presurfer

Like a real Minimoog, the back folds up for access to the controls. Unlike a real Minimoog, it’s scaled for Barbie.

Download the PDF here.

Detailed instructions at Instructables.

This is quick demo of the Pikachu goggle synthesizer – a circuit bent Pikachu toy.

via Kaseo:

Pikachu built into a goggle operated by controller of pitch and trigger

pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/65388889@N00/sets/72157618608530336/

This is a demonstration of a kid-powered “Drum Panel/Synthesizer” for playgrounds:

“Buttons” are simple regions of plastic shaped in circles with vibration sensors. A wavelet analysis bank is used to separate “hits” in a specific location from random structural vibrations and hits that may have happened elsewhere.

It also has a cool voice/rhythm record mode. After the first demo of the voice record/ playback the unit runs out of juice. One gets anywhere from 45-seconds to 3 minutes depending on how the unit is used.

This is more of a sample playback device than a synth, but the hand-cranked kid-powered action is pretty sweet.

via emh203

This is a quick demo of the Bach Bot 9000, a toy that allows kids to play with circuit bending.

The Pacemaker is a 60GB portable media player that features full DJ capabilities in a package the about the size of a PlayStation Portable (PSP).

Features:

• Portable DJ system lets you mix, play and perform music anywhere, anytime
• 1.7 inch TFT Display with 166 ppi screen resolution
• 60GB Harddrive-holds approximately 15,000 tracks in 128 Kbps AAC format
• Built-in rechargeable lithium battery, play time up to 15 hours when fully charged, mix mode up to 5 hours when fully charged
• USB 2.0, Pacemaker editor computer software, quick start guide included in the box

Leave a comment with your thoughts on the Tonium Pacemaker!

Description:

Imagine two turntables, a mixer and an entire record collection contained in a device that fits into your pocket. Pacemaker’s two independent audio channels let you play two tracks side by side. Beatmatching is easily done by the click of a button, with a full set of audio effects and a crossfader.

The Pacemaker itself is part of the larger Pacemaker platform that encompasses the Pacemaker Editor and the Pacemaker Community. Pacemaker Editor is a free, downloadable PC and Mac compatible computer application that allows you to play music and edit and create mixes. The Pacemaker Community is an online music community that allows members to upload and legally share the mixes of their music, created by the Pacemaker or the Pacemaker Editor software.

Delfy Creations makes hand-made electronic musical contraptions.

And awesome promo videos.

According to the company:

We have a range of ‘Delfy Originals’ which we sell all the time, and we also sell one-off items, ranging from original circuits to circuit bent toys and instruments! Our creations would make a great addition to any electronic musician, band or DJ’s setup. Some are more suited for live use, some for sampling/in the studio etc. But one thing is certain, you’ll never run out of weird and wonderul noises with a Delfy Creation!

If you’ve dealt with Delfy Creations, leave a comment with your thoughts on the company or their gear!

Here’s a demo of one of their electronic musical contraptions:

Click here to view the embedded video.

There are lots more demo videos at their YouTube channel.

Here’s some background on the company:

Delfy Creations is the work of Alex Delfont and Shaun Crook. We live in London, England. I’m Alex, and I’ll be looking after the website, so here is a little bit about how it all began. I started fiddling with old toys and instruments a few years ago. I was amazed by what could be done with other peoples useless stuff and soon went on to create my own circuits and custom pieces. I ended up making far too many things to keep, so I started selling them on ebay, and got a good response. I decided to make a myspace page, under the name ‘Delfy Circuit Bent Instruments’, where I could put pictures and samples of all the things I was selling. I was getting lot of interest, and so I sold a lot of on ebay and I was commissioned to make a fair bit as well.
After returning from a roadtrip around Europe I decided I wanted to start doing things slightly differently. So I made this website, changed the name to Delfy Creations and decided I didn’t want to use Ebay anymore. Also, I joined forces with a good friend of mine, Shaun Crook. He has been doing this stuff for years and has made many a crazy machine! So now we work on all the designs together and get twice as much done. Some of the better known artists out there using Delfy Creations are : Venetian Snares, Slagsmalsklubben, Sabrepulse and Longstone.

via Oliver Chesler

This is a demo of DSSpeech Speech Synthesizer – a homebrew DS app that lets you type in anything you want and your DS will say it.

Download link (.zip)

With:

• Nintendo DS Lite (ELECTROPLANKTON);
• Nintendo DSi (KORG DS-10);
• iPod touch (Mokugyo);
• iPhone(Bloom); and
• KAOSSILATOR connected to Belkin Rockstar

The NoiseAxe is an easy to build Picaxe based mini-synth that plays a range of crazy sounds using only a stylus and photoresistor.

A kit is available for $25.99.

5Volt has published a design for a simple light to sound converter:

The circuit is very simple and is based and pretty well known building blocks. The whole device can be built on a small piece of perfboard and the output can feed a pair of head phones or a small speaker.

PC speakers could replace the amplifier stage but at the cost of portability. The circuit would easily fit into an Altoids tin box.

The use is immediate, just put the battery on and play with the gain and volume while pointing not directly to a light bulb : you should hear a strong buzzing noise (the 50/60 Hz mains), then try any TV (CRT or LCD), any remote control or flame.

Looks like a fun project. Details at the site.

Here’s a video of the sound converter in action:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Casio VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio’s VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone.

Released in 1981, the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Features:

• LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. 
• Real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. 
• 10 pre-loaded rhythms, which included waltz, samba, swing and bossa nova.

Noystoise demos a mini holiday toy keyboard with added drum circuit that modulates the keyboard notes.

Nanoloop Synced to Trippy H Game Boy Camera Music Sequencer

via littlescale:

Nordloef and little-scale proudly present: the Nintendo Game Boy Camera music sequencer Trippy H acting as a master for Nanoloop, which is synchronised to it.