This is a demo for Drawdio – a pencil that lets you “draw” instruments.

While creator Jay Silver compares it to a theremin, it’s closer to a Tannerin or Electro-Theremin.

via wakeupsilver:

Imagine you could draw musical instruments on normal paper with any pencil (cheap circuit thumb-tacked on) and then play them with your finger. The Drawdio circuit-craft lets you MacGuyver your everyday objects into musical instruments: paintbrushes, macaroni, trees, grandpa, even the kitchen sink…

One day I bought a “harmonium” kit at the street market in Bangalore. I hacksawed the keyboard off to make the first ever Drawdio circuit. We played with it at a local school in the slums using plants, water, our foreheads, etc. My friend told me graphite would work too. Meditating on it, I realized the Drawdio circuit should be literally attached to a pencil to “draw audio,” and that’s where the name came from: Draw + Audio.

DIY: Make it. Remix it. Play it.

See http://drawdio.com

Developer Eric Archer is now shipping his Andromeda MK-1 and MK-2 drum machines, DIY minimal drum machines “designed as an experiment of making the most minimal drum machine possible using analog circuitry”.

In the video above, Archer demonstrates the two new drum machines, how they can interact and how you can control them in real time.

The Andromeda MK-1 and MK-2 drum machines are available for $55 each as DIY kits.

Here’s another demo. This one features 12 of Archer’s tiny drum machines:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Andromeda MK-1 analog drum machine has a minimal sequencer with sixteen preset patterns, selectable by the red switch block.  The pushbutton restarts the patterns.  This feature allows you to shift the timing of the rhythm when synchronized with other Andromeda Space Rockers instruments.

The sound of the MK-1 is from a pair of damped sine wave oscillators, which are triggered simultaneously.  The oscillators are reffered to as “X” and “Y”.  Their pitch is controlled by the photocells AND the capacitors labeled X1,X2 and Y1,Y2.  The capacitors control the overall range of pitches that it can play.  Larger value capacitors here make lower pitches.

The square grid of holes is called the Personality Center.  You can use it to add additonal circuitry to your MK-1 to change its character.  I will publish the Personality Center mods as soon as I get a chance.

The Andromeda MK2 analog drum machine has a minimal sequencer with sixteen preset patterns, selectable by the red switch block.  The pushbutton restarts the patterns.  This feature allows you to shift the timing of the rhythm when synchronized with other Andromeda Space Rockers instruments.

The sound of the MK2 is from an analog white noise generator.  This noise is filtered by a resonant filter, and the cutoff of the filter is controlled by the photocell on the left side of the unit.

The sequencer triggers an envelope generator (EG).  This creates a signal that controls the duration and volume contour of the sound.  The EG is controlled by the photocell on the right side of the unit.

The EG’s signal is sent to a voltage controlled amplifier (VCA).  The VCA chops up the steady output from the filtered white noise generator into little bursts of sound, controlled by the EG.  This is what you hear at the output.

The sound of the Andromeda MK2 is like a primitive electronic snare drum / cymbal / handclap.

rishabhrajan demonstrates his MacGyver multitouch surface, with some general applications and then with a Flash version of Brian Eno’s Bloom ambient app.

Below, a “paper piano”, created with Community Core Vision, Pure Data and Logic Pro.

Do you think 2010 will be the year somebody packages this concept and turns it into a general music app?

Here’s the first version of the laser cut and engraved Casper Electronics Drone Lab housing:

Some of the details may change, but the general design is set. An alternate design may be offered which features an extended faceplate with blank space for adding extra control hardware.

The Drone Lab is a 4 voice analog drone synth, rhythm generator and FX processor. It is capable of generating rich, textured soundscapes, hypnotic drones and complex rhythmic sequences.

A complete parts kit & PCB are available for $200.

Synthtopia regular MirlitronOne created what could be the low-budget music hack of the year – turning a $6 LED kit into a 8-stage step sequencer.

He started with a Vellemen MK107 LED kit – which are available all over the place for less than a fast food lunch, making the kit a great risk-free starting point for music hacking.

In this video, MirlitronOne shows you how he did it and how this DIY music sequencer works.

via MirlitronOne:

How to turn a cheap Velleman LED kit into a simple eight-note analogue voltage sequencer for a synthesizer, WSG etc. The whole thing could be built for under £10 and has a novel function for playing subsets of the selected notes for ‘related’ arpeggios. This electronic music project comes to you from the bench of Mirlitronics, Inc., suppliers of low-tech gadgetry to “The Mirlitrons” – check us out on iTunes.

via Make

Here’s what they have to say about their service:

We specialize in acrylic cutting and etching, specifically to create blind panels for you modular synthesizer system. Please browse our stock design gallery of over 125 designs. We can modify any of our existing designs or create something completely custom for you if aren’t graphically inclined. Custom graffiti can also be done by an actual NYC graffiti artist.

Please select a design or download a template and let us help bring your vision to life. We are ready to provide you with great service and stand 100% behind the result. If you are not satisfied, we will not stop until it is right. Your satisfaction is our top priority.

Vector art is preferred so if you need to create your artwork with a raster based program like Photoshop, please keep it black & white, high in contrast and have strong lines. Keep artwork solid black and white. Black is what will etch, white will be substrate.

We can also do other custom etching and cutting – DIY module panels for instance. And although we do not offer any metal cutting, we can etch your supplied aluminum faceplates, laptops or whatever you might need.

Be sure to see our examples page with images of the work we can do for you.

via RichardDevine

This can’t end well.

You create a synthesizer-controlled Frankenstein robotic dog, and pretty soon you end up as dog food.

via SpillerNo:

How to controll a frankenstein robot dog with animatronics using a toy synthesizer. Fra programmet «Tekno» som går mandager 21:30 på NRK 2

This is a sneak preview of Eric Archer’s DIY Andromeda MK-1 and MK-2 minimal drum machines, with hand cut cardstock enclosures:

The enclosure is actually an afterthought. I added it to address any concerns about the bare board, to make it easier to put the device in your pocket, and to offer six surfaces for your artwork. Although as a friend pointed out, the enclosure covers up the surface bend /body contact points inside. So its just an option.

This video demonstrates different ways to use/abuse the infrared wireless signals that keep the instruments synchronized. The unit on the far left is the master clock.

Archer says kits will be available soon.

Critter and Guitari have introduced the Pocket Piano Arduino Shield – a board for making the Arduino into a portable stand alone music synthesizer.

Features:

• 25 keys and multiplexer circuitry
• 4 potentiometers, 1 controls output level
• Microchip MCP4921 12 bit SPI DAC
• Passive low pass output filter

It plugs directly into the Arduino board and provides 25 multiplexed keys (2 full octaves), 4 pots, status LED, reset switch, digital to analog converter IC, and a RCA audio jack. The Arduino board with its powerful AVR processor is more than adequate for a wide range of sound synthesis techniques, including additive / wave-table synthesis, frequency modulation, ring modulation, sampling, polyphony and various arpeggiators.

Audio demos are available at the C&G site.

Kit only, Arduino Board not included: $44.95

Casper Electronics has announced that it’s now taking pre-orders for the Drone Lab V2, a 4 voice analog drone synth, rhythm generator and FX processor.

Description:

The Drone Lab is capable of generating rich, textured soundscapes, hypnotic drones and complex rhythmic sequences. It features a series of filter and distortions circuits as well as an audio input jack. This allows it to be used as an effects processor for external audio signals.

The Drone Lab retails for $50 for the PCB only, $200 for a PCB and parts kit, and $350 fully assembled.

via bubagoo:

PCBs and complete parts kits will be available starting October 20th.
This is the new Drone Lab analog drone synthesizer by casperelectronics in collaboration with Electromagics.

Ordering info is available at casperelectronics.com
For more info on Drone Lab features go to:
http://casperelectronics.com/finished…

Electromagics: http://www.electromagics.com/

Questions and comments welcome at pete[at]casperelectronics[dot]com.

The Drone Lab is a 4 voice analog drone synth, rhythm generator and FX processor.
The Lab has an external input with pre amp which accepts audio signals from any audio source including microphone, guitar, keyboard and other Drone Labs. External signals can be mixed with the existing drone and run through the lab’s filter and distortion circuits.
The Lab also features a clock interface which allows the internal rhythm clock to be linked with a variety of external clocks.

Jan van Nuenen created this IKEA solar-powered optical theremin thing, the Sunnan Synth.

The Sunnan Synth is made with an IKEA Sunnan solar lamp, photoresistors, pots and a cmos 556 ic. The IKEA Sunnan lamp is $20 at IKEA stores, and if you buy one, they donate another to UNICEF to help kids in small villages.

The Bent Festival

• PERFORMERS – Bent Festival seeks bands and/or solo artists who incorporate home built or circuit bent instruments or ideas in their performance. Please email a short description of your act, along with a link to mp3s and photos if you have them. Please do not send attachments larger than 1MB.
• INSTALLATION ARTISTS – Bent Festival is looking for installation artists who can commit at least 15 hours to creating site-specific pieces of art at each of the venues during the duration of the festival. Installation artists will be provided with space, materials, electronic equipment and tools. Please submit via email a brief description of your installation idea along with examples of your past work. Please be prepared to commit to spending time in the installation space during the festival and be prepared for a shared and at times hectic work environment. No white walls here!
• ARTWORK SUBMISSIONS – In addition to installation artists, we would like to have featured art work that fits with the spirit of the festival from people who might not be able to join us in person or who cannot commit to working in the space during the duration of the festival. Please submit via email digital images or links of your work and a brief description.
• WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS – Bent Festival is seeking workshop instructors to present on various topics. Topics in previous years have included: General circuit bending workshops for beginners and extremely technical, hands on workshops on a particular aspect or niche of the genre. Please describe the subject you would like to lead a workshop on and provide a one-page description of that workshop, in addition include links or examples of your current and past work in the field.

Details below:

Compensation

Stipends for all festival performers, artists, and workshop leaders will be provided. We have a limited number of travel grants available as well. Please contact us for more information.

Tentative Festival Dates:

New York, NY Bent Festival – April 22, 23, and 24

Proposals:

Proposal Deadline: December 1, 2009
Participant Notification: December 11, 2009
In keeping with the expanding interests of the community, this year we are continuing to open the Bent Festival to performers and artists that create their own electronics as well as to those who hack, bend, modify and destroy them. We are currently seeking performers and artists to participate specifically in these categories: Performers, Installation Artists, Artwork Submissions and Workshop Instructors.

Please send all proposals and questions to:
New York Bent Festival – bentnyc at thetanknyc.org

via getlofi

Image: JoeLMutantE

Check out this very nice x0xb0x bassline synth, with TB303 Mods by JoeLMutantE:

A clone killer TB303 sound with a clone killer enclosure aspect TB303 alike.

via the Synthtopia Flickr Group

Here is an interview from 5aaasp with John Michael (Dr. Bleep) of Bleep Labs, showing his current line of custom anthropomorphic synthesizers (Thingamagoops) and discussing his future lineup.

via iloveanalogue

Ableton Live 8: This video demos Liubo Borissov’s simple arduino 4-sensor controller for an FM synth.

Code: 2rem.net/projects/m4l/lab.arduinofm.zip

This video, from Handmade Music Austin, features a discussion with Eric Archer about his new drum synths and more.

via EA78751:

Handmade Music Austin – a series of DIY music workshops for 2009-2010 presented by Church of the Friendly Ghost.

In a workshop setting, we’ll build a series of miniature electronic instruments called Andromeda Space Rockers. No bigger than a credit card, these projects are designed for DIY’ers. They can be built in a couple of hours to make a working drum machine, bass generator, or micro-synthesizer. These fun little instruments love to jam together, and they do it by forming a wireless network to keep the rhythm!

Of course, there will be an open jam / performance once the instruments are built.

Workshop dates 2009-2010
Location: Austin, Texas October 18 – November 15 – December 20 – January 17 – February 28 – March 14 – April 18

Registration is $45 and includes materials.

Casper Electronics has announced the Drone Lab synthesizer – a DIY synth designed to make ambient electronic drones:

I’ve joined forces with Electromagics to design a Drone Lab kit that is easy to build and is capable of creating rich drones and complex pulsing sequences. We’re in the final stages of PCB prototyping and will be calculating the cost and taking pre orders within the next week or two.

We plan on offering parts kits as well as finished units soon after.

Pricing and availability info is expected to be up soon.

MIDIBox.org has announced sammichSID, designed to be a “no excuses” MIDIbox SID synthesizer kit that’s cheap, easy to build and powerful.

sammichSID has the following design constraints/features:

• cheap
• small
• DIY newbie friendly
• minimal control surface
• single “walwart”/AC adapter supply, no C64 PSU brick!
• stereo SID, optimized for 8580/6582A, 6581 optionally supported
• “sandwich-style” stacked PCB design, no wires!
• laser-cut 3mm acrylic case by Ponoko, customization possible
• industry standard 2×20 character LCD with low-power LED backlight, customization possible
• common control surface parts used, customization possible
• To be available as a complete kit, including PCBs, components, case, hardware and (optionally) two 6582A SIDs!

MIDIbox SID Synthesizer V2 features:

• One Core module and one stereo SID module, fully integrated on one PCB with power supply.
• Five “BankStick” slots, so you can store 4 banks of 128 patches, plus 128 “Ensembles” (engine and patch configurations)
• Jumpers to configure the power supply, allowing a regulated 12V input to power 6581, or unregulated AC/DC input to power 8580/6582A.
• Minimal control surface with three user-customizable buttons and LED matrix for maximum bling.
• 2×20 character LCD with support for low-power (25mA) or high-power (250mA) LED backlight.
• Potential for future upgrade to MIDIbox SID Synthesizer V3 using add-on board

More details on this Wiki page, discussions in this forum article.

Create Your own “Synthetic Symphony”, with Nick’s Online Synthesizer.

via richarddevine

This is a demo of the Dr. Böhm Hobbyton – a DIY Stylophone.

via retrosound72:

Dr. Böhm is a German organ factory.

The Hobbyton is a good dubreq stylophone clone with a different square wave sound and vibrato from the late 70s.

Sorry of the bad sound quality of my little web cam

more info: http://www.retrosound.de and http://www.myspace.com/retrosound72