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Tokolosh 11.14.2006 08:38 AM

Build or Modify your Sonic Gear thread and more!
 
A thread for all kinds of weird and wonderful instruments and info on how to build or modify your equipment!
Pedals, amps, guitars, synths, etc.


I'd love to build one of these!
 

Sound Lab Mini Synthesizer

Link

jon boy 11.14.2006 08:40 AM

i really want a tone generator. anyone got one for sale?

Tokolosh 11.14.2006 08:51 AM

How's this ZVEX amp!
It's the worlds smallest production tube guitar amp.

 


Link

jon boy 11.14.2006 08:52 AM

it looks like a bomb, but its very nice.

Tokolosh 11.14.2006 08:58 AM

Revolution synthesizer

 

 


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Tokolosh 11.14.2006 09:07 AM

 

 

Resonator Neuronium

Veteran music synth designer Jürgen Michaelis has unleashed the fabulously strange €2499 Resonator Neuronium. As the name suggests (ahem), this little monster uses six interconnected analog neurons to generate music. How does it sound? Addictively odd, but comfortingly analogish. Imagine a robot ant playing the best of Tangerine Dream through your starship's hyperspace drive. It offers a huge low end but has no problem generating ripping, squealing melody lines and percussion. You definitely won't find a General MIDI soundset here.

The primary programming interface is a series of six touch-sensitive rotary controllers that allow you to build complex summing and FM networks. Neurons can self-resonate, and the unit features two external audio inputs that can be used to excite the network. Neuron envelopes can be triggered by MIDI, and the output from the six nodes can be mixed down to familiar stereo outputs. For anyone interested in burning a few brain cells, the user's manual is available online.

If you're a wealthy technostar, this thing should be all over your next album. You'll be in rare company -- so far Michaelis has delivered 20 units, with orders for five more.

Listen to this thing in action here

next step 11.14.2006 09:07 AM

great links! that first box on top should be very cool!

I recently built a tube screamer from http://www.generalguitargadgets.com it's easy to do, just some precision, and some experience with a welder, here a picture of the board:

 

Tokolosh 11.14.2006 09:11 AM

Hows this beauty!
 

Atomic Space Tone Guitar Amp


Link

next step 11.14.2006 09:17 AM

looks a very cool amp!

Tokolosh 11.14.2006 09:18 AM

 

Moog Little Phatty Analog Synthesizer

Link

king_buzzo 11.14.2006 10:00 AM

you can make you virtual guitar here

http://www.nymphusa.com/kisekae/kisekaeE1.asp

anyone who used it please tell me how to save the picture

_slavo_ 11.14.2006 10:19 AM

Wow, Tokolosh, that Revolution synth looks amazing.

king_buzzo 11.14.2006 10:49 AM

 


mid fi electronic, random number generator

sound clip on there.

i can already make that sound with blue box + wah though

Danny Himself 11.14.2006 11:04 AM

 


Self-made kit from www.buildyourownclone.com

Pretty cool. Would be nice to hear how all the different pedal boards could be combined into one crazy pedal..

Tokolosh 11.14.2006 11:05 AM

 

 

 

Self made Sound of Crap (SoCra)
smallcities

krastian 11.15.2006 12:42 AM

Cool thread.

pantophobia 11.15.2006 12:52 AM

triwave picogenerator





 





jon boy 11.15.2006 03:34 AM

yeah nice stuff. post a pic of your wah wah kegmama.

nomadicfollower 11.15.2006 05:29 PM

Weevil

 




 

 


The Sound Machine
The movements of people around the room are sensed by a post in the centre of the room. This post sends out its information by infrared to little boxes positioned on each speaker frame. The insides of the boxes are filled with chaotic circuits and wires that react and spout sounds in relation to the movements. The sounds are emitted from the speakers and cause vibration of the attached string and pen arrangement, thus transforming movements around the exhibition into random patterns on paper. The Sound Machine was originally devised with Simon Bond and was exhibited as part of the Interact1 show in September 2004









And for other awesomeness check out http://www.bugbrand.co.uk/pages/bugbrandhome.htm

static-harmony 11.15.2006 05:42 PM

I would get some from buildyourownclone.com but I don't have any soldering skills or any solder kit.

Tokolosh 11.15.2006 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadicfollower
Weevil
 



That cigar box is really cool.

Tokolosh 11.15.2006 06:20 PM

The Toy Instrument That Made Hits

 

Suzuki introduced the Omnichord in the early 1980s as an instrument targeted at beginners. At it's simplest, making music required no more than pressing a chord key and strumming the little touch-sensitive pad.

But something strange happened. Professional musicians everywhere started picking up this odd little electronic gadget. Robbie Williams, David Bowie, Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, Bjork, and even Ringo Starr have recorded with them. What makes them incredible is that it's possible to pick one up and make decent music within a few minutes. Try that with a trumpet!


 

These days, Suzuki offers the sleek QChord - a replacement for the original series of instruments. QChord features MIDI in/out ports (for interfacing with computer recording systems), a cartridge-based song system, and runs on 8 C batteries. Visit the QChord network for some example recordings -- ignore the cheesy photos of Grandpa wielding his QChord like a weapon.

Link

 

KNIGHT ELECTRONIC BONGOS(1968)

Link

Tokolosh 11.15.2006 06:24 PM

 

TOMY VOICE CORDER (1972)

Link

Tokolosh 11.15.2006 06:26 PM

 

DUBREQ STYLOPHONE (1968)

Link

jon boy 11.15.2006 07:19 PM

so i guess we can take it that your a tec head then toko?

golden child 11.15.2006 07:58 PM

YES

I've been wanting to make that Mini Synth that is at musicfromouterspace.com for awhile, the schematic is quite simple but at the moment I can't even afford the raw parts. It is on my to do list, maybe I'll make a few extra to sell to make up for the cost.

Ive got a few other schematics of cool things laying around, like an organ, oscillators, etc. Whoever wanted the tone generator, they are really easy... good beginner project if you are looking to get into electronics

nomadicfollower 11.15.2006 09:05 PM

The Dragon's Teeth

 


The Triamba

 

krastian 11.16.2006 12:47 AM

Best thread in months.

Tokolosh 11.16.2006 03:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jon boy
so i guess we can take it that your a tec head then toko?


No. Not at all. I just like looking for weird instruments, that's all.
A friend of mine is a pro at electronics and we discuss this type of stuff on a regular basis.


Wretch Machine
 


Here’s how Metasonix describe their new creation:

The Professional Solution.
The Ultimate Tube Synthesizer.


Pitch sources: two independent VCOs.
Made entirely of vacuum and gas-filled tubes.

Range >2 octaves using CV, octave switching allows range from
33 Hz (low C) to more than 2 kHz.
Three waveforms: thyratron sawtooth, square, and square with
suboctave.
VCO 2 may free-run or be soft-synced to VCO 1.
Numerous patch points allow enormous flexibility.


Waveshaper: unique circuit, with soft clipper and pulse adder
(shapes waveforms from VCOs by adding small pulses to top of
waveform at discontinuity).
Made entirely of vacuum tubes.
Settings: disable, soft-clip only, and soft-clip with pulses added to
signal. Latter circuit allows simulation of noise source.


Filter: unique multimode circuit, allows its use as a lowpass,
treble/midrange bandpass or bass bandpass filter.
Continuously variable control allows mixing of filter forms in any
proportion.
Made entirely of vacuum tubes.
Range of treble resonance switchable, 400-1700 Hz.
Bass resonance tunes from ~100-350 Hz.
VCA: unique circuit using a pentode tube.
Made entirely of a vacuum tube.
May be modulated with the AR generator only, or with the control
voltage generated on modulation bus 2.


Modulation: two envelope generators, A(S)R and AD.
Both triggered with input gate signal. Both may be combined on
either modulation bus to create ADSR.
Two independent LFOs, triangle waveform, range <0.3 Hz to more
than 5 Hz.
Two modulation buses allow combining the A(S)R, AD, and two
LFOs as needed to effect any CV input in the audio circuit (VCO
pitch, VCO squarer waveshape, waveshaper pulser, filter tuning).


Main CV input controls pitch of both VCOs (Hz/V response).
Gate input triggers envelope generators, accepts 0-5v or 0-10v
gate voltage.
6AL7 “eye” tube displays status of LFOs and A(S)R control voltages
on three separate glowing green bar graphs.


Miniature joystick performs multiple jobs: vertical motion affects
pitch of both VCOs, horizontal motion affects tuning of filter.
Press joystick in to trigger envelopes.


Size: 6U high standard EIA rack mount, 3? depth below rack panel.
11 vacuum/gas tubes. Weight about 20 pounds with AC adapter.
Draws 12 volts AC ONLY at 3 amps.


Expected availability mid-2006, expected retail price $2500.
Optional internal MIDI-CV interface, add $300.

jon boy 11.16.2006 03:57 AM

ok then build me a tone generator and i'll thank you publicly in a ceremony involving wine and cake.

Tokolosh 11.16.2006 04:01 AM

 

 

 


The Melloman
Built by Mike Walters, Summer 2005

This is my interpretation of the Mellotron, a classic instrument invented in the 1960s. It was one of the first sample players, and was used by The Beatles, and countless psychedelic and prog bands. The Mellotron played strips of tape to emulate flutes, strings, choirs, orchestras, etc. The flutes at the beginning of Strawberry Fields are a good example of the Mellotron.

My version, The Melloman, uses Walkmans and cassette tapes to play original Mellotron samples, or whatever cassette tapes you want to put in. Inside the box, there are 14 continuously running Walkmans mounted side by side. The first Walkman is designated for drums, and the next 13 provide sampled loops for 25 notes.

The operation is pretty simple. Each cassette tape contains 2 octaves of each note hard-panned left and right, on a continuous loop. There is one Walkman for each note, supplying two octaves. For example, Walkman #4 plays a cassette designated for D. The left channel track has the lower octave D constantly playing, and the right channel has the higher octave D. This allows 13 Walkmans to produce 25 notes (the last Walkman for C4 uses only one track). Walkman #1, the drum player, plays a constant loop of Jett Rink’s drummer Tony Stiglitz on the left track, and doing fills synched and looped on the right track. A momentary switch (the big red arcade button on the front) causes the drum fill in perfect time with the main rhythm. There is also a potentiometer wired parallel to that Walkman’s motor speed trim pot. This allows for tempo control, albeit crude (but that makes it cooler). More...

The Usher 11.16.2006 04:44 AM

This thread is the coolest! I've only been playing guitar for about 6 months, so I have no idea what half this stuff would do, but man, it's sure inspiring to go and build some shit!

king_buzzo 11.17.2006 03:45 PM

oih yeah!!!

biggest fuzz pedal
http://www.beavisaudio.com/Projects/...al_1_Large.jpg

king_buzzo 11.18.2006 06:42 PM

hell yeah:

 

 

 

king_buzzo 11.18.2006 06:42 PM

 

 

 

krastian 01.04.2007 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tokolosh
Revolution synthesizer





 





 


Link



 

"I totally don't know what that means, but I waunt it."

Tokolosh 08.13.2007 04:50 AM

BUMP!

 
 
 


DRUM BUDDY
An invention by Mr. Quintron

Electrical energy, when closely examined, is in fact more similar in its complexity to a plant or an animal form than it is to the mechanical devices or computer machines with which it is usually associated. It is not necessarily more complex, but equally microcosmically complex. There exists a set of operating rules so small and elusive that we cannot observer their exact patterns, but only the results of their behavior.

Read more here

nicfit 08.13.2007 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tokolosh
 

DUBREQ STYLOPHONE (1968)

Link


my ex guitarist has this!

SpectralJulianIsNotDead 08.13.2007 05:49 AM

I am gonna make one of these controllers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feEZziPdpOQ

Costs like 12 dollars to make and is tiny.

Tokolosh 06.14.2008 04:02 PM

This guy makes some interesting stuff.

 

BugBrand Drone Machine
Not generally available! Five have been built - one kept for personal use.
No More! No More!

Looking a bit like a box for make-up, the new Drone Machine is powerful-but-portable fully modular synth and processing device in a compact carry case.

Featuring:
Audio input with Envelope Follower - input preamp with variable decay envelope follower (EnvFlw based on SynTom ideas)
Ring Modulator - using the AD633 multiplier chip
3 x Voltage Controlled Oscillators (plus Low Freq Osc) - three powerful VCOs (based around the Thomas Henry XR2206 VCO) that can also run at low freqs for modulation, offering tri / sin / sqr waveforms, plenty of modulation and sync function.
Voltage Controlled Filter - state variable (Lo / Band / Hi response) resonant filter with modulation and two audio inputs
Digi-delay - based around the PT2399 digital delay chip that can be cranked down into very noised-up territories.
2 x Voltage Inverters - for audio or CVs
Output Mixer - 3 channels mixed to mono output
All connections, other than input / output, are on 4mm banana plugs which open up a vast array of connective potential. Powered by a 12V AC adaptor.

 

Spring Reverb

A spring reverb tray and mixer/driver unit to drench sounds in lucious waves of distance.

 

 

Workshop Noise Machine
Released May2008

Sooner or later I'll get together a decent building guide and offer some kits - I've just run the workshop in Berlin for Pickled Feet and it was a great success with 14 people successfully building the machines (some people had zero electronics experience - well done them!)

Tom Bugs

Website with loads of schematics:
http://www.bugbrand.co.uk/


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