[Tokolosh]

Originally Posted by nomadicfollower

Weevil

 

That cigar box is really cool.

[Tokolosh]

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]

 

TOMY VOICE CORDER (1972)

Link

[Tokolosh]

 

DUBREQ STYLOPHONE (1968)

Link

[jon boy]

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

[golden child]

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]

The Dragon's Teeth

 

The Triamba

 

[krastian]

Best thread in months.

[Tokolosh]

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]

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

[Tokolosh]

 

 

 

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]

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]

oih yeah!!!

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

[king_buzzo]

hell yeah:

 

 

 

[king_buzzo]

 

 

 

[krastian]

Originally Posted by Tokolosh

Revolution synthesizer

 

 

Link

 

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

[Tokolosh]

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]

Originally Posted by Tokolosh

 

DUBREQ STYLOPHONE (1968)

Link

my ex guitarist has this!

[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

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]

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/