The EM-Tronic Synthesizer is a $40 DIY jumbo shrimp of a synth, featuring all the parts you need to build a tiny battery-powered noise machine.

The developers describe the EM-Tronic as “a great synth started kit for those getting started in electronics”, and it includes all the components needed except for an enclosure.

Main controls:

• Pitch: the pitch control allows you to make, 127 tones and 127 white noise variations.
• Speed: The speed control has different functions depending on what mode is set, but essentially, it sets the time a tone or tones are played and repeated.
• Mode: the EM-Tronic has three modes, mode 1 is basic and gives a bleep at the pitch and duration you set. mode 2 is delay mode, this mode gives a delay effect as you move the pitch control up and down. Mode three includes a delay and multiple notes played rapidly.

The kit includes:

• EM- tronic custom Circuit board
• Programmed micro controller
• Electronic components ( resistors, capacitors, voltage regulator, 9v battery clip, switch, potentiometers, 3.5mm socket, knobs and LEDs
• Detailed instructions

To build it, you will need:

• Soldering iron and solder
• Wire cutters
• Allen key to fit the knobs
• An enclosure to fit the kit into if you want one.

The EM-Tronic is available at the Rarebeasts Etsy site. If you’ve built the EM-Tronic, let us know what you think of it!

Note: It looks like supplies are limited on the EM-Tronic and us posting about it will probably blow out the currently available stock.