Metku Mods, a hardware modding site, has an interesting step-by-step photo essay on modding a Casio CTK 530 keyboard. Why spend hours turning a cheesy Casio keyboard into a control keyboard that only offers limited control? Here’s modder Jani Pönkkö’s reason: When not modding, I usually compose some music. As an input device for the… Read More Insane Casio Keyboard Mod
Even if you’re not into DIY projects, soldering is a good skill to know for musicians working with electronic music gear. It’s learn to solder month at Make Magazine, and here are a few tutorials that they’ve tracked down that may help: Make: Soldering Tutorial – Link Gareth’s awesome howto PDF – Link Howto solder… Read More Learn To Solder
Mekarer, who may be the MacGyver of the music world, has turned a sponge into a snare drum, using a guitar pickup and a piece of string: Here’s his English explanation: “I use Reaktor to translate the signal with its amplitube to snare drums. Each punch, with sound a snare drum (not the same snare… Read More Use Reaktor To Turn A Sponge Into A Drum Machine
Limor Fried, creator of the very cool x0xb0x 303 DIY project, has released MIDIsense, described as “a simple, yet extensible sensor interface system for artists, musicians and others interested in experimenting with sensors.” The MIDIsense boards provide a simple way to integrate various common sensors with existing software such as Max/MSP, Ableton Live, etc. or… Read More MidiSense – A DIY MIDI Sensor Interface
via Axehole: Experimentalist Anonymous has posted a journal of building a modular synth in a month. “During the month of January, 2006, I built an analog modular synthesizer from the ground up. At Oberlin, where I go to school, January is a time for students to work on individual projects of their choice. It has… Read More Build a Modular Synth in a Month
Here’s one for the benders & DIY’rs: Highly Liquid is offering MIDISpeak Module – Version 2, a talking toy MIDI retrofit for the Speak & Spell, Speak & Read, or Speak & Math. Features: Adds a standard MIDI IN port to your Speak & Spell, Speak & Read, or Speak & Math. Non-English versions also… Read More Add MIDI to a Speak and Spell
Electronica band SubAtomicGlue has a great step-by-step, blow-by-blow account of building and troubleshooting an x0xb0x kit. They call it the xoxl0g. If you’re not familiar with the x0xb0x, it’s a circuit-accurate recreation of the electronics of the popular TB-303 bassline synth, with an updated sequencer and some goodies like MIDI and USB connectivity. The blog… Read More Building an x0xb0x Synth
Ever wish you could had a Minimoog, but don’t want to shell out the dollars that new Voyagers go for, or that classic Minimoogs go for on eBay? If you’re into synth DIY, you might consider building your own Minimoog. This site has details on a Minimoog diy project. “After playing on many different synths… Read More DIY Minimoog
Ray Wilson’s Music From Outer Space site has added a new synth DIY project, the Weird Sound Generator. As Wilson describes it, “Whether you need weird sounds for a movie, performance art, neighbor annoyance, or you just like making weird sounds in the woods this circuit is for you. You could put this on a… Read More Music From Outer Space Weird Sound Generator.
Bent-Tronics is a site that carries specialty electronic parts for circuit-bending and other electronic experimentation. Its selection is small, but it carries many items for benders that can be hard to find. Their selection includes body contacts, potentiometers, knobs, LEDs, connectors, switches and tools. Bent-Tronics
