It seems there’s a rash a voice changer circuits going ’round major electronics publications. 03/08 issue of elektor - cylon voice05/08  nuts & volts  - build a voice changer07/08 everyday practical electronics - galactic voice This is a problem because I really like voice changers . . . and have less than no time to build them.

Here’s the first working version of the Staccato guitar effect pedal. I ended up choosing the name based purely on sound description. It uses the Ampeg Scrambler distortion circuit and passes the signal through a Vactrol for a softened gating effect. Every time I try to record a sample of it in action, I end up playing around with it much longer than necessary. But this is a good sign.Controls from Left to right:Pots - Texture, Blend, Rate, WidthFootSwitches - Bypass/Power, Staccato-ON/OFFThere’s switch built into the texture pot that acts as a big ol’ gain boost as well as a DC Jack in the rear with reverse polarity protectionHere’s a sample I recorded off of a little practice amp I rescued from the dumpster. It starts off Dry, then uses the straight distortion, and finally, adds the staccato gating/tremolo effect:Staccato Proto sample AAC 1,009KB

After viewing Johnny Lee’s incredible head tracking demonstration using the Wii hardware I had to experience it for myself. I had a pair of LED safety googles lying around and decided it was time to put them to better use.

Click each photo for more info.

I start with a tiny light dependent resistor and an amber 3mm LED (use a yellow LED if possible). These two are going to be good friends.

I pushed the LED and photoresistor flush together, then place the kissing components down on a bit of electrical tape.
Thus begins a very long staring contest.

Now roll the tape around a couple of times. Bend the component leads apart and press the tape together in between in order to keep light out.

I then take a thin strip of black tape and wrap it between the leads horizontally.

Squeeze around on the tape a bit in order to seal any openings. (Remember the round leads go to the resistor, the square-ish ones to the LED) You can check to see if there are leaks by hooking the resistor leads to a multimeter - in a dark room shine a flashlight on both ends of your new vactrol. If the flashlight changes the resistance reading on your meter then you have a leak and need to seal the package a bit more.

This is definitely a quick fix, (a sturdier vactrol should be constructed using epoxy or perhaps silicone adhesive) but I’ve found these to be a great way to control resistance. Just add a little LED flasher circuit and you’re good to go for all sorts of effect pedal, synth, and general electronics mods and designs.

PS - Here’s an LED flasher circuit:
blog.makezine.com/archive/2006/10/blinking_eyes_c.html

The ArduinoSynth is my first attempt at microcontroller programming( and pretty much any coding at all beyond a little html). It took me a bit to get started but it’s turning out to be a fun way to learn the language.
So far it’s a 12-note monophonic synth with transposition selection via one 10K pot. I’m using a gutted toy keyboard for the switches and a simple low pass filter to smooth the output a bit. Here’s the schematic:

Features I’d like to add:
- Another octave (maybe add a transpose switch on each of the next octave, then they can share pins with the first)
- Last note hit priority
- Portamento (note-slide)
- Real sine wave out (no external filter, please)
- Polyphony (I had it working badly, need better math)
- any real keyboard feature in existence(or not) attack, decay, waveform, vibrato, etc.

Source can be found here.
Audio sample here
Sample with no LPF here

I recently attended an Arduino class at Lemur here in Brooklyn. It was fun and moved at a brisk pace. The Arduino programming environment is pretty damn friendly and intuitive.
I’m a bit staggered by all the possibilities microcontrollers open up but keep wondering - how do I turn this thing into a synth? Well I seem to be making pretty good headway via hacking bits of others’ sketches. Will report back soon.

Here is the “Smooth Cube” - Two squarewave oscillators pass through a timer to gate rhythms, then a low-pass filter takes the edge before greeting your ears. It also has an input jack to utilize the timer/filter chain for other instruments.
Listen:
Smooth Cube v1.0 (dry) - mp3 2mb
guitar through gate/filter mp3 1mb

The heart of the smoothcube is a circuit I found on Worth Ekik’s site:
www.geocities.com/worthekik//segen.html

followed by:
www.geocities.com/worthekik//hysteresis.html

and then capped off with an filter from:
www.oldtemecula.com/theremin/sixthvoice/index.htm

My version of Ray Wilson’s Weird Sound Generator is complete! This thing was a joy to build and I learned a lot in the process. I debated adding labels to each knob but in the end I decided I’d accentuate the mystery by leaving them blank. Does that make it an MSG instead of a WSG?
Sample to come . . .

UPDATE:
Here be the Samples, no effects, 1-2mb, mp3:
Interdimensional Jalopy
Auditions for the Tardis Alarm
A Home for Lost Drones

Here we see the simple yet powerful Atari Punk Console in convenient tube form. Yes, my friends, designed for convenience and style - the Atari Tube is a welcome addition to any electro-noise performance. It features a borderline blinding white LED at its center and control knobs at each end for enhanced “twiddlability”.
(Ear plugs not included . . . but recommended for square-wave haters)

UPDATE:
Listen to a sample - Atari Tube V.0.2 (w/reverb) mp3 2.4mb

It may be full of holes, slightly unreliable, and in need of some touch-ups, but it’s mine and I’m proud. I didn’t design it, Worth Ekik did. I etched it from a copper clad board with Ferric Chloride. And it was fun.