Some tips on what to look for and suggestions for what you can add to change the sound of electronic toys. Thanks to Girls Rock Pittsburgh (www.girlsrockpittsburgh.org) for supporting the making of this virtual workshop!
I can't like this video enough. It has to be the clearest and most detailed in an easy to grasp way, intro to circuit bending I've seen. I wish I had discovered it years ago. It really would have helped!
For the loose bats of those type, take the battery out, place a thin piece of wood in and use something to make a depression in the center like a nail that has the point dulled or something. Just enough to make it now hold itself down more.
good intro to bending concepts :) ive always wondered if these sound card things had any broader applications for bending. like if you could insert the type that allows you to record your own 10 second sample into a keybord and trigger it via LFO. or even remove the speaker, wire the output directly into the preamp, and use it as a short memory/playback function. anyway, good video 👍🏻
I've bought these little units for 3-4 bucks on amazon that have the same chip and a record and playback buttons, they're fun. One day I plan on making a cv trigger input for them.
Iv done wall powered things like alarm clocks and vidoleo gear ... 7 jave to be safe and use a multimeter can just use ur fingers and go crazy more care
Nice explenation for circuit bending a point with those cheap cards is the chip packafe is to expensive so they directly put the sillucon of the chip on the board and put epoxy over it its dirt cheap
I hate that despite 555 timers being the most common IC in existence I still have spent a year or more looking to salvage one. I cant find them anywhere. At best they are tied up in other ICs and idk where I can possibly find a timer to make an oscillator.
This was awesome. I read and youtubed about circuit bending but I found your intro very interesting. You really have a way of explaining. Now I know I'm late here, but I have a question. About that "no wall plug" rule: many toys will work with batteries OR a power supply. I assume the adapter that goes with the toy will supply something like 6, 9 volts or so, depending on the toy. Here's the actual question: once you have figured out and "diyed" your sound object, don't you think you can plug it into the wall? I mean, the voltage is often written on the plug. What would be your advice? Anyway, thanks, keep it up! Cheers,
That's a great question and I have done that, but I've also been shocked, so proceed with caution! If you attach buttons or switches to trigger the bending then fully enclose all the exposed bits you *should* be fine. I was using a 9v to power something I bent with an LDR but wanted it to stay on making weird sounds in an art gallery without the battery dying, so I attached a 9V adapter. For that particular setup where the light was activating the sound it worked great but I forgot to revert back to battery power when I played it by hand (there were exposed bits) and I learnt my lesson. Don't die!
yay :) its always nice to see when women tinker with gadgets and electronics. even better when its circuit bending :D I mean I love all my friends who make noises along with so many artists but because circuit bending has an individual edge rather than not (every person tends to to things in their own way) I`m always interested to see/hear what kind of stuff girls would come up with. Besides women are evolutionary way more predisposed to tinkering with stuff and definitely more skillful in terms of doing precise handywork. The good thing at least IMO is that the reason for the uneven ratio between guys and girls when it comes to circuit bending (and other similar "hobbies/krafts) is not prejudice or some stereotypes but rather the fact that its not a popular activity. Btw really nice content :) it may be a neiche subject but the few people who want to get educated on the topic (me included) would find it very interesting and informative. Cheers from Bulgaria!
