5euro synth - worst circut bending project ever

[playthatbeat]

Check out my new workstation, 5euro at Dunnes right now..

Features:

* 2 tones
* 12 melodies
* volume control
* external power input
* made in china
* costs only a fiver
* yes i know amazing huh? even if it's shite it's still good value

You may laugh, but i bet You this little machine can be made scream in pain, and deliver some interesting sounds.

So.. if YOU want to play along, go to dunnes now and pick one up, as i intend to make this little fuc*er into a lofi master-blaster.

Right now i can think of a few things before i even put batteries in it: an external audio output by tapping the speaker leads out to a jack with a 50db pad is first up so we can record the output of it.. Then, we can start working out ways to make it go insane.. Yes my friends, it's CIRCUIT BEND time..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqE2u5JjO0U

[playthatbeat]

Ok, have it open.. one tiny piezo speaker, a 'jwire' resistor ladder keyboard, must provide a resistance to pitch the thing.. 2 tiny boards.. not much potential for bending really, as it's a pretty crappy thing to start with.. It's 2 'tones' are identical squarewaves, and it's melodys are simply the melodys you find in greetings cards!!! yup.. same 'blob' chip you get in a bleeping xmas card!!!

but, i can make it spew crap and make it speed up & down in pitch by touching/shorting out the resistor on the blob board already (see attached pic 2), so might be interesting to see how far we can push it.. also, shorting out the back of the larger board, where the lead from the keyboard ladder attaches with your thumb makes an awesome farting noise, again with shuffling it gets madder (attached 1st pic)..

It's safe to assume that the resistance caused by touching these points cause some fine mayhem.. so, how about some brass studs tapped in to these places for pressing? It's a start..