If you’ve been looking to get into circuit bending your own musical instruments and need that extra push to make the jump, MAKE Magazine has posted both a PDF and video podcast with a basic how-to. I got to play with the resulting instrument Bre built, and it’s great fun; the Speak & Spell is based on the design by Reed Ghazala, “father of circuit bending” who has made a couple of appearances here on CDM.
Here’s the video:
From: Circuit Bending – Make: Video Podcast
Circuit Bending – Make: PDF Podcast
For more information, be sure to pick up a back issue of MAKE Magazine issue 4, the music special; I contributed several articles to that including portions of the circuit bending feature. The online extra for that feature has additional bending resources:
MAKE Magazine Issue 4: Circuit Bending
Previously on CDM
Stories tagged circuit bending on CDM
Keyboards with Eyeballs, Circuit Bending Info and Book
Circuit Bending: Reed Ghazala on Free Learning, Teaching [Reed Ghazala himself talks to CDM]
And me wanting to get my hands on an intact omnichord… what a shame… 😉
Very few Omnis and Qs around here in Germany, unfortunately.
No, I'm with you … I'm not always for bending good instruments. There are other options.
Cool that hey made the instructional vid. But, damn, bending the Omnicord is kind of brave. I've never seen them cheaper than $150 used. Maybe he found one in Grandma's closet and she let him keep it.
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