anyone tried circuit bending?

[archiveofeverything]

I've just started looking at getting more into playing with hardware and have been loking at circuit bending.

Anyone tried this themseles?
anyone had any success with it?

[experimental.crow]

http://www.khate.org

[archiveofeverything]

is it hard?

[Ebenezer Squeezer]

Haven't done any myself, but Make Magazine had some articles on circuit bending back in issue 4. I think they modified a Casio keyboard. Very cool magazine, too. http://www.makezine.com/

[whyterabbyt]

Yes, and yes.

http://www.whiterabbitdesign.co.uk/cgi- ... evoks.html

[Muff Wiggler]

i don't know if it counts or not, but i'd say "sort of".

I just modified a few of my Blacet modules.. the VCO's were modified to have an "AC/DC" switch for their FM inputs.. the LFO modules I modified to have a toggle switch on the faceplate, to select between three different LFO ranges, that you needed to use a DIP switch on the PCB (boo) to adjust previously.

So not really a 'bend' but a couple of circuit mods...

oh and assuming you are semi-useful with a soldering iron, bits or wire and a drill... it wasn't hard at all.

[archiveofeverything]

Its all looking quite scary. Im shit with solder, havent used it since school. I can work with vsts from scratch, but circuit bending looks like an opportunity for me to ruin some toys with little or no chance of success!

Some of the other stuff that you guys have done seems pretty damn good though. I may just buy myself a furby and get stuck in.

@Ebeneezer Squeezer: I subscribe to the Make blog now. Its a great resource for stuff. Its a little like Create Digital Music in many ways. Its very cool though, thanks.

Any good ideas to recommend to a beginner anyone?

[Muff Wiggler]

well not circuit bending, you can brush up on your soldering and building skills, and build some cool stuff for cheap, with some of the projects at http://cgs.synth.net

[vurt]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076458 ... e&n=283155

[RZ]

its easy to get started. Just open out something thats battery run and start connecting wires together. You can bend wires around the leads and don't need to even solder anything. If you want to hack your case, add nice knobs and do something that will last, then yes, it requires more effort. But the more you give to circuit bending, the more it gives to you.

[Numinor]

My first ever post (be kind )

You may want to check out this mad scientists page...

http://users.informatik.haw-hamburg.de/ ... ments.html

I really wish I still had my Casio-Sk1 Happy hacking...

[Meffy]

Thrift stores, flea markets, bazaars... find cheap electronics there for a buck or two, then you need feel no guilt if a small fireball erupts now and then.

[archiveofeverything]

getting my creative juices flowing!!!

[allofdrab]

I circuit bent my Roland jx3p into a puff of smoke.
Warning: your soldering gun does not need to melt steel.
em411 has a circuit bending section:
http://www.em411.com/show/forum/14

[Andrew_Culture]

My first ever post (be kind )

You may want to check out this mad scientists page...

http://users.informatik.haw-hamburg.de/ ... ments.html

I really wish I still had my Casio-Sk1 Happy hacking...

I still have two! The first I found in a junk shop for a tenner about twenty years ago. I used to use it on stage and play it with my feet (I'm a bassist). The second belongs to my wife and is still in the original box and immaculate. It even has the original Dixons sample tape with it!

I say I have them, I've not been able to locate them in the loft for years. I know I've also got a Casio SK100 up there somewhere!

Time to do some digging!