Take your creations beyond the workshop and onto the stage with diy music instruments! Let us show you how these creations range from simple, basic setups that produce beautiful sounds to more complex projects that require a greater level of engineering knowledge. With these tutorials and examples, we’ll guide you on this journey to make your own musical instrument for experimental, artistic or everyday use – so whether you’re starting out new or a seasoned sound creator, come explore the wonderful world of making your own music.
As we detailed last year, Michael Una makes analog optical theremins. But where before he built them himself, now he’s taken the next step and looked for help in mass producing them. This past summer I attended the Maker Faire in Detroit and got to talk with Mitch Altman of TV-B-Gone and Trip Glasses fame. […]
I can’t wait to see all the 555 contest entries. Here’s one: Here are the details for my 555 Contest entry. It is a three channel music synthesiser, capable of four octaves per chanel. The 555’s are used to generate each octave for each voice (or channel). There are twelve 555 timer IC’s used for […]
Audio hacker PCMofo designed and built these slick looking iSound speakers to match his/her favorite computer hardware. I didn’t actually believe it until I looked through the build log, which starts earlier on the same forum post and includes a materials list, CAD drawings, and in-progress photos. PCMofo’s grand vision includes making a subwoofer and […]
It’s true – I love DACs. There’s something awesome about the role they play, translating information from one paradigm over to another form. Sure, you can pick up a precision DAC chip with serial interface for a little over a buck, but building a barebones version from a handful of resistors is a pretty dang […]
Matt Richardson shows how you can use an old MP3 player to convert a cigar box into an electronic music box. This project makes a wonderful, customized gift for someone you love.
Di Mainstone and Tim Murray-Browne made Serendiptichord, a wearable soundscape interface: The Serendiptichord is a wearable musical instrument that entices the user to explore a soundscape through touch and movement. Referencing the architectural silhouette of a musical instrument and the soft fabrication of fashion and upholstery, it is designed to entice the wearer to investigate […]
The bells are played by a series of solenoids, which are controlled by an Arduino micro-controller. The notes that you submit are processed on our web servers and then sent to the Arduino, while we load up live video and audio so that you can watch your song play. If there are users ahead of you in line, the queuing system will let you know how long you’ve got before you can watch your song.
