Captain Credible, aka Daniel Eugene Lacey-McDermott, is an electronic musician living in Norway and creating “somewhere in the land of IDM, breakcore, and chiptune.” He’s also a hands-on maker of cool instruments and kits, including USB MIDI controllers, noise synths, voice pitch shifters, and the Tardweeny, a USB ATtiny25 board that’s great for pranks or inventing your own weird instruments. His latest release, Fantasy Mansion, is both a music EP (on Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp, etc.) and a new circuit board: a tiny 32-step sequencer with three-part 8-bit sounds (think chiptunes) and fantastic preprogrammed beats. Solder the kit or buy it assembled, and then play it using two buttons (add or subtract beats, basslines, and melodies) and a photoresistor (select new beats, notes, and glitch noises). Crazy infectious on its own (my kids wouldn’t give it back), it can also sync to external sequencers and drum machines. What a great simple soldering project — just 8 components, then plug in the chip — with a huge payoff!
Recommended by Keith Hammond
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