components

Top 10: 555 Timers

Top 10: 555 Timers

To mark the recent passing of Hans Camenzind, we are running a 555 mini-retrospective this week. Today I’ve rounded up some of my personal favorite 555 content from our archives, arranged in arbitrary top 10 order. Many of these are “fun” or “meta” 555 type posts. We’ll be following on later in the week with more circuit-specific 555 coverage. Stay tuned!

DIY Contact Mic – Collin’s Lab

DIY Contact Mic – Collin’s Lab

It’s amazing what a little disk can do … when it’s layered with piezoelectric crystals. Piezo disks are impressively sensitive to vibration and can easily be adapted to work as a contact microphones. The trick is the preamp – a basic circuit used to match the piezo’s signal to levels compatible with modern audio gear inputs. The resulting piezo/preamp combo can be used for electrifying an acoustic guitar or simply exploring the lesser-heard world of small sound around us.