Birchwood and Hammer Synthesizer
Niklas Roy created this whimsical synthesizer from a hollowed out birch log. Using an ATMega8 as the tone generator, the design of the device is quite simple but charming in its execution.
Niklas Roy created this whimsical synthesizer from a hollowed out birch log. Using an ATMega8 as the tone generator, the design of the device is quite simple but charming in its execution.
Jie Qi, from Media Lab’s High-Low Tech Group, took a synthesizer and distilled it into a compact, no-frills interface. About the size of an audio cassette, it has setting for multiple tones, looping ability, and five note polyphony. The sound has an 8 bit feel to it, but the real magic is in how it’s controlled They packed a ton of functionality into a small space, including the ability to share tracks with friends.
Joe Paradiso has installed his homebuilt mammoth analog modular synthesizer in the MIT Museum and has completed a fairly epic patch which you can listen to (24 hours a day)
A true classic for DIY synth makers and circuit benders, the Atari Punk Console can kick out some ear-catching square waves. It’s easy to build and a lot of fun to play around with. It may be challenging to make traditional music with an APC, but hey-, there’s enough of that around already, right?
I’m glad to see Jeri is back to doing her quick n’ dirty “Short Circuit” videos, where she shoots, edits, and uploads a benchtop tutorial video in record time. Sure they’re funky, but they get their point across. In this video, she shows you how to make a simple audio direct digital synthesizer (DDS) using […]
It’s about time somebody made a media award that actually does something other than serve as a impromptu murder weapon. At this years SXSW festival, the Web Awards were built around Bleep Labs’ Thingamagoop 2, the analog synth toy (which now has digital/Arduino-control capability). Bleep Labs In the Maker Shed: Thingamagoop 2 Our Price: $100.00 […]
Fawning fanboys (and fangirls) of analog synths may want to hold onto their wigs and keys before laying eyes on synth pioneer Vince Clarke’s “cabin” in Maine. Clarke was a founding member of Depeche Mode, Yazoo, and Erasure. In this vid, he gives Motherboard the grand tour of his studio in the woods and his […]