circuit bending

[msblaze]

does any1 know any good "how to" sites? i found a few on google but i didn't find very good ones

[Sloan]

It's basically taking any type of device that produces sound, but not meant to be musical, and modding it to get strange and/or musical sounds.

Here's the Wiki page for "Circuit Bending":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_bending

[peritus]

Circuit bending is friggin cool. but got old fast...

Two words:

Thrift Store...

http://www.sailormouth.org/index2.php?pg=instru.inc
^ sahweet site

[casualtyfigure]

I circuitbend all kind of things...
My last bend was a zoom micro rhythmtrak mrt-3b.

It doesnt have to be toys,
Ive seen someone even bend a TR-707.
But anytime you modify something by adding a switch,
a button, to me, its bending.


This is the first site i really found when i got started...

http://www.anti-theory.com/soundart/...bend/cb01.html

Not sure if anyone else posted this one.



For me bending is like having a drug collecting habit.
Once i start, i cant stop.
But i may not do it for months at a time.
But when i do, i make about 5 devices, then i have to stop.
Its time consuming.but worth while.


Its great hobby.
But its 80% chance.

A quick way to pick up the basics,
open up a toy, (a childrens keyboard will be perfect)
unscrew the green board, flip it to the back, (where all of the soldered points are, not the side with the components.) Lick your finger, and feel around the board, to see if you get any kind of reaction. If you do...GOOD...you just learned how to circuit bend. (DONT try this with anything that connects to the wall. you'll die.) The next thing, is to figure out which points make the reaction...so you'll want to find them by narrowing them down to 2 (maybe 3). you can just use a piece of wire, make sure that it is bare on the ends.
and get to poking at the points...

once you find the bend, now comes the soldering.

i solder a wire to each bend point, then try a pot. (dial - potentiometer)
and different components.

once you solder, you decide on how you want it activated.
there is a million ways to do this...i originally, before i knew the good ways,
i just used bare wires. and touched them when i want it the effect.
I love momentary switches, they only work when pressed.
if you do some research, you'll find some pretty cool ways to trigger them.

Its pretty simple, but it can get as complicated as you want it to be.
But usually you get the best stuff by keeping it simple.


good luck!