Music

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.

Bicycle anatomy 101

This video for bike virgins runs through all of the parts and nomenclature of a 10-speed bike. The soundtrack to the video was done by bangin’ and clangin’ bike parts. It reminded me of that classic Frank Zappa appearance on The Steve Allen Show where Frank and Steve played bicycles. Bicycle Anatomy for Beginners [via […]

Rompler drum machine

Rompler drum machine

Sebastian made a hardware-only (no microcontroller) drum machine – I wanted to make a device that plays back digital audio, without the use of any programming or a microcontroller or a computer. In other words, the most basic rompler, as a hardware-only device. I’m continually impressed by the complex breadboarding I see in projects like […]

Beep-It optical theremin

Beep-It optical theremin

Michael Una brings us the Beep-It optically controlled squarewave generator in a petri dish enclosure – This minimalist electronic musical instrument eschews esoteric interface in favor of intuitive, expressive control. One button turns the device on or off, which can produce a continuous tone or a rhythmic sequence. One sensor varies pitch of the output […]