View source for Noisemaker Workshop

== Overview ==

The Noisemaker Workshop will teach you how to build noise-making electrical devices from the ground up.  We'll be mostly building our own gear, but we'll also borrow a couple tricks from the glitch/bender tradition.

This workshop series involves soldering, (ab)use of digital CMOS chips for analog ends, a smidgen of electronics knowledge (provided), and plenty of noise.  You bring the musical sensibility (not required).



== Day 1: Getting Oscillating == 

This class focuses on the 74HC14 logic chip and how it can be used to make a square-wave oscillator.  By using a light-dependent resistor in the feedback loop, you can control the pitch by waving your hands around.

[[Media: NoisemakerWorkshop_Day1.pdf]]

== Day 2: Modulation == 

So you've got one oscillator.  Great, now build another.  Now have the second feed into the first.  Fun. 

In this class, we get around to Frequency Modulation and gate/sync modulation.  We'll also learned about the importance of buffering.  LED blinked rhythmically.

Slides, without nearly enough pictures or comments: [[Media: modulation.pdf]]

== Day 3: Amplification and Filtration ==

Here we go a little bit analog.  Using a 74hc04 chip as a buffer/amplifier, we start to get non-square waves.  An amplifier with a capacitor in its feedback loop makes a nice lowpass filter.  

(Elliot says: I didn't write out notes for this workshop, and just kind-of winged it.  It wasn't stellar.  We'll probably need to re-visit some of this later anyway...)


== Day 4: Sequencing, Clocking ==

Using a low-frequency as a clock source, we'll drive a counter which drives a multi-way switch.  Point the switch at different resistors = different pitches = 8-step sequencer.  Mayhem?  Music?

Here's the slides from class:  [[Media: sequencing.pdf]]

== Day 5: Ring Modulation and Sync ==

[[Media: ringMod.pdf]]



== What's Next? ==

This wiki page is still being worked on.  What should we do next week?

Ideas: 

* Re-visit the LM386 and make ourselves a nice line-level amplifier/speaker combo that'll run on batteries and provide us with a good source of 5v.

* Revisit the 74HC04 and work on filters some more

* Ghetto ring modulation and pulse sync

* Voltage control (?)


== Resources ==

* "Handmade Electronic Music: The Art of Hardware Hacking" is a very good dead-tree book on DIY sound hacking.  If you've got money to drop on it, it's worth it.  You can probably con me into lending you my copy for a week or so.  It's a quick read, but you could spend months replicating his projects.

* Some of the sequencing ideas are loosely taken from: [http://milkcrate.com.au/_other/sea-moss/ fun with sea moss (or, basic digital sound devices)].

* For pushing the limits of tolerable noisemaking, [http://home.att.net/~theremin1/Circuit_Library/cacophonator.html The Cacophonator] is pretty cool, and uses some of our tricks.  It gets a lot of noise out of a single 40106/74hc14 plus the circuit-bender trick of current-starving the chip.

* Ray Wilson's [http://www.musicfromouterspace.com/analogsynth/YOUR_FIRST_SYNTH/WSG_Reborn/WEIRDSOUNDGENERATORREBORN.php?page=WSG Wacky Sound Generator] is another good starter noisemaker. 

* The [http://www.bugbrand.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_14&products_id=34 Bug Brand Workshop Oscillator] gets a lot of mileage from simple Sync sounds combined and distorted.  See his how-to PDF for details.


Note: many of these resources require translating from old 4000-series CMOS into lower-voltage 74hc00 series chips:
* 40106 -> 74hc14 (Inverter with Schmitt trigger)
* 4051 -> 74hc4051 (8-channel switch)
* 4040 -> 74hc4040 (Binary Counter)

[[Category:Classes]]