Calendar Event: September 8, 2012
A DIY (and ad-hoc Circuit Bending) Workshop will be held on Saturday 1-4PM at em2012. We have 2 kits that people can build during this session. Participants can also (optionally) bring their completed kits to the Bent Orchestra at 1PM on Sunday, to participate in the jam session.
Kit #1 is a piezo-electric pickup. Bring a metal object with you (that will attach to a magnet) that you will bang on to make interesting sounds. The pickup can be built in under 15 minutes. You can stop in at any time up to 3:30PM during the DIY session to pick up your pick-up kit and accomplish the build. We have 10 kits available for $10.00 each.
Kit #2 (the Grelmo Synth) is a shield compatible with the Arduino Uno (available at sparkfun.com or your local Radio Shack). This shield will convert your Arduino into a monophonic MIDI-controlled synthesizer. Sounds are evocative of 1980's-era programmable sound generators common to home computers or video games. Everything is open source. The hardware is built on a prototyping board to allow for expansion and tinkering to add additional features. If you want to perform with this device on Sunday, you will need to bring a) an Arduino Uno board (or other board based on Atmega 168 or 328); b) a wall-wart power supply (or USB cable + laptop) for the Arduino board; c) a MIDI controller (i.e. MIDI keyboard); and d) amplifier with 1/8" connector. We will have a sufficient assortment of this equipment available for testing purposes (but probably not enough for everyone to perform with on Sunday) so you don't need to bring any of this if you just want to build the shield. This kit will take approximately 2 hours to complete, so you will want to arrive no later than 2PM to the DIY, although if you do come later or have to leave the DIY before you have finished your shield, we will be around the rest of Saturday and most of Sunday so we can help you finish up later on the weekend. We have 6 kits available for $50.00 each.
If you are planning to purchase one or more of these kits at em2012, please email Rebecca at notable@notablesoftware.com to make reservations. First come, first served! These will go quickly! If you have any technical questions, contact Kevin at alan_one@msn.com