Cacophonator Strip Board

dylar · Joined: Apr 25, 2011 Posts: 55 Location: iowa

So no one has come up with a working schematic for the input jack yet? PLEASE someone help...

elmegil · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 12:12 am Post subject:

I built the basic cacophonator circuit over the last hour (sounds really cool), and I will work on the audio input some time tomorrow or Sunday.

One thing I noticed that may be important--I haven't read this thread in detail, but I was thinking I needed to use a 4069 for the audio input, as that seemed to be the main thing people were talking about where I was skimming. However, the circuit diagram from page 4 uses a 4049, which has a very different pinout... I would guess if you used a 4069 but connected the pins as shown in the schematic, things would not go well for the audio input. I will try both (with appropriate pin changes) and see if one does better than the other.

One other difference in mine is that I'm using a 15V bench supply rather than a 9V battery for power, but for the basic circuit that doesn't seem to make a lot of difference.

elmegil · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 9:17 am Post subject:

Built the audio in, heard no effect. Shifted my jack to before C13, and BARELY heard my audio--my input is a smartphone because I'm monitoring through my computer.

I believe I need some amplification of my source signal before this might work, not sure if that's relevant to anyone who was working on this before or not. I'm going to set up a little LM386 pre amp stage and see if that works any better.

dylar · Joined: Apr 25, 2011 Posts: 55 Location: iowa

Thanks for the effort! Excited to hear about your results.

elmegil · Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 12:39 pm Post subject:

Amplification does get the signal through, but it doesn't sound to me like the video, it just basically mixes the audio through. No variable distortion, it's either there and competing with the oscillators, or it's not. The frequency of the oscillators/starvation of the circuit are the only things that affect how much distortion there is on the signal, not gain on the LM386, and not the pot on either the 4069 or Oscillator 4 (where it gets injected).

If anyone else wants to try it, I used the amp circuit from here:

http://www.fluxmonkey.com/electronoize/386amplifier.htm

dylar · Joined: Apr 25, 2011 Posts: 55 Location: iowa

I'm getting suspicious about the whole project. As far as I can tell the only video of a Cacophonator that actually processes a signal is the Sascha Neudeck one. There are two other versions with inputs, neither of which actually distorts the signal (or if it does it's very subtle):
http://youtu.be/11ObmwNxL7U
http://youtu.be/zURxDI_QQHk
After watching Neudeck's video again I think I know what is going on. First, there are two extra knobs on his. I'm guessing he added a simple LP filter (and maybe something else) in between the audio input and the output. When he's turning the two knobs on the bottom left he's operating the added effects. The other knobs just seem to adjust the normal cacophonator squeal. When you have the noise made by the cacophonator along with and input signal that passes through a filter and maybe distortion circuit then you'd get sounds like you get in his video. It's possible that the cacophonator also passes through the filter--I can't tell. Maybe the second mystery knob adjusts the input level or else a distortion level. Here's his video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_s4U-8V2Gg&feature=share&list=PL416C4854F84E5312
It's actually pretty brilliant. It probably doesn't work too well with guitar.

synthesist · Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 11:34 am Post subject:

After some problems I finally build some versions with working input.
But I never kept the circuit on breadboard cause it didnt sound good enough.

The best result I ever had was to play the output of the atari punk console into Pin 14 without any amplification. It worked like one could use the cacophonator like an broken equalizer distortion resonator. really cool.

I am sure the input has to be only Pin 14 where the chip gets it voltage. Otherwise I think u would destroy the unit. If the chip doestnt get enough voltage but the inverters do ( because of the high amplificatioon) it is supposed to die!

U guyes should filter the amplified output before it goes to pin 14. Just try different capacitors against ground. This makes it sound better.

goog luck
xonrad

Familiar · Joined: May 14, 2013 Posts: 2 Location: Barcelona

Hi Everyone!

This is my first post over here. Just saw the link to the schematic by chance. Iḿ glad it has been usefull for someone Very Happy

See a couple of videos of cacophonatro 6DE (Circuit from famfest.info) working with audio inputs:

Quad-T from Befaco (808 conga clone)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-sNBo5fZ24

Stylophone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSxiDPyuJ1I

Buddah machine v2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s8xdxX-z1E

egasimus · Joined: Feb 11, 2011 Posts: 113 Location: Bulgaria

^ awesome stuff! I'll build that. Care to share more info on the Quad-T conga?

Familiar · Joined: May 14, 2013 Posts: 2 Location: Barcelona

From Befaco's page you can download the eagle file:

www.befaco.org/es/modulos-autonomos/

It's in spanish, sorry. Link says "Descargar archivos CAD"

Any questions, doubts, etc are welcome on mail: befacosynth@gmail.com

Keep the noise!

By the way.... We made a new version of our circuit. Still based in cacophonator but with slight changes: Frequency modulation and Mute for each oscillator. And looks GORGEROUS Rolling Eyes

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AlasdairMoons · Joined: Dec 03, 2011 Posts: 105 Location: East-Belgium

umschmitt · Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 2:38 pm Post subject:

Hi all!
I thought I'd share my take on the Cacophonator… It's a somewhat upgraded version with switches to allow chain sync between oscs, contact points (or whatever you call them), an LDR for kicks and also the possibility to somehow sync osc#1 to an external signal or… the sound of the radio.
Because, yes it's build in an (otherwise fully functional) alarm clock. Of course you can also use the internal speaker for a nomadic use… but wait! err it works on the mains! Oh well.
Bonuses: once you plug and start to play, the display will show you how long you've been messing with the thang. Alternatively you can program the 'sleep' function if you want to play, say 34 minutes and forget about time. It'll shut off from itself. How cool is that? How useless also?
It also looks miserable. Let's say it's a whole concept, eheh. Should I mention that it's exclusively made out of salvaged parts? (well the 40106 was new)
Anyway, here's a pic - ©crappy cellphone - and a couple sound clips…

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The usual cacophonic orchestra.

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Some kind of power drones here (with substantial amounts of Realistic© reverb fed back - which is neither realistic, nor even a reverb!).

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Surprisingly musical chaos. How's that just possible?

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DUBmatze · Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 4:41 pm Post subject:

geiles Ding !!
nice demo, nice "timer" function!
Smile

PHOBoS · Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 8:58 am Post subject:

It looks great! and I love how you actually made use of the clock function . Laughing

umschmitt · Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2014 7:05 am Post subject:

Thanks! It will be proposed locally next week among other items in a solidarity auction.
You've been warned.

umschmitt · Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 5:47 am Post subject:

Update: the schrottophonator sold for a good 65 euros. No idea if it's a lot or not, anyway the money was welcome for the cause. And lots of people had fun playing it the whole evening.

Speedy RB · Joined: Apr 02, 2013 Posts: 12 Location: SoCal, USA

I finally built this puppy based on your cool antique layout, -minus-, thanks again!

One question: RV7 doesn't seem to do much of anything. Every once in a while, depending upon the positions of RV5 and RV6, maybe I notice something happening, but for the most part, nada. I've even switched out the pot to make sure it wasn't faulty.

Is this expected, or did something go wrong with my build? Everything else behaves as expected.

Once I get it mounted maybe I'll post some pics...

-minus- · Joined: Oct 26, 2008 Posts: 787 Audio files: 13

As far as I recall, all the pots do something. I'd need to dig it out and do some tests though.

If all other pots do something, you are close to having it working. Check the stripboard cuts on the back of the board. Make sure the components around pin 12 and pin 13 are in the right place and soldered correctly. Also, there was an issue of me posting an incorrect image of the reverse side of the board originally. Make sure there is a cut in the stripboard rail above the IC. The present image on page one is correct.

It sounds like the oscillator on pin 12 and 13 isn't working. Check for solder bridges, cold solder joints, incorrect placement of components, incorrect component values perhaps.

Speedy RB · Joined: Apr 02, 2013 Posts: 12 Location: SoCal, USA

After a little poking around with a straightened paper clip, I did indeed find a cold solder joint on the pot. It looked totally fine, I've never had one of those before.

Thanks!

Also, I am going to add the input described for the "6DE" by familiar. Looks good!

Also also, -minus-, I saw this while researching the cacophonator+input:

http://befaco.org/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=38&hilit=cacophonator+6de

elmegil · Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 3:11 pm Post subject:

Speedy RB · Joined: Apr 02, 2013 Posts: 12 Location: SoCal, USA

umschmitt · Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 4:25 am Post subject: ups I did it again

One more cacophonator variation in a radio, this time providing heavy interaction with the radio signal…

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Nyxaudio · Joined: Jul 07, 2015 Posts: 7 Location: Nz

howdy
i have a couple questions regarding this build
i have not done this before so bear with me please

there are 4 wire connections made on the diagram? is this correct? or do c8 and c3 have them too?

also can i just connect the power supply to the holes on the top and second from top on the top left corner

Hope some one can please help me
thankyou in advance

-minus- · Joined: Oct 26, 2008 Posts: 787 Audio files: 13

I'd like to help you but I am unsure which diagram you are referring to. There seems to be a few layouts on this thread now.

Nyxaudio · Joined: Jul 07, 2015 Posts: 7 Location: Nz

http://electro-music.com/forum/phpbb-files/cacophonator_1_pg2_2nd_edition_680.jpg