Cacophonator Strip Board

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

A few weeks ago I created a strip board version of the Art Harrison Cacophonator. I have posted the diagrams so others may build this amazing device and enter the exciting field of Cacophony Oscillation!

Many thanks to Art for his correspondence and consent to posting these images.

ENJOY! Smile

PS: Art has a new link to his site:
http://theremin.us/

The Cacophonator schematic can be found here:
http://theremin.us/Circuit_Library/cacophonator.html

EDIT: These images below are the corrected ones. The incorrect ones have been removed.

CACOPHONATOR 1 Page 1.jpg

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CACOPHONATOR 1 pg2 (2ND Edition).jpg

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amended 18 June 2010 (C4 placement corrected)

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CACOPHONATOR 1 pg3 (2ND Edition).jpg

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amended 18 June 2010 (stripboard cut added above IC)

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Uncle Krunkus · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 4:24 am Post subject:

Beautiful artwork -minus-. Very Happy

adambee7 · Joined: Apr 04, 2009 Posts: 420 Location: united kingdom

thanks for the share man. I've got a spare 40106 here and some stripboard so i might aswell give this a go. Cheers. Very Happy

droffset · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 1:27 pm Post subject:

That looks fantastic, many compliments!

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

Thanks for the compliments! It means a lot to me. I had so much fun doing this too.

I'll post some sound samples soon too. Here's a link to elsewhere on the forum to photos of the Cacophonator I built:

http://electro-music.com/forum/topic-39579.html&postorder=asc&highlight=cacophonator&start=25

Krunkus has taught me well, but I am not a Strip Board Jedi yet!

Inventor · Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:39 am Post subject:

hahaha, "Strip Board Jedi" - that's funny minus. As I mentioned to you in the chatroom, I really like your artistry in creating that old paper look in Adobe Illustrator. You have real talent, or so it appears. The look of the documentation you created is really compelling. Well done.

Les

Uncle Krunkus · Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 4:01 am Post subject:

As far as compacting a stripboard in a way which lends itself perfectly to being illustrated in an aesthetically superior way,.......... I would say "Built your lightsaber you have!" May the force be with you, always! salut

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

But Krunkus really is a Strip Board Jedi... (My father fought with him in the Clone Wars) Smile

Well, it's nice to be able to contribute to this forum in whatever way we can. Think about where we would be if it wasn't for E-M? We'd all be hermits living on a desert planet...or moisture farmers.

Thanks Les! Be great if a few others built this. The world could do with a bit more of this sort of noise!

AND THANKS KRUNKUS! respect

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

Just thought I should post an update in case anyone builds this thing! I had wiring issues on my colour change LED I used and had to replace it. In the process I tried the Cacophonator without the LED and noticed a HUGE difference in the time it takes for the large capacitor to discharge once the machine is turned off!

My recommendation is to omit the LED completely. The LED severely shortens the capacitor discharge time and much of the interesting noise the Cacophonator is capable of...

Uncle Krunkus · Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 6:05 am Post subject:

You could also try just upping the current limiting resistor on the LED, (R15) and/or upping the value on the main decoupling cap. (the one across the power input)(C7) Wink

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

Really? C7 is pretty huge at 2200uF! Not sure what I'd up it to? ....oh, wait a minute... This isn't some kind of electrical engineers joke you play on your apprentice is it? You know.... the left handed screwdriver, or the tin of checkered paint.

Ha ha! I think upping the resistor might be what I'll try first!

Thanks for the advice.....boss!

Uncle Krunkus · Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 2:00 am Post subject:

Sorry, I didn't notice it was so big to start with.
Yeah, you can up the resistor so the cap discharges slower when the power is disconnected. The LED will be dimmer, but it's just to indicate power on, not for a light show.
Still, I spose getting rid of it completely would be a simpler option. Very Happy

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

That's ok uncle krunkus! Good to see you are still around! Smile

prgdeltablues · Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 5:21 am Post subject:

Nice compact layout!

I may be wrong, but shouldn't C4 connect to pin 9 (Input of osc4) rather than pin 10? And I think there' s a strip break missing in the 3rd row down - as it is, R14/C11 are linked to the +ve end of C6.

Love the introduction.

Peter

blue_lu · Joined: Nov 16, 2009 Posts: 32 Location: Germany

I was going to ask if the layout is verified. Because I built one, and it does not make any sound.

anyone here had a successful build with this layout?

thanks

blue_lu · Joined: Nov 16, 2009 Posts: 32 Location: Germany

got home tonight, triple checked the cuts, parts and layout. fired her up again. led went on aaand SMOKE!

Edit: see below

blue_lu · Joined: Nov 16, 2009 Posts: 32 Location: Germany

it is not cap, but it was a resistor that smoked.

R10 is starting to smoke, just seconds after I apply current to the circuit. Shocked

what to do?!

just change the resistor and try again?

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

Sorry its not working for you blue_lu!

I built it and can verify that it does work. I'm away from home for a couple more days but will open up my box when I get home and double check the drawings with the build. If I find any mistakes in the drawings I shall correct them and let you know!

In the meantime if you have had any luck in finding a fault, let us know.

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

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

Not sure if my sent box in PM is registering correctly....

Anyway, this is a message to blu-lu , (and indeed anyone else who has experienced circuit board fires due to my clumbsy mistake X2), incase the message was not received:

Hi Blu-lu,

Firstly, I'm very sorry but there appears to be two mistakes in the Cacophonator drawings I posted!

As prgdeltablues correctly pointed out on the 24th May:
I may be wrong, but shouldn't C4 connect to pin 9 (Input of osc4) rather than pin 10? And I think there' s a strip break missing in the 3rd row down - as it is, R14/C11 are linked to the +ve end of C6.

This looks to be right to me. If you make a further cut in the stripboard on the third row down, just above the seven cuts under the IC, this should sort this problem out.

And if you move the position of C4 so the capacitor connects to PIN 9 of the IC (next pin down from shown at present), I think your Cacophonator should work.

Once again, I'm very sorry to have misled you! And apologize for the circuit board fires caused. When I return home in about 24 hours, I shall double check this and correct the drawings.

Steve

blue_lu · Joined: Nov 16, 2009 Posts: 32 Location: Germany

steve got the pm Wink

i will revise the layout according to the corections, but i broke my pinky yesterday. my whole right hAnd is now fixed and stabilized for the next 6 weeks. thanks for getting back to me, though. i - and others i think - appreciate it Smile

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

Just stepped in the door.... opened up the Cacophonator and the above comment about the cap and the extra cut above the IC is indeed correct.

Hope your finger gets better soon so you can get your Cacophonator working! I believe the sonic frequencies are capable of demolishing small stone structures, increasing crop yields and animal fertility, raising the dead, and perhaps mending broken bones.... but don't hold me to it. There may be another mistake in the drawing and none of the above may be possible.

I'll fix the drawings in the next few hours and resubmit them....

tjookum · Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 11:44 am Post subject:

making mistakes is human, don't sweat it, you did an amazing job there!

Maybe you could upload a soundsample so people get to listen before they build, always works for me Very Happy

.

p.s.: Maybe you should have a peek in the lunettaforum, plenty more uses there to create mind expanding, boneshattering and even nice sounds with a 40106!

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

hey thanks! I have been looking at the Lunetta forum. Need to gather together some more IC's and get some spare time to experiment. I shall post some sounds a little later today.... good idea! Got another set of illustrations nearing completion for a different device. Will post soon! And also a Lunetta idea to throw out there...

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

Here's some sound bites of the Cacophonator... a bit of reverb and delay added! All samples based upon the works of World renowned Science Fiction author, Arthur O'Skeely.

caco1.mp3

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Edit from: Return of the Hare Krishna Robots- Temple of the Orange Dorks

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caco1.mp3

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caco2.mp3

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Excerpt from: Plijinieu, Oderely, Libije- The Wheel Men (Published 1962. The first edition was illustrated by Dean Augsfelster)

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caco2.mp3

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caco3.mp3

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Part of the third movement, based upon the novel: Gay Nazi Wheelmen in the Year 2123 (Published 1963)

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caco3.mp3

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caco4.mp3

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Outro to the musical: The Talking Penis (from the short story of the same title, published in 1961)

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