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Bones

B

Bart

Jan 1, 1970
0
So I'm watching the TV show "Bones" and the theme music comes on
consisting of some awesome synthesizer music. I'm reminded that I have a
few musical keyboards that cost maybe $50 each and run on 6 "D" cells,
they include percussion beats and I got them at the toy store. Is there
anyway I can make some cool sounds out of these things? I have access to
an electronics lab but this is an area I have no idea how to start. I'm
guessing I'll be manipulating AC signals and frequencies? Any
suggestions, links, etc. to help me get started will be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Bart
 
T

Tim Auton

Jan 1, 1970
0
Bart said:
So I'm watching the TV show "Bones" and the theme music comes on
consisting of some awesome synthesizer music. I'm reminded that I have a
few musical keyboards that cost maybe $50 each and run on 6 "D" cells,
they include percussion beats and I got them at the toy store. Is there
anyway I can make some cool sounds out of these things? I have access to
an electronics lab but this is an area I have no idea how to start.

Have you tried pressing the keys?


Tim
 
K

kell

Jan 1, 1970
0
Bart said:
So I'm watching the TV show "Bones" and the theme music comes on
consisting of some awesome synthesizer music. I'm reminded that I have a
few musical keyboards that cost maybe $50 each and run on 6 "D" cells,
they include percussion beats and I got them at the toy store. Is there
anyway I can make some cool sounds out of these things? I have access to
an electronics lab but this is an area I have no idea how to start. I'm
guessing I'll be manipulating AC signals and frequencies? Any
suggestions, links, etc. to help me get started will be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Bart

There's a musical subculture of people that modify consumer electronics
(children's educational toys, portable video games and such) to make
weird sounds. They hack the circuit boards. I think it's called
"circuit bending." If you have such junk devices that you can afford
to destroy, a transistor radio or just about anything with a speaker,
poke around with jumpers and see what kind of sounds you can get out of
it. You could do the same with your keyboards if the front panel
controls won't make weird enough sounds for you, but expect to damage
them.
 
Bart said:
So I'm watching the TV show "Bones" and the theme music comes on
consisting of some awesome synthesizer music. I'm reminded that I have a
few musical keyboards that cost maybe $50 each and run on 6 "D" cells,
they include percussion beats and I got them at the toy store. Is there
anyway I can make some cool sounds out of these things? I have access to
an electronics lab but this is an area I have no idea how to start. I'm
guessing I'll be manipulating AC signals and frequencies? Any
suggestions, links, etc. to help me get started will be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Bart

With some MIDI software (like Cakewalk) and your computer, you could do
a lot of neat sounds. With a modest keyboard into the computer's MIDI
port, you could do even more But you DO have to press the keys. :)

GG
 
Bart said:
So I'm watching the TV show "Bones" and the theme music comes on
consisting of some awesome synthesizer music. I'm reminded that I have a
few musical keyboards that cost maybe $50 each and run on 6 "D" cells,
they include percussion beats and I got them at the toy store. Is there
anyway I can make some cool sounds out of these things? I have access to
an electronics lab but this is an area I have no idea how to start. I'm
guessing I'll be manipulating AC signals and frequencies? Any
suggestions, links, etc. to help me get started will be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Bart

How about replacing the switches under every key with some kind of
variable input EG Variable resistor or Light dependent resistor.

I know very little about electronics but this seems like a fun idea,,,

Martin
 
B

Bart

Jan 1, 1970
0
In said:
Thanks for the laugh !

::)

GG
Not sure what you mean by "keys". I've tried several different batteries
in these things but they just set quietly. I flipped one over, then
found a screwdriver to take out the screws of the panel but as I press
my screwdriver into the first screw the thing goes crazy making sounds.
I tried a different screw and different crazy sounds come from it. I
also found that the bigger the screwdriver I use, the more sounds this
thing makes. I'm off to the electronics store to buy a variety of
screwdrivers, figure I'll be jamming in no time!
Thanks guys!
Bart
 

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