DIY 9v Noise Synth Workshop

First time delivering this workshop in the new venue!

In this workshop participants are shown how to build a simple 9v battery-powered synthesizer similar to the ”Atari Punk Console”. It is aimed at those interested in creative audio technology, techno, and noise. Knowledge of physics and maths is not necessary.

Dates: Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th October 2012

Times: 6.00 – 8.30pm

New Reduced Price: £20 standard / £10 for DAS or VAI members*

*For information on how to become a member please visit our membership page: http://www.digitalartsstudios.com/membership/

Oh Yeah - Belfast Record Fair 220912

The Oh Yeah Centre Belfast will be hosting another Record Fair on Saturday 22 September.

There will be a host of my creations available to try and buy.
Here are some prototype enclosures with laser cut zigzags:


Blurb from their site:
"
The quarterly Belfast Record Fair, wth a variety of stalls to meet all your music needs. This month for the first time the record fair will feature special vinyl only DJ sets, plus live beatboxing and turntablism.

www.facebook.com/belfastrecordfair

Oh Yeah Music Centre, 15-21 Gordon St, Belfast, BT1 2LG

12pm - 5pm

"

DIY Noise Synth Workshop

Happy New Year.

Time to get busy with the bleeps again...


photo by Saul Rayson.

"Following its successful pilot in November and in reponse to huge demand we have decided to add Barry’s DIY Synth-machine workshop to our Spring Programme.

In this workshop participants are shown how to build a simple 9v battery-powered synthesizer similar to the ”Atari Punk Console”. It is aimed at those interested in creative audio technology, techno, and noise. Knowledge of physics and maths is not necessary.

Dates: 6th & 7th March

Times: 6 – 8.30pm

Cost: £40/30"

If you would like to attend contact Digital Arts Studios (Queen St., Belfast).

DIY Noise Synth Workshop - Saturday 22nd October

DIY Noise Synth Workshop
From the DAS website:
"
Saturday 22nd October
12 – 5pm

In this workshop participants are shown how to build a simple 9v battery-powered synthesizer similar to the ”Atari Punk Console”. It is aimed at those interested in creative audio technology, techno, and noise. Knowledge of physics and maths is not necessary. Participants must be 18+

Workshops are free and open to the public and all equipment will be provided by the Digital Arts Studios. However there are limited places available on each workshop so early booking is recommended. To confirm your place please call the Digital Arts Studios office on

02890 312900

or email

angela@digitalartsstudios.com

to book your place.
*The event will take place at Catalyst Arts Gallery: Catalyst Arts

The main difference with the 9v battery noise maker to be made at this workshop and the usual APC oscillator is the IC. The APC uses a 556, makers at this workshop will use a 40106 and some extra bits if there is enough time.

Bleep Boxes - 2nd Edition Modulation Mayhem

They use the same circuit as the first edition boxes, but also have six contact points, which are joined together using crocodile clips, which leads to modulation mayhem.

Black Market Christmas 051210

This Sunday at the Black Box Belfast - it's Christmas Black Market time.
I'll be there with my Bleep Boxes.
Come. See. Listen. Touch. Recoil. Purchase.

Mr. Keogh giving a fresh unit a test drive.

10 x bleep Boxes = 30 x DIY Oscillators

I've finished building 10 x Bleep Boxes in VHS cassette tape boxes.

As you can see from the photo, each synth uses two boxes.

Opening one lets you access the controls, opening the other lets you access the battery and circuit.

The following combinations of horror titles were used:

Deranged + Braindead
Night of the Living Dead + City of the Living Dead
The Brood + The Fly
Night of the Living Dead + Day of the Dead
The Evil Dead + Evil Dead II
Demons + Demons 2
Day of the Dead + Dawn of the Dead
Scanners + Shivers
Zombie Creeping Flesh + Zombie Flesh Eaters
The Last House on the Left + The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

4 x bleep boxes = 12 DIY oscillators droning


10 x bleep boxes = 30 DIY oscillators droning

VHS Synare

I built a Synare analogue drum module. As with my 'bleep box', this diy synth kit is housed in recycled VHS cassette tape boxes. As you can see this one is built into a combination of Zombie Holocaust + Shockwaves.

Noise Synths - Old and New

Last year I posted about Derek Holzer's Neanderthal Electronics workshop at DAS.
Here's the old noise synth I made. Thanks Phil for the cigar box.


Since building that device I've been tinkering with various other projects. Here's a (as yet unhoused) battery-powered noise maker I got wheezing yesterday. The circuit is based on a Thingamagoop. Sadly I didn't do a sound check before recording, so you're not really able to appreciate the amount of low-end it produces, but trust me when I tell you it has a LOT of rumble to give. I'll post an update if I can find something pretty or odd to put it in.

Neanderthal Electronics with Derek Holzer

Neanderthal Electronics was the title of the week long workshops I recently attended at Digital Arts Studios. Our tutor was Derek Holzer an American artist/musician based in berlin who is touring his tutorial showing people like me (IE: mathematics and physics failures) how to make analogue synths from scratch using simple, cheap and easy to source electronic components.

The end result is a cigar box with knobs and switches and an 'acoustic laptop', both of which shall be used in the upcoming show with Mi Ami and Glissando along with some other bonus material that hasn't been heard before.

Donegal Catch Synth

Hand made 'Donegal Catch' synth for sale.
If you're interested contact the builder:
nicholaskeogh@hotmail.com

Stockhausen and synth-cake.

So Karlheinz Stockhausen has passed away at the age of 79. There are plenty of places to read about his work, and I don't feel equiped to add much more. I can share a clip of a conversation with him while he was in Belfast at the Sonorities festival.

http://www.divshare.com/download/3051138-b7f - I called the file 2002 - it should be 2004...

BoingBoing had a picture of a synth-cake. I followed the link and was happy with what I found:

bew update + hammock district

Had a good voyage over to New York - met up with Phil 'Weakling and King' Porter in Dublin on the way, sounds like the new Dry County album is ready for release. The previews I've heard are very good. Find a copy and listen yourself.
The performances in New York were ace. The indoor show at SHARE.dj had a great atmosphere and was an excellent place to start a week of music making. Working with Nicky Keogh and his bin disco and handmade synths again.With everything loaded up on the trollies we got plenty of looks and questions from interrested/inquisitive/nosey/scared people. We made a noisey nuisance of ourselves, and had no trouble whatsoever (apart from lacking axel grease which we solved with a chicken drumstick).In other news, had offers of playing summer festivals, and my first show in Prague. goodtimes TBC.

Also the project I stated with Anne Sophie Cocault in 2005 has a few tracks online. Try out Hammock District. I think I'll make a dedicated myspace soon - the tracks on last.fm are fair demo quality to whet your appetite though.
http://www.last.fm/music/hammock+district