Circuit bending!!!

Pickups, pedals, amps, cabs, combos

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Gandalf
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Circuit bending!!!

Post by Gandalf »

Well, I might do a project about this for school So I need some info.
First, clip the smallest two metal jeweler's screwdrivers in the alligator clips at the ends of the test lead. This gives you a wire with a probe at each end, and is your most important circuit-bending tool. (Obviously, a custom test lead with a permanent probe at each end can be made for this job, as well as the elaborate console described at the end of the tools section).
Is it just doing this with an audio device? Or is there more depth in this??


anyways, I've seen some people on this board doing some, so can you post clips and how you did it?

Thanks. (Have no fucking idea where this thread is supposed to go)

But yeah, I need some help.
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Post by Tweez »

Just get something that makes noise, get it to make noise and touch the screwdrivers on different points on the circuit board (make sure the device is plugged into a battery, NOT the mains). When you find a sound you like solder wires between the points and put a switch inbetween. Hey Presto!
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Post by Gandalf »

So I'll probably do it on cheap behringers or danos. And some toys as well, I'll compare stuff.

Just any switch?

And for test runs, not soldering anything and shit, when I circuit bend, is a pedal still usable after or is it broken???

Anyways, I might just circuit bend and not solder and make switches but the switching part makes it more fun...
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Post by Tweez »

I think you may be able to break stuff when you do it, just avoid using a power supply and avoid large capacitors. Aen is pretty much the man to talk to on this subject though.
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Post by Gandalf »

Cool, I'll try something tomorow.

People, get in this thread, now.
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Post by Pens »

You can fry the components in a circuit if you don't know what it does. And I'd advise, that if you can't look at a board and identify what section is the power supply (hint: it's more than just a wire to the board) then you run a high risk of shorting and burning out components.

I'm not saying don't do it, I'm just saying expect the pedal to never work normally again, because it is likely unless you know what it is all doing. Have fun exploring and all that.
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Post by theshadowofseattle »

Circuit bending has to be one of the most retarded things ever.

"Hey, I have a working electronic device. I know, I'm going to break it in such a way that it makes an obnoxious noise that is completely intolerable, but I'm going to act like I'm some avant-garde douche and use it as a 'textural instrument' to keep people who aren't totally braindead from listening to my music."
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Post by Doog »

I bet people said the same thing about turning up amps to make them distort..
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Post by aen »

It's better to use resistors instead of tiny screw drivers, slightly less chance of blowing yr shit up. But yeah, you've got the idea.

Only use a battery powered thing!
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Post by Gandalf »

Okay, I'll try something simple tomorow, just to try to bend it and I wont put in switches and shit, just so I check it works and stuff...
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Post by Gandalf »

Oh what the fuck, my normal hardware store didnt have test leads or croc clips..... Dissapointing...
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Post by aen »

Look in your phone book for electronics stores. I've bent a few pedals, you can see one on youtube, just search for "suicide delay" if you want to see it.

Tweez is gettin' one.
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Post by Gandalf »

yeah I've seen the video, it's pretty cool, Tweez, are you making it or is aen making it for you?
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Post by paul_ »

theshadowofseattle wrote:Circuit bending has to be one of the most retarded things ever.

"Hey, I have a working electronic device. I know, I'm going to break it in such a way that it makes an obnoxious noise that is completely intolerable, but I'm going to act like I'm some avant-garde douche and use it as a 'textural instrument' to keep people who aren't totally braindead from listening to my music."
you realize that your fender amp, in purist audio terms, is one of the most faulty and ass-backwards amplifiers ever made, right? all guitar tube amps are weird and counter-intuitive to audio fidelity- it was designed from the ground up to produce undesirable audio qualities, side-effects, because people were starting to like the way they sounded on an electric guitar.
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Post by Tweez »

Gandalf wrote:yeah I've seen the video, it's pretty cool, Tweez, are you making it or is aen making it for you?
Aen's making me one.
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Post by aen »

Tweez could do it, if he werent so distracted by his foxxxy avatar.
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Post by Tweez »

aen wrote:Tweez could do it, if he werent so distracted by his foxxxy avatar.
It wouldn't fart though, plus I don't really know how to wire a reset switch or put body contacts on and it'd probably be a little more for me to build it myself.
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Post by theshadowofseattle »

paul_ wrote:
theshadowofseattle wrote:Circuit bending has to be one of the most retarded things ever.

"Hey, I have a working electronic device. I know, I'm going to break it in such a way that it makes an obnoxious noise that is completely intolerable, but I'm going to act like I'm some avant-garde douche and use it as a 'textural instrument' to keep people who aren't totally braindead from listening to my music."
you realize that your fender amp, in purist audio terms, is one of the most faulty and ass-backwards amplifiers ever made, right? all guitar tube amps are weird and counter-intuitive to audio fidelity- it was designed from the ground up to produce undesirable audio qualities, side-effects, because people were starting to like the way they sounded on an electric guitar.
Are you dumb enough to compare a functioning amplifier to Aen's suicide delay?
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Post by luke »

Circuit bending takes things too far though. It alters the signal beyond recognition, and it alters it so far that no matter what you do to the original signal, it will always sound the same.
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Post by theshadowofseattle »

Malik wrote:Circuit bending takes things too far though. It alters the signal beyond recognition, and it alters it so far that no matter what you do to the original signal, it will always sound the same.
NO WAY MAN

WHEN YOU TURN THE KNOB ALL THE WAY TO LEFT, IT SOUNDS LIKE A POLICE SIREN AND WHEN YOU TURN IT ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT, IT SOUNDS LIKE AN AIR RAID SIREN
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