 Probing for "bends" using a jeweler's screwdriver and alligator clips Circuit bending is the creative short-circuiting of low voltage, battery-powered electronic audio devices such as guitar effects, children's toys and small synthesizers to create new musical instruments and sound generators. Emphasizing spontaneity and randomness, the techniques of circuit bending have been commonly associated with noise music, though many more conventional contemporary musicians and musical groups have been known to experiment with "bent" instruments. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixels Full resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 410 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) My photo, released under a creative commons license. ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixels Full resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 410 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) My photo, released under a creative commons license. ...
For alternate meanings see Short circuit (disambiguation) A short circuit (sometimes known as simply a short) is a fault whereby electricity moves through a circuit in an unintended path, usually due to a connection forming where none was expected. ...
International safety symbol Caution, risk of electric shock (ISO 3864), colloquially known as high voltage symbol. ...
An electronic musical instrument is a musical instrument that produces its sounds using electronics. ...
Guitar effects are electronic devices that modify the tone, pitch, or sound of an electric guitar. ...
To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
The term synthesiser is also used to mean frequency synthesiser, an electronic system found in communications. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
The experimental process
Circuit bending is a process that has been developed largely by individuals experimenting with second-hand electronics, often not associated with musical production. Aesthetic value, immediate usability and highly randomized results are often factors in the process of successfully bending electronics. Although the history of electronic music is often associated with unconventional sonic results, such innovators as Robert Moog, Lev Sergeivitch Theremin, etc. were electrical engineers and concerned with the consistency and sound design of their instruments. Circuit bending is typified by inconsistencies in the instruments built in an unscientific manner. It has been suggested that Electronica be merged into this article or section. ...
Dr. Robert Arthur Moog (pronounced // to rhyme with vogue, not //) (May 23, 1934 – August 21, 2005) was a pioneer of electronic music, best known as the inventor of the Moog synthesizer. ...
Léon Theremin playing an early theremin The theremin (originally pronounced but often anglicized as [1]), or thereminvox, is one of the earliest fully electronic musical instruments. ...
Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline that deals with the study and application of electricity and electromagnetism. ...
While many pre-fitted circuit bent machines are on offer for sale at auction sites such as eBay, this somewhat contravenes the intention of most practitioners. Machines bent to a repeated configuration are more analogous to the well known practice of mods, such as the Devilfish mod for the Roland TB-303, or various Analogman or Pedaldoc guitar pedal circuit modifications. Chance being the key term that separates Bending from mods, the modification or creation process in which chance has been removed is no longer properly known as Circuit Bending. eBay headquarters in San Jose eBay North First Street satellite office campus (home to PayPal) eBay Inc. ...
Look up mod in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
The Roland TB-303 Bass Line is a synthesizer with built-in sequencer manufactured by the Roland corporation in 1982 and 1983 that had a defining role in the development of contemporary electronic music. ...
Analogman is a company that makes and modifies guitar effects pedals. ...
Circuit bending typically involves dismantling a piece of consumer electronics and connecting any two circuit locations with wire, sending current from one part of the circuit into another. Sonic results are monitored through either the device's internal speaker or by connecting an amplifier to the speaker output. If an interesting effect is achieved, this connection would be marked for future reference or kept active by either soldering a new connection or bridging with alligator clips. Often other components are inserted at these points such as pushbuttons or switches, to turn on or off the effect; or components such as resistors or capacitors, to change the quality of the audio. This is repeated in a trial and error basis. Resistor symbols (non-European) Resistor symbols (Europe, IEC) Axial-lead resistors on tape. ...
Capacitors: SMD ceramic at top left; SMD tantalum at bottom left; through-hole tantalum at top right; through-hole electrolytic at bottom right. ...
Other components added into the circuit can give the performer more expressiveness. These include potentiometers, photoresitors (for reaction to light), pressure sensors, etc. The simplest and one most identified with circuit bending is the body contact[1], where the performer's touch causes the circuit to change the sound. Often metal knobs, plates, screws or studs are wired to these circuit points to give an easier access to these points from the outside the case of the device. The present popular usage of the term potentiometer (or pot for short) describes an electrical device which has a user-adjustable resistance. ...
Since chance is key element to the practice of circuit bending, there is always a chance that short circuiting may result in undesirable results, including component failure. Never bend any device that gets its power from the mains (household current) to avoid the chance of electrocution.
Innovators in circuit bending Although similar methods were previously used by other musicians and engineers, this method of music creation is believed to be pioneered by Reed Ghazala in the 1960s. Reed Ghazala, an American author, photographer, musician and experimental instrument builder, is recognized as the Father of circuit bending, having discovered the technique in 1966, named it, and having taught it ever since. ...
The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ...
Ghazala's experience with circuit-bending began in 1966 when a toy transistor amplifier, by chance, shorted-out against a metal object in his desk drawer, resulting in a stream of unusual sounds.[2] While Ghazala explicitly makes no claims as to be the first circuit bender, he coined the term Circuit Bending [3] and whole-heartedly promoted the proliferation of the concept and practice through his writings and internet site, earning him the title "Father of Circuit Bending". Assorted discrete transistors A transistor is a semiconductor device, commonly used as an amplifier or an electrically controlled switch. ...
Generally, an amplifier is any device that will use a small amount of energy to control a larger amount of energy. ...
Serge Tcherepnin, designer of the famous Serge modular synthesizers, discussed [4] his early experiments in the 1950s with the transistor radio, in which he found sensitive circuit points in those simple electronic devices and brought them out to "body contacts" on the plastic chassis. Prior to Mark's and Reed's experiments other pioneers also explored the body-contact idea, one of the earliest being Thaddeus Cahill (1897) whose Telharmonium, it is reported, was also touch-sensitive. Serge (Alexandrovitch) Tcherepnin (born 2 February 1941 in Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris) is an American composer and electronic-instrument builder of Russian-Chinese origin. ...
Sine, square, triangle, and sawtooth waveforms The modular synthesizer is a type of synthesizer consisting of separate modules which must be connected by wires (patch cords) to create a so-called patch. ...
Regency TR-1. ...
Thaddeus Cahill (1867 - 1934) was a prominent inventor of the early 20th century. ...
Telharmonium console by Thaddeus Cahill 1897 The earliest purely electronic musical instrument was the Telharmonium or Teleharmonium, developed by Thaddeus Cahill in 1897. ...
Significant instruments A list of well known toys and instruments used in circuit bending usually because of their low price and 'bendability' Circuit Bending has also found its way into video devices. Video painting toys, PixelVision cameras and old video game systems have all found to be excellent video bends. The Casio SK-1 is a small sampling keyboard made by Casio in 1985. ...
A later Speak & Spell model with membrane keyboard The Speak & Spell was a popular electronic toy consisting of a speech synthesizer and a keyboard. ...
The Speak & Math was a popular and revolutionary electronic toy created by Texas Instruments in 1980. ...
A Furby is an electronic toy made by Tiger Electronics which went through a brief period of being a must-have toy following its launch in the holiday season of 1998. ...
Releases Artists who create and use circuit bent instruments are featured on a compilation CD entitled "Noise and Toys Volume 1," which was officially released in 2006 on We Are... Records. Many varied musical intentions are apparent in this collection, but there is an almost physical tie binding these compositions. A compilation album is a musical album featuring songs or tunes with some common characteristics. ...
In 2006 a Compilation was put out by Tiger Claw Records (Madison, Wisconsin). It was titled "The Blown Circuit Comp - A Tribute to Circuit Bending". It features 12 bands from various locations around the globe. This was TIGER CLAWS first release. Tiger Claw Records released their second compilation CD in 2007 titled "DO NOT BEND", which featured 19 bands. In August of 2007 Igor Amokian and Igloo Martian released a split CD for Tiger Claw Records. There are currently three releases on Tiger Claw Records to date. Nickname: Location of Madison in Dane County, Wisconsin Coordinates: , Municipality City Incorporated 1848 Government - Mayor Dave Cieslewicz Area - City 219. ...
Absurdity.Biz has been making video documentation of Circuit Bending since 2003. Currently they have released three DVDs of Bent Festival 2004, 2005 and 2006. A full fledged documentary continues to be in the works. Since 2002 Absurdity.Biz has also released many free mp3 circuit bending albums.
The band Modified toy orchestra, led by Brian Duffy released their album Toygopop in 2006 on Warm Circuit Records. They use instruments exclusively created by the process of circuit bending. Brian Duffy frequently gives lectures in London on how to circuit bend, and the philosophy behind where the sounds created are actually coming from. Brian Duffy, award winning sound artist and creator of the Modified Toy Orchestra, has been at the forefront of a world wide underground movement called circuit bending which involves rescuing childrens electronic toys from car boot sales, and converting them into new strange and wonderfully sophisticated musical instruments. ...
See also Glitch (also known as Clicks and Cuts from a representative compilation series by the German record label Mille Plateaux) is a genre of electronic music that became popular in the late 1990s with the increasing use of digital signal processing, particularly on computers. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
Electronic music has existed, in various forms, for more than a century. ...
MOS Technology SIDs: The right image shows a 6581 from MOS Technology, at the time they were known as the Commodore Semiconductor Group (CSG) and the left image shows an 8580 from MOS Technology. ...
The MIDIbox project is an open source hardware and software MIDI platform built around the PIC18F(452) family of PIC microcontrollers. ...
The Kraakdoos (or Cracklebox) is a battery-powered noise-making electronic device. ...
External links - oddmusic.com's circuit bending section - Gallery of some of Reed Ghazala's work, facts, history, tutorial, benders guide, tools of the trade and more
- Q.R. Ghazala's How-To Ghazala's official website tutorial
- GetLoFi a circuit bending blog with a lot of circuit bending tips and resources
- Bent Festival the first and ongoing international Circuit Bending festival
- Absurdity.Biz home of the official Circuit Bending Documentary and many circuit bending videos
Notes - ^ Reed Ghazala: http://www.anti-theory.com/soundart/circuitbend/cb14.html
- ^ Reed Ghazala: Circuit-Bending, Build Your Own Alien Instruments, Extreme Tech, 2006
- ^ Reed Ghazala: "Circuit-Bending and Living Instruments," EMI Volume VIII #1, 1992
- ^ Vail, Mark: Vintage Synthesizers: Pioneering Designers, Groundbreaking Instruments, Collecting Tips, Mutants of Technology, Backbeat Books; 2.00 edition (March 15, 2000)
|
Feeds |
Contact