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This passive multitouch controller designed and built by Randy Jones requires no electric circuits to operate. All it needs it a little 80s synth and the party starts itself.
Brain surgeons at Boston University have enabled a mute man to speak again by implanting an electrode into his brain. The electrode senses when he's thinking about vowels and reproduces them using a speech synthesiser.
1968 was not only a great time because the entire nation was in political and social upheaval, but because it produced videos of Mr. Rogers mildly geeking out over a synthesiser. Considering how relatively mundane a device like this is today, it's funny to see the expression on the face of America's PBS neighbour. He looks like he's somewhere between approaching a hostile animal and regretting that last hit of acid he dropped the night before. But humour aside, we should also take a moment to honour the other man in the video— synthesiser pioneer Bruce Haack.
Using the same principle as the LED strobes that enable fine-tuning of turntable rotation speeds, this DIY "Acid Machine" synth has a cool way of visualising its sound: A rotating disc printed with a special pattern isolates a thin radial disc depending on the frequency of a strobing LED that corresponds to the note played. You can use it to tune the synth itself (as seen in the beginning of the following video) for traditionally trippy early-Aphex acid tones, or to squeeze secrets out of your enemies once they're sufficiently hypnotised by the spinning visualiser. Yes, relax, and stare into the wheel...
The Tenori-On is the zany Yamaha touch-based musical sequencer that caught our eye earlier this year, but this cool PacklSound1 iPhone app could very well be the portable version that puts us over the edge. It's a simpler version of the original US$1,200 Tenori-On box, but that didn't stop the designer from laying down a quick, catchy beat. Seeing it in action, makes me want it right now:
Weird... but I kinda want to hear more. That's roughly how I'd describe the sound output of the Thingamakit, a strange "noise monster" DIY synthesiser. I like the fact that it uses some sort of optical feedback: adjusting those tentacles affects how the sounds are generated, which then gets fed back to the LEDs in the tentacles. So it's a pleasingly tactile gizmo, and if you're really a strange-noise-machine-ophile, you'll also appreciate that you can buy it as a kit from maker Bleep Labs. [Bleep Labs via Hackaday]
Tenori-on, the versatile light-up synthesiser we love so much, is now on sale in the US. It pricey at US$1200, but there are only 60 available so if you want it you better move fast. [Tenori-on via Crave] ... Read More »
What you see here was once a Commodore 64, but no longer. Now it's a MIDIboxSID, which translates roughly into, this thing looks killer in the dark and can lay down a serious series of beeps and pew pew's. Best thing is that, thanks to the C64's mod-friendly SID chips, this is a synthesiser that uses SID 6582 sound chips from the original C64 personal computer. Hooray for recycling!
Tenori-On, the crazy light-up handheld synthesiser from Yamaha we've been geeked about for months, officially launched in the US tonight. It won't be on sale until May 1, but we got our hands on one and simply put, we were amazed. Resident Giz musician Jonny Lam (Brian's little brother) hit the event with us, and was playing music in minutes.
Future Retro's Revolution Synthesizer R2 looks amazing; we completely have no use for a synthesiser, but we totally want one. With a complete aluminium construction, perfectly contrasting gun gray and white colours, as well as a smattering of blue LEDs all over, this synthesiser makes us moist in the most clichéd way possible. If that was not enough to get you interested, perhaps the circular sequencer interface, which allows single handed control; the ability to play patterns forwards, backwards, upside down and sideways, as well as remote pattern selection using MIDI program change messages will have you reaching for your anorexic wallet?
This passive multitouch controller designed and built by Randy Jones requires no electric circuits to operate. All it needs it a little 80s synth and the party starts itself.
Tenori-On, the 