Last in line: circuit bent Roland TR-626 Rythem composer

Thanks to George Gleixner for inspiration and instructions.

Bontempi KS 3400

This is a moddified italian toy keyboard Bontempi KS 3400. Bends are very basic with this one, preset trimpots are connected to external potentiometers for control over volume and pitch. I also added a voltage drop potentiometer, speakers on/off switch and line output for live use.

CASIO SA-20 #3

Another moddified Casio SA-20. Modiffications (from left to right):

-speakers on/off
-glitch randomizer switch+pot
-feedback/overdrive switch+pot
-voltage drop pot
-deep crash push button
-line output

Magical Light - Casio ML-1

Since we're going to Pescara(IT) at the adriatic fair festival to exhibit our (Cheap Tunes) works (cds,tapes and my bent gear) I bought a few toy synths that are going to be bent and than exhibited in Pescara. First one to go was Casio Magical light (ML-1). This one is probably going to be for personal use only so i installed just the line output + a toggle to switch between speaker and line out and deep crash push button.

VJing the old fashion way

Liquid slides aren't something new, but are still very fun to watch as well as to perform. A while ago me and two friends of mine decided to try this technique during a live set of Spock Studios as a visual background.

how it works: you mix together various ingredients that you find at home and put them in to double glass slides, which are than projected on the screen. Best resoults when mixig together high contrast colors and oily+reactive things. Heath shield should be removed from slide projector, otherwise nothing much happens.

Commodore 64 #3

Since the guys at 8bit ventures announced that the new cartridge(mssiah) is coming out in Q2 2008, i moddified another commodore 64. The mods are the same as on the previus one (audio in/out, noise off switch, 4 pots, mouse/pot selector switch and video out), only the enclosure is different (newer C46K). Link to the new cartridge (info+faq).

Deep crash video

Squarewave, circuit-bent - Medeli MC-3

"This very common instrument is likely one of the last non- toy squarewave keyboards; it was regularly sold at least until 1995, and it is a "must to have" for every real squarewave lover because it is not rare and thus easy to find, has a relatively large keyboard, 4 note polyphony and accompaniment in the unique combination with the famous sounds of a Commodore C64 home computer or classic Gameboy. (Unfortunately none of the really freaky or more advanced C64/ SID sounds are built-in.). It has even a programmable(!) simple drum computer ("custom drummer", only 1 pattern) with 5 drumpad buttons and very electronic sounding special blip percussion. The accompaniment can play nicely disharmonic because it accepts any note combinations and not only those few those establishment defined to be "chords"....(from WarrantyVoid )"

5 switches were installed on this synth to control digital data flow from FM chip to CPU. By turning off one or more of this switches you get interesting new sounds/noises.

C(r)as(h)io screaming acid

I took a second look at Casio SA-20 that was killed in action sometime before (some keys aren't workie). After a while I decided to install only the deep crash push button and paint it. By pressing the push button, synth begins to loop random noises and can be used as a stand alone noise maker.

Yamaha PSR 8

Circuit bent Yamaha PSR 8, with full sized keys and pretty good built in sounds. I added 6 toggle switches. By making connections on these switches, you get a bunch of new sounds varying from completly noisy to very musical sounds.

spectaculaRRRe_Spectrum&video out

Sinclair zx Spectrum with RCA connector for composite video output. got it for cheap with bunch of old casettes and original games.


-Sinclair zx spectrum, installed composite video output

puff daddy premium

Fuzz Face aka Puff Daddy with AC128 transistors. New enclousure: instead of the old chasis 100x120mm this one is put into 80x100mm enclousure + it has bigger knobs 32mm.

Crash me gently

Circuit bent Casio (crashio) SA-10 toy synth with 100 preset sounds and 32 rhytem accompaniment:

-deep crash push button
-voltage drop/dying batteries pot+ switch
-glitch/distortion pot
-line out
-3 leds