Homemade Equipment?
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Posted on Mar 18, 2003 12:36 pm
Tadpui
I am not a crook's head
Member Since: Mar 14, 2003
I was reading an article where this guy made a pair of drum microphones from a pair of headphones. I'm on a nonexistent budget and it would be cool if I could build little things to use for recording.
Anyways, I'm just curious: other than the do-it-yourself projects in the Recording Tips section, do any of you use homemade equipment or instruments in your recording? If so, what is it and how did you go about making it?
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Mar 18, 2003 01:36 pm It's not always worth the time to make your own stuff, unless you are knowingly going for a specific sounds or something that you can't get elsewhere. I have made my own speakers, cables, voice box and stuff like that. I have a buddy that made his own distortion pedal (that was surprisingly good) and other electronic devices.
In order to do much of that you need to know electronics, or, alternatively, some electronics stores have kits that can build delay pedals, fuzz boxes and stuff like that, but they won't be unique, as they are a kit. There are schematics on the internet to build preamps as well.
Just have to search around the 'net...do some Google Wackin'.
Mar 21, 2003 09:11 pm i'm currently "circuit-bending" an old Texas Instruments Speak & Spell. It's begining to spit out some real garbage and glitch fodder. Next I think I'll try to build my own distortion pedal. Check this out! www.generalguitargadgets.com/
flame...bringing sexy backMember
Since: Jul 01, 2002
Mar 22, 2003 04:57 am id love to do that....something i might think about next time ive got some time off...
id loe to hear the spell and speak jamie - sounds mad!
Mar 22, 2003 05:44 am ya, there are schematics for the speak andspell trick all over the net, I have played with one before, it's really quite cool.
flame...bringing sexy backMember
Since: Jul 01, 2002
Mar 22, 2003 06:38 am what is a speak and spell anyway?
Mar 22, 2003 06:46 am silly brits, don't even know what a speak and spell is..sheesh... :-)
it's a kids toy to learn words and stuff...it speaks and it spells.
flame...bringing sexy backMember
Since: Jul 01, 2002
Mar 22, 2003 07:10 am that figures i guess
does it teach them proper spelling or the dodgy american versions?
Mar 22, 2003 07:13 am dodgy american...
smartaleck... ;-)
flame...bringing sexy backMember
Since: Jul 01, 2002
Mar 22, 2003 07:13 am that first post aboutthe headphones as mics got me thinking - ive got some real old headphones that im gonna have a play with, see what i can get out of them!
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Mar 23, 2003 11:37 am I make a lot of brackets, supports, "fixtures", cables, pop filters, sound isolation / difusion stuff. Comes to the electronics, I havn't had any really good luck. I have done some limited modifications to simple gear that worked well.
Mar 23, 2003 04:00 pm actually flame, db, there is a uk version of the speak & spells. they're really in demand now. if you find one hang onto it until you find the right buyer.
Mar 23, 2003 04:26 pm Quote:
I make a lot of brackets, supports, "fixtures",
Ya, I have about 10 years of machining skills from before I become a programming geek. That has kinda payed of for me by being able to build a lot of hardware type stuff like that too...
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Mar 23, 2003 07:21 pm I am lucky to have riden on both sides of the tracks here. I have 20 years of fabbing and machining. And I have been bulding and repairing most of my own stuff for 30 years. Although as of late I prefer to send it out and pay someone else to enure the headache. but I have been brave enough to work on my Juno-106, and after looking in there, I think I would rather do open heart surgery. It would not be as messy. :-)
Oh ya, Flame does the UK SPeak and Spell talk with and accent?
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Mar 23, 2003 11:04 pm Noise, I have a Juno 106 as well. Yow! what a beast! I inherited it in a trade for a bass amp I no longer used. Some day I need to explore the thing and see what it will do besides impress friends with all the knobs and such.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Mar 24, 2003 09:26 pm It is one of my favorites. I have given thought so many times of selling it, but I can never bring myself to do it. I guess once you become attached to something like it, you never really want to give it up. When I get a chance to cump the data I have stored on the aniquated Sparq cartiridges I have, I will send you some of the twisted patches I created with that thing. I used to, and still do sometimes sit for hours on end and just move the sliders up and down untill I found something that tickled my fancy. then it usually ended up another hour or so laying down a track or two with the new found patch. I have owned many analog synths, some of which cost 5 or 6 times the price of the Juno, but this synth for some odd reason has stayed the course. I owned one when they were brand new, bought the first one that the store got in. Sold it to pay rent, and replaced it with something fancier. But I found this one about 10 years ago and it has been on the rack ever since.
OK, I gotta go touch it now. All this talk of the old beast just warms the cockles of my heart.
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Mar 24, 2003 10:35 pm That would be very cool. I really want to sit with it for a while someday. Just finding time! E-gad what a concept!
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Mar 24, 2003 11:36 pm Ya, I usually put the headphones on with it, since it is true stereo, not emulated. I just get goose bumps sometime messing with it, ya know the kind that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
juesContributor
Since: Dec 30, 2002
Mar 25, 2003 03:35 am Juno 106, eh? Not bad, not bad. I played with one in a music shop for about an hour until they kicked me out for not have any intention of buying anything.
"Sir, are you interested in buying this Juno"
"No, I'm just bored"
"Could you leave now then please?"
You think playing with that is fun, well - this is my beast - wasted many hours coming up with wierd and wonderful sounds on this beasty:
www.crmav.com/recording/1..._keyboard.shtml
"Who's the Daddy" -- "You are baby"
jues.
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Mar 25, 2003 08:31 am Oh good grief! That thing is mad scientist stuff! Back!, Back! to the institute! Wierd sounds in the night along with unexplained brown outs! So you are the UFO people have been complaining about!
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Mar 25, 2003 08:07 pm Nice jues, I know they have made some incredible steps since the original SuperNova. I tried the original unit and it was a bit flaky, and not very true in the analog sound department. I switched to an Access Virus for awhile, but it also had some twitches. One of these days I will add a hybird analog/digital like the SuperNova II. It will either be that or I will hold out for a FairLite. But with a filter bank attached to the Juno it still gives me what I need. Besides, since I started using the Tassman DXi synth, I amy not have to add a hybrid synth for awhile.
