Various DIY Electronic Musical Instruments
Soundlab
Ray Wilson’s MFOS Soundlab project.
Soundlab with built in Sample and Hold and an eight step sequencer based on the Baby 10.
The basic Soundlab includes 2 VFO's, a noise source, AR Generator, VCF, VCA, LFO.
Connections between sections are 'normalled', but it can also be 'patched out'.
The Soundlab is quite musical. I have used it with my 1 volt/Octave keyboard and with my other sequencers.
I built it into a make-up case my sister gave to my wife Christmas 2006. As soon as we got home I spirited this case into my workshop and stowed it under the bench. In late 2007 I started populating the Soundlab boards.
WSG (Wierd Sound Generator)
These things will fascinate you if you are the one twidling the knobs - or annoy you no end if you are just in the same room.
This is an "Original Recipe" WSG (Ray Wison now offers PC Boards for more deluxe, fully featured models) - with a few added features.
It's all built on perfboard and stuffed into a salvaged box I had around. Knobs are... Wacky Freq., Zany Freq., Zaniness, Wierd Freq., Oddness Filter, Wackiness Switch, and Volume Control. Nothing is labeled. Volume control is wired reverse of what you would expect. (bonus confusion)
It has a built in, fused 110 Volt Power Supply, Amplifier and Speaker - and a 1/4 inch line out jack. Knobs are old and strange selections from my junk box.
I recently traded this to someone who says they are going to use it in 'live performance'.
How to build one is here :
Theramax
http://www.musicfromouterspace.com/analogsynth/YOUR_FIRST_SYNTH/YOUR_FIRST_SYNTH.html
I had always thought a Theremin would be a great instrument – and when I ran across the PIAA Theremax while looking for synth module ideas I ordered the kit. Simple build, easy set-up.
Lunetta
There is a good discussion of Lunetta's on the Electro-Music.com website in the DIY Forum.
Each module is essentially a CMOS chip with a minimal support circuit - inputs and outputs taken directly to the front panel jacks.
Mainly CMOS Counters, Inverters, Shift Registers and Logic.
Here's mine in its current form
* Quad 40106 Osc with starve pots, synch and ext power inputs.
* Dual 40106 Osc with starve pot and ext power input
* 4094 Shift register
* Dual 4015 Shift register
* 4024 Divider/Sub Osc.
* 4051 CV generator
* 4051 Pulse Pattern generator
* Passive 3 input mixer
* 4011 Ring Mod
* 4011 NAND gate
* 555 VCO
* Six 40106 Osc with two voltage control inputs
* 6 input R/2R Ladder
* 4017 Pulse Divider/Sub Osc
* Simple Portamento
* Passive tone control
* 1/4 inch outputs
* Built in 110 volt power supply
These are patched together to create sounds.
Here's a pic of my Lunetta as of November 2008 - and a couple early sound samples. The first sound sample I manipulate a couple toggle switches, and is just a collection of interesting sounds it made. The second one is 'hands off' - just doing its own thing.
Lunetta Noise Sample
Lunetta Free Jazz Noodle 1