A Beginner's Question

[Spann]

Hey, I'm new here, and a complete novice, but am seriously interested in circuit bending.

I was just wondering if anyone has any tips for complete beginners, and if anybody knows anything about bending possibilities of a Yamaha PSS-20?

Thanks,

Spann.

[Circuitbenders]

According to the 'unbendable machines' topic on this forum the low number PSS's don't appear to be very bendable although you never can tell with Yamaha's. I take it you've looked at the 4 pages of posts on Yamaha PSS's elsewhere in the keyboards & Synths section?

[Spann]

Yes, I have done. didn't see anything about the PSS20 there. I've got it for free, and it'll be my first bend, so who knows? Something to learn on, I suppose...

[superkenel]

 
Check that link for pss-20 circuit bending shema !
This portasound is OK. I've got ne and I gonna bend it soon !
http://www.circuitbend.it/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1&limit=4&limitstart=12

[NewBender]

I just bent the PSS-20 as my first bend

There wasnt a lot of bending possibilities on it (as far as i could find anyway) but i did find one really interesting one, because the keyboard has an 'auto arpeggio' feature where you press any bkey and it will do an arpeggio around that key. I found a bend that speeds up whatever is being played so that when the auto arpeggio feature is on you basicly have a really interesting oscillator sound that moves up and down in pitch as you move up and down the keys. This sound can be altered loads by simply changing the speed of the arpeggio, the type of drum rhythm, and 'voice' selected.

The only other worthwhile bend i could find was a kind of distortion that makes a lot of the voices sound like a distorted  trumpet.

Those sounds are really interesting but as i say they are the only worthwhile bends i could find on it.

[Bling]

i have this one but i got nothing useful out of this.. even with the points mentioned in the link above.

where should i look for the bends you found, newbender?

[NewBender]

This is a picture of the circuit i found on the internet. all the points in blue were already on there and i didn't use them. But the one i was talking about is the one i crudely drew in red...

you do need to put a resistor in there otherwise it doesnt work, but to check its okay put on the of the demo songs lick your finger and put it so those two points are touching - have a go!

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g169/_g_e_j_/pss20.jpg