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After the Texas Instruments Speak & XXXX range, the Casio SK range of toy sampling keyboards are probably one of the most popular victims for circuitbending.
At Circuitbenders we offer two different types of SK series bending service, one version for the SK-1 and one for the SK-5. Both mods can force your SK-1 or SK-5 to produce sounds ranging from unearthly washes of bubbling noise to brutal distorted percussive loops at the flick of a switch.
These modifications are designed with studio use in mind and as a result are geared more towards the creation of new and bizarre sounds rather than live performance although many people use them live. The mods consist of 14 switches and two patching areas.
Polyphony Drop Switches - These controls consist of five switches which can individually turn on/off one voice of polyphony (the sk-1 has 4) each or mute the percussion. This is useful for thinning down a huge wash of sound, isolating one voice which is producing a particular sound or removing an individual voice from the overall output that may be affecting a loop.
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Patchbay - This consists of 16 RCA phono sockets that can be linked together using standard phono cables. Each connection made produces different effects including all the effects available as switches on the SK-1 'performance' mods and more bizarre sounds. The patchbay method allows hundreds of different effects to be produced with single or multiple patching cables. Installing the patchbay means that the internal speaker must be removed from the machine but the audio output jack is still fully functional.
Patching Sources and Switches - This consists of four RCA phono sockets that can be used as 'sources' for some of the most useful patchbay connections. Each socket has its own associated switch which can turn on/off any effect made by patching between the patching sources and the main patchbay. Most of the best effects available can be controlled in this way.
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6 Alteration Switches - These control effects that are either useful to have available without patching or are not available using the patchbay.
Soft Reset - In the event of a lock up / crash this button will usually reset the machine without having to turn it off and losing any stored samples.
For mp3 demos of the kind of sounds these modifications can produce please click on the buttons below.
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For an extra £10 we can install a trigger input for the 'one key play' function of your SK-1. This enables you to trigger the SK-1 sequencer exactly as if you were pressing 'one key play' using any drum machine with a 'TRIG' output. We have tried it successfully with a Kawai R-100, Roland TR707 / 626 and a Boss DR-110 and it also seems to work with the Gate output of a Philip Rees MIDI-CV converter. This mod allows you to sync up your SK-1 with your MIDI sequencer tracks without getting a full on MIDI retrofit.
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This is an SK-1 / SK-5 midi retrofit kit from HIGHLY LIQUID. They add midi control over the full keyboard range on any midi channel. If you are interested in getting midi fitted then we can get hold of an interface and fit it for you for £50-£60 depending on the £-$ exchange rate. If you are planning on fitting a midi kit yourself to a SK bent by us then let us know in advance as the installation affects the wire placement. |
There are details on building your own midi kit for the SK-1 HERE although you do need an EPROM burner and a certain degree of electronics knowledge to construct it. This midi interface used to be available in kit form but as far as we are aware nobody is making them anymore. If you have any more info then get in touch.
When the Casio SK-5 is circuitbent it becomes somewhat unplayable from the keyboard when using the new modifications, but as a bizarre FX machine it is unsurpassed. The SK-5 studio mods are much the same as the SK-1 version but with a couple of differences.
They consist of:
Patchbay - Exactly the same as the SK-1 version except that on the SK-5 the patchbay also effects the arrangements (but not the sounds) of the preset drum loops and demos. This can create a selection of bizarre drum fills and loops.
Patching Sources and Switches - Exactly the same as on the SK-1 but there are only three patching sockets and switches on the SK-5 version.
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Drum Pitch Knob - Controls the pitch of the percussion including the laser, lion and bongo pad sounds. This knob doesn't change the speed of the drum loops but takes the pitch from crunchy 8 bit grinding at the bottom to sharp blips at the top.
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Drum Pitch Body Contacts - These consist of three big bolts on the right of the keyboard. When you touch them individually or together they cause total chaos with the percussion pitch. Different effects are obtained depending on which contact or contacts that you touch i.e. touching contact 1 causes a slight pitch change but touching contact 1 and 3 causes the drums to drop to subsonic groaning. The effect varies in accordance to how hard you touch the contact.
Soft Reset - If the machine appears to have locked up, this button will usually reset it without having to turn it off and back on.
For mp3 demos of the kind of sounds these modifications can produce please click on the buttons below.
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If you want your machine modded, click the button on the left and fill in the form on the page that opens. |
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Alternatively sign up at the circuitbenders.co.uk forum for the latest information and circuitbending related nonsense. |
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Or you can find us on facebook by clicking the logo. |
