Circuitbenders Forum
Circuitbenders Forum => Circuitbending discussion => Toys => Topic started by: goldenbaby on October 28, 2008, 04:12:52 PM
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So far I've found a few bends for a glitch stream, and a few for streaming of words in the database, like "jump, jumping, jumped, jumper, feed, feeding, fed, feeder..."
(not my photo)
(http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v347/92/97/572677266/n572677266_1435274_2177.jpg)
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Yeah, that sounds about right. The plus is the red and blue one that folds shut, correct? In terms of glitchy sounds I think it has the Speak & series beat.
Mine will occasionally spit out a string of praises and gentle chides: "Good, Great!, Good Job, Uh-Oh!, Try again, etc"
If you're looking for a real playable instrument, none of the toys you'll find around will do much for you, but if you want an aleotoric jazz jam, this piece is about as good as I've found.
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I found some really interesting bends on mine.
There were some you could flick on, and then press the on button to have the screen scroll along, and when you scrolled so far it would go back to how it was before, but some characters would be corrupt or different.
Also, you could short the crystal clock (definitely do this bend, asshole) to get random loops/sounds/glitches, which really expands it. You could get weird noisy loops, and then mutate them with the normal glitch switches.
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Is the "string of praises and gentle chides" a specific bend in your creation, or just a random outcome? I've obtained mine only while bend various points, so it's hard to know if it's a random outcome of various bends, or triggered by one in specific.
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I found that it would happen randomly after you glitch it, and then let it sit there glitching out (with no bends on)
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That's what I thought. Although this bad kid is easy to bend, I don't find it has that much variation in sound when shorting the crystal clock, at least not more than it varies itself while glitching endlessly.
I found another loud tone that has a nice hot sound to it, am I gonna blow something or should I pot this baby?
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Hmm. Normally when I shorted the clock it went into crazy loops or it "held" the sound.
And you might want to pot that, just in case.
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hello,
I have really enjoyed bending these.
I got my first one at a flea market for $6!
In addition to a short looping circuit and crazy random glitch streams, I found a low and high pitch feedback oscillator. Then I connected an LED to one of the glitch points and a photoresistor to the low feedback circuit. In conjunction this makes rhythmic low pulses controlled by the glitches.
check it here:
http://mobiusband.com/blog/?p=371
A very cool toy to bend!
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I've done a third version of this mo' fro.
In addition to the high and low oscillator feedback tones, I added a 555 LFO that can trigger either a flashing LED (to hit the photoresistor), re-trigger the startup melody or glitch/loops, OR feed the feedback tones.
This thing is unbelievably fun to mess around with.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtbQcHdpveI&feature=channel_page
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx_osH5MI58&feature=channel
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Wow, that guy is pretty sweet. I saw another of these guys a month ago on YouTube, also with a photo resistor, but I think yours is more functional than the other one.
What does it take to make a 555 circuit? Like, how many components aside from IC, approx?
And can they be used on any circuit to create pulsing?
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Do a search on this forum for 555 LFO and you'll find plenty of info.
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555 osc is really easy - like one cap, 1 pot and 2 fixed resistors or something.
Check out the speak and spell section of casper electronics for a really good diagram. In addition to the schematic, he draws it out so it was very helpful for me (as i had yet to figure out schematics at that point). His site is bad ASS.
There's a lot of other info online too.
Once I started building 555s, I've put them into practically everything I've built. Sometimes it modulates pitch, sometimes tempo, sometimes triggering sounds and loops. Really helpful for taking it up a notch.
--noam
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But, you choose what to modulate by connecting in to different points, right?
I'm gonna check out Casper to get an idea of how to connect it all up. Thanks a bunch, guys.
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Yeah.
I basically build a 555 and then poke the output around the circuit board just like when I'm searching for bending points. If you already have anything wired up, you can start there.
Make sure to connect the + and - of the 555 to the batteries of the toy your poking around in.
On this whiz kid, I found three different ways to use the 555 (LED to trigger the LDR, re-triggering the startup melody/loops, and triggering the feedback tones) Then I just hooked up a switch from the 555 to each of those points.
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How do I properly mount an LED? It just wants to fall back through my hole into the casing. Maybe hot glue?
Also, I wired up an output jack on this guy, and it sounded no louder than my guitar on the amp, does this mean it'll be okay? It's been working fine so far without any extra resistors, I don't want to end up frying it in the long run. I'll have a picture once I finalize this guy.
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Mine connected up to my amp fine, though I guess you could stick a little resistance in for safety.
For LEDs, you can get little things you can mount LEDs on. Example: http://www.bitsbox.co.uk/hardware.html
If you don't have time to order one etc, just hot glue it.
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How do I properly mount an LED? It just wants to fall back through my hole into the casing. Maybe hot glue?
You can get little plastic clips that hold LEDs in, which have a little black bezel on the front surface. Alternatively, hot glue would work just fine ;-)
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you can either get some LED sockets or use some glue. I generally drill a hole just a little bit too small and then file it out slowly until the LED will just barely fit through if you push it with a screwdriver before dropping a little glue on it. The LED sockets look great, but I never manage to have them on hand.
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I usually just drill a hole slightly smaller than I need, push the LED through and then add a dab of silicone or hot glue to hold it in place.
For the LED "ArMs" that I've done, I've twisted up the wires with some magnet wire for rigidity, and then wrapped a little more wire around on the inside and outside of the case to hold it in place. Maybe a drop of glue if it is moving too much.
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If you can push it through, then why would you need a bigger hole? If you mean that the bottom edge of the LED features a lip that prevents the LED from going through the hole entirely, that's what I've done too. And I'm gonna go with the hot glue on that one -- though I fear the process of trying to replace the LED someday.
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I have the same talking whiz kid plus and it stopped working. This was the best toy for circuit bending I've found. I made some good bends from the pins where the back circuit board connects with a ribbon to the front but I think I soldered them too many times.
Problems:
- It sometimes turns on normally with the display really dim
- sometimes it turns on the display dims to blank it glitches and crashes
- other times when I turn it on it only makes a quiet buzzing.
What I've tried to fix it
- I use a 9v battery that has gone down to 6.8v to power it so that shouldn't be a problem.
- I removed all the contacts I made and tried to clean up the points but problems persist.
I'll try to post a picture of the area if you want to help.
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I just finally uploaded a half-ass clip of the Whiz Kid I finished in January: You guys can watch the video here:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=68741627266
It's simple, but it was my first project, and I came up with the LED myself (whoop-dee-doo, huh)?
What's good, what else do you prefer to have on your whiz kid? I'm pretty sure I'll open this guy again in the future to add more, maybe even paint it.
--Quincy
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Hi guys, I have the Vtech Talking Lesson One Plus sitting on the desk with it's innards exposed just waiting to be probed with my wire... (you lot are filthy) :D
Just wondering, because this is the English version of this toy (?), could someone clarify if the innards are the same?
This is gonna be my 1st bend and I really don't wanna kill it :-\
Here's a video I made of me probing the old girl (honestly guys ::)):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfjSUtI_CZY
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Judging by your video, that looks and sounds exactly the same as the talking whiz kid.
"oops...try again...uh uh uh ... great...good.....keep trying...."
-noam
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Judging by your video, that looks and sounds exactly the same as the talking whiz kid.
"oops...try again...uh uh uh ... great...good.....keep trying...."
-noam
Cool. I can't wait 'til I get paid in 10 days! Gonna buy all the tools I need to bend this baby! ;D
So I was wondering if there are any points to control the pitch (sorry I'm just being lazy, I'll get a potentiometer on some points and discover for myself). Y'see, I'm one of these guys that'll try operating something without reading the manual lol :D
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Has anyone managed to pitch bend this one?
With a LTC or otherwise?
I'm trying hard now...