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Circuitbenders Forum => Circuitbending discussion => BENDING TIPS => Topic started by: bent sam on April 16, 2009, 11:49:30 AM

Title: Circuit Bending starting equipment
Post by: bent sam on April 16, 2009, 11:49:30 AM

Hi guys

I just started circuit bending so i need some advice. I've just bought myself a cheap argos keyboard to circuit bend. I opened it up and it looks a pretty simple so im gonna have a crack at it.

I know i need to probe for glitches etc. but what equipment would anyone recomend for me to use?

Looking around, I see many people are using crocodile clips so i know they will be needed but what else will i need?

I'm guessing potentiometers, resistors and switches but what value potentiometers should i use and what value resistors should i get?

I dont want to buy loads of one type of resistor and not use them so what are the most commonly used resistors?

Hopefully someone will help me and people won't ignore this.

Please Help :)

Thanks

Sammy

Title: Re: Circuit Bending starting equipment
Post by: Circuitbenders on April 16, 2009, 11:58:30 AM

You'll be lucky to get anything other that a pitch control and possibly some distortions on most cheap keybaords, unless you're very lucky and it crashes nicely.

Take a look at the TIPS board, especially this thread http://www.circuitbenders.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,509.0.html

You don't really need crocodile clips as a piece of wire with stripped ends will do the same job when probing for bends, unless of course you need to hold things in place while you do something else.

Unless you are going to buy a big pack of hundreds of different value resisitors you might be better off getting some little trimmer pots that you can set to any resistance. 1K, 100K and 470K are always handy.

Title: Re: Circuit Bending starting equipment
Post by: bent sam on April 16, 2009, 12:16:20 PM

thanks for the help :)

Title: Re: Circuit Bending starting equipment
Post by: deathbender on April 16, 2009, 01:57:15 PM

I built one of these... http://casperelectronics.com/finished-pieces/bend-finder/

Very handy...

Title: Re: Circuit Bending starting equipment
Post by: bent sam on April 17, 2009, 11:17:51 AM

That looks handy.

I might make one of those.

Thank you :)


On the advice on this forum i have ordered:

• 3 10K pots
• 3 47K pots
• 3 100k pots
• 3 470K pots
• 15 crocodile leads
• 2 sets of 11 different coloured 2m length wires (so i can work it out easily)
• 5 push to make switches
• 5 push to break switches
• 1 1/4" jack socket (I can get more later)

And i already have solder and a soldering iron.

All that for just £12.49 from Rapid electronics.

Sounds like a bargain to me.

I know that this has quite a few possible bends because ive seen it used before.

Title: Re: Circuit Bending starting equipment
Post by: Circuitbenders on April 19, 2009, 04:08:18 PM

did you forget SPST toggle switches there?  :P

Title: Re: Circuit Bending starting equipment
Post by: bent sam on April 20, 2009, 04:44:52 PM

good point

ill get them from maplin or somewhere so i dont have to pay for delivery

im gonna go charity shop scavanging at some point to find so cheap keyboards