Circuitbenders Forum

Circuitbenders Forum => News, comments and requests => Topic started by: Circuitbenders on March 18, 2010, 03:34:46 PM

Title: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Circuitbenders on March 18, 2010, 03:34:46 PM
As i'm sure people might have noticed, its been a bit quiet around here recently and many older regular members don't seem to post anywhere near as regularly as they used to.

As a result this is an open thread for anything that people would like to see on the forum or for an ideas that might get people visiting and posting again.

All ideas gratefully received.  :)
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: myopianc on March 20, 2010, 07:50:11 PM
hello, this is my first time using a forum and i'm probly doin this wrong but I really want to get in to this circuit bending stuff and I'm just after some pointers on doin it. I've got a roland r5 and I've seen that circuit bent beast that s-cat made really want to have a go at mine. I've looked through a few tutorials but I'm still a bit scared about goin in. (don't want to kill it if pos.) The best tutorial i've found so far is for HR 16 - vidiotsquad.com, but a lot of the pictures are missing and though I'm not afraid to experiment I want to try and avoid messing things up. I pick technical things up pretty well so I'm sure it will all come clear once I'm on the right track. Any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated.

To do with tryin to drum up a bit more conversation on here, being so new don't really feel like i can make a suggestion yet, but I am currently on university course called interactive design and they encourage this type of work. I'll put a thread on our courses site to let people know of CIRCUIT BENDERS. There is actually 2 lads woprking on a big circuit bending project now that may well be interested in this site.

Anyway hope i haven't annoyed anyone with my debut forum hit and hopefully here from someone soon.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: angrydroid on March 21, 2010, 03:31:18 AM
I don't know a thing about what you want to bend but your post is just fine.  ;D
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: electoyd on March 22, 2010, 07:55:52 PM
Paul i think all the forum's are quite quiet these days, i dont think people are as up for swapping info as they were a while ago, this combined with the fact that there is more info uploaded that people can just snatch without having to give anything in return, there is so many forums (including facebook and the rest of the social ones) i dont think people have the time to go round them all.

If you want people to come back regularly there needs to be an incentive, the incentive most people have for visiting these sites is gaining (and hopefully passing) information so i think that needs to be the focus.  There is alot of good info on your site but it is scattered about and can take a while to find things.  Maybe if some of this info was collated in a more manageable format, like bending guides (that sounds wrong i know ;) for key certain machines, it would encourage more debate and people bending certain machines would gravitate towards your site to gain and hopefully pass info from their experiments back.

Not to take anything away from your site as i think it is a good one, but it is very much lots of threads and i think they can become repetitive trying to wade through them and good info gets lost.

Maybe if you start up specific projects and give them a section of there own like they do on the Burnkit website, they have a section for hr16, 505 and others but there is maybe only 10-15 diff machines and lots of discussion on these and they have pushed the boundaries of these machines, and they have found that although there is always some sharks that will try and sell free info on ebay, there is also others that will contribute great info (like gordon jcp) so i guess what i'm trying to say is encourage more in depth bending of certain machines.

Also maybe you could have a corner where trusted members of your site could upload info about themselves, music they do and projects they are working on, so they can have a bit of ownership of it, a kind of rogues gallery of you and the forum members and somewhere they could update info about themselves which would encourage them to come and visit regularly.  But i understand this may be hard to implement and keep out the ebay hawks.

dunno if this helps in any shape or form..........................Ian




Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: KingMidas on March 23, 2010, 01:17:12 PM
Hello,

This is officially my first post on this forum, and I thought it would be a good place to start.

I am somewhat new to circuit bending, but know that this will be a hobby of mine for years to come. I currently have a small collection of unbent keyboards, and a speak and read, and plan on contributing to this forum. I am a graphic/web designer by day, and by night...well, I am still behind a computer shopping ebay and craigslist for those rare finds.

I am close to San Francisco, CA and would love some help and advice in the future.

As far as giving some ideas for this forum, I hope that this being my first post, doesn't exclude me from voicing my opinion as well.

While I love the site, the visual aesthetic is very hard on the eyes. Having a black background with orange text and green circuit board borders makes finding information and reading multiple lines of text very difficult. As I write this, the previous responses posted prior to mine (the topic summary) are displayed with a 10 point font size.

I think that this site has amazing content, and very knowledgeable members, but topics should also be organized in a simple fashion.

I hope that you don't mind if I show an example... but I was always taught to learn from those around me (hence the reason I am here) and web design is no different.

http://forum.sportruck.com/ (http://forum.sportruck.com/)   

I used to be part of this forum several years ago, and to this day, the forum is still going with over 16,000 members. The layout is simple, and the categories were to the point... General, Technical, and Classifieds with a "for sale" and "wanted" subcategory.

I hope that my opinions and observations are taken as positive feedback from a new member as opposed to someone just joining to create problems. Many of the members on this site are masters with electronics, and more than willing to share their knowledge. Knowing this, I felt compelled to share my own personal knowledge as to what I think would help this site reach its potential.

Again thank you for even providing us with a place to discuss circuit bending. This is a slowly expanding movement, but moving forward nonetheless.

KingMidas

*here is a picture of my small collection!






Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Spann on March 24, 2010, 05:51:58 PM
Something like competitions might be quite cool - Give people say, a weekend to bend something with particular themes/rules etc.

As someone who was away from the scene and has only recently come back, I can honestly say the scene seems to have shrunk over the last couple of years.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: electoyd on March 25, 2010, 09:52:49 PM
With competitions you need people there in the 1st place or they just end up a total waste of time with three (or no) entry's, i've seen this happen on other forums, not just c/bending ones.  The scene has changed alot and people who used to post here and other places are maybe just alot better at c/bending and dont need so much advice and dont have so much time to chat about social subjects so they don't post, maybe more new members are needed, a recruitment drive.  If you were to do a competition maybe you could email all the members and let them know, or even just give all the members a reminder email that the forum is still here for them sometimes people just need reminded.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Circuitbenders on March 31, 2010, 02:27:02 AM
Thanks to everyone who has posted in this thread.

I guess the place to start might be trying to sort out some kind of better organistaion on this board. There was some talk a while back about collecting all the schematics posted on here and elsewhere into a schematic archive section which would probably be very useful but did seem like a bit of a massive job at the time. Its still an option though.

I'm currently rebuilding the main site but when thats done i might look into putting up some new dedicated sub-sections in the main sections and collecting all the threads about particular machines together i.e. having a TR505, TR707, DDD1 etc section on the drum machines board. I was considering this before but it seemed like things might get a little unwieldy, but i agree that some way has to be found to make it easier to find information.

To be honest i suspect it might be a good thing that the 'scene' itself has shrunk a bit as being flavour of the month is never a good thing for any movement in the long run.  :-\

Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: nochtanseenspecht on March 30, 2010, 08:19:29 PM

While I love the site, the visual aesthetic is very hard on the eyes. Having a black background with orange text and green circuit board borders makes finding information and reading multiple lines of text very difficult. As I write this, the previous responses posted prior to mine (the topic summary) are displayed with a 10 point font size.

I think that this site has amazing content, and very knowledgeable members, but topics should also be organized in a simple fashion.

I hope that you don't mind if I show an example... but I was always taught to learn from those around me (hence the reason I am here) and web design is no different.





well to be honest, i like the lay out of this site, the black background is calm to my eyes and i find it easy to navigate. the truck site you mentioned i find not so pleasant to look at, so i guess it is just a matter of taste , and what you're used to..
on topic; i think maybe circuitbending isn't a thing you keep doing for years, after a while there's not much new to discover, get tired of the noise etc.. at least in my case its like that. right now more interested in analogue modding  :)
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Circuitbenders on March 31, 2010, 02:10:09 AM
on topic; i think maybe circuitbending isn't a thing you keep doing for years, after a while there's not much new to discover, get tired of the noise etc.. at least in my case its like that. right now more interested in analogue modding  :)

I don't think i'll ever get tired of noise but i agree, for a lot of people circuitbending is a stepping stone to building their own synths or getting into modular systems.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: nochtanseenspecht on March 31, 2010, 01:52:34 AM
hmm. i have to agree that some kinds of noise i never get tired from :D
also admid that i soon will glue my hr16 and hr16b together and a big control panel on top  :P
hehe it stay fun after all
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Signal:Noise on April 03, 2010, 10:06:53 PM
How about a netlabel? there's enough people on the forum writing interesting circuit bent music that you could easily do a few compilations a year or something.

I've not really been around a lot as I've not done any circuit bending for ages. i still pop back to browse every so often though.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: SineHacker on April 07, 2010, 03:38:36 AM
I'm still here!! I'm doing an MA at the moment which keeps me seriously occupied, I'm still bending but I don't have as much time to post except for in holidays

sorry guys!!

Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: electoyd on April 10, 2010, 01:23:35 AM
yeah Paul i think a few changes could make it easier to navigate round certain machines, i think it would be advisable to make the subsections for specific machines and collate the info out of threads, bit of a fucker of a job but i think it would make it easier to gain info about machines and would give people something other than just threads to view.  I suppose the first thing to do would be to work out which machines you have the best info and also maybe the more popular ones.

Think it is probably a good thing as well that the scene has shrunk a bit, at least people with far fetched idea's of copyrighting their bends seem to have disappeared.  I have also moved more onto analogue building but i also like to circuit bend existing technology, there is always a place for that. 
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: davethedoobie on April 11, 2010, 03:13:21 AM
Hi Paul,

I'm still here too.  Got a new job that keeps me very busy.  I'm still buying drum machines though on ebay.  I'm glad It (bending) has lost a bit of its hype as I can get machines cheaper.  I cannot believe the prices some people pay for machines like the 707/727 they aren't that good.  It is interesting to see that a certain person who once made a lot of money out of bending on ebay (I read the posts) is very quiet now.  I think alot of the suggestions are very good.  It would be nice to have schematics and pictures for certain machines in a set area but I also get a buzz finding something attached to a post that helps me, just like in my youth when I found a new piece of vinyl with a magic break on it!  I also think you should retain the background it is easy on the eye or maybe go retro and have the screen black and green!  I am not sure how many posts you get but maybe you are still getting lots of guests who pop in from time to time to see what's new.

All the best.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Circuitbenders on April 11, 2010, 03:30:37 AM
I'm thinking it might be an idea to rearrange things so that each board has subsections for individual makers rather than individual machines or else things might get a bit unwieldy. So on the drum machines board we'd have a subsection for Roland, Korg and Kawai etc etc, and if other new brands start getting posts i'll start a new subsection for them.

I'll probably add a DIY synths board as well as there seems to be a lot of talk of DIY oscillators and similar stuff recently.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Matt the Modulator on April 11, 2010, 10:54:15 PM
seems fare to me and yeah a synth diy section definitely! like others ive stopped bending as much and moved to basic synth circuits as its easier in a way its getting hard and expensive to find bending victims these days
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Circuitbenders on April 27, 2010, 07:42:29 PM
Ok, i've added four sections for manufacturers in the drum machines section and added a new DIY synths section under 'circuitbending discussion.

I'll try to add some different manufacturers sections in the toys and Synths & Samplers section asap.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: electoyd on May 01, 2010, 06:21:10 PM
so much better Paul, really like the new layout  ;D
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: SineHacker on July 19, 2010, 10:31:46 AM
I'm going to randomly de-rail this thread haha, Paul did you ever try bending the RM1X? if not do you fancy selling to me so I can have a go?

Aid
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: kitsophrenik on July 19, 2010, 03:49:39 PM
loudddddddddddd noises
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Circuitbenders on July 19, 2010, 05:36:51 PM
Can't help you with that one i'm afraid. As with most RM1X's of the planet, half the keyboard buttons have stopped working on mine, so i'm using it as a general sound source for testing effects units and a quick midi pattern player for testing analogue stuff with a midi-cv & midi-din sync convertor.

Its certainly not usable as any kind of music making tool in its current state.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: SineHacker on July 22, 2010, 12:09:07 PM
no worries ;)
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Gordonjcp on July 22, 2010, 12:51:34 PM
As with most RM1X's of the planet, half the keyboard buttons have stopped working

If they're just wee clickyswitches then they should be easy to replace.  I did all the buttons on my Redsound Darkstar which improved it massively, and modified my mate's Sequential Sixtrak to have clickyswitches instead of conductive pads.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Circuitbenders on July 22, 2010, 04:28:40 PM
They are definately conductive pad jobs but trying to get at the inside of the front panel is a nightmare. I had it open a while back but was faced with about 5 layers of boards that had to be removed before even starting to fix the keyboard buttons.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: nochtanseenspecht on July 22, 2010, 11:45:19 PM
true, its hell to reach them..
does anyone know the correct part number of these buttons ?
i would hate it to remove all the boards etc to discover that i got just the wrong buttons  ;)
there's only 3 or 4 still functioning on mine..  it is a great sequencer however
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Tyler1144 on August 04, 2010, 02:45:03 PM
THIS FORUM IS GOOD, BUT IT NEEDS EXPOSURE. With that being said, why not have some of our youtube members help by linking to us in the info?
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: druzz on August 22, 2010, 07:11:08 PM
hi ! i'm new here ., i'll try to make some noize.
i will be bending a merlin soon .i want to get decent  solder skills before ... working on it .  chek it out in the toy section i uploaded pics of the inside . i will send info about miy progress . i could not find any useful info about this cool vintage toy on the web so i guess i'm on my own
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Ciderfeks on August 23, 2010, 01:09:15 PM
The two circuit bending sites I visit the most are this one and casperelectronics.com . I guess I don't post much because it is obvious that the majority of the regular posters here have more knowledge than I do so the stuff I'm learning now is old hat to them, but thats not to say I don't appreciate and value the forum. If I spot a thread that I feel I can contribute to in some small way then I do but I don't want to just flood the forum with constant questions and requests for help and/or stating the obvious! I suppose that is probably true for many newcomers to the scene who don't have the experience of say yourself or Gordon CJP. Anyway, I like the new layout and the addition of the DIY section which is probably a logical next step for most people who get into circuit bending. I reckon once people have got to grips with adding pitch bends and glitches, things like how to build a simple LFO or delay circuit are sure to follow.

That leads me on to Casperelectronics where I really like the schematics archive he's compiled there - they let you learn for yourself and in your own time whilst giving you pointers to useful bends that wont fry the gear you've just paid over the odds for on ebay! Once you've got the basics learnt then it's possible to go on to explore things more creatively for yourself, but you gotta start somewhere. So schematics are good, in my mind anyway...

Anyway cheers for the forum, it's a great resource and one which i hope to be able to contribute more to as I learn. In the meantime I'm off to carve up a Barbie Karaoke machine.  ;D
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Timodon on September 29, 2010, 04:05:11 PM
Just a thought, following on from what someone else said -  if internet fora are seen primarily as information resources then it's kind of like the eventual aim of them is to get quieter and quieter as more info becomes available on the search function and less people actually need to ask questions. Also it does seem like less people are posting but I'm certainly checking back in every now and then just to see what's happening or search the archives.

If you're trying to drum up a bit of community spirit though (I think it's a good thing btw!) then how about revisiting a couple of old ideas - a circuit bending competition/ song competition or a circuitbenders compilation?
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: coliusuriah on October 07, 2010, 01:16:29 AM
Something like competitions might be quite cool - Give people say, a weekend to bend something with particular themes/rules etc.

As someone who was away from the scene and has only recently come back, I can honestly say the scene seems to have shrunk over the last couple of years.


this is an amazing idea
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: coliusuriah on October 07, 2010, 01:23:15 AM
i think it would be great if there was an online network of benders contact info and links to their material.
im from the MIDWEST USA and circuit bending is still underground compared to UK. there are amazing sites like getlofi and casperelectronics, but still there in huge cities,

it would be reassuring if i could log in here and search all the registered members by location. then maybe i could find that group of benders thats been hiding under the radar but still in my backyard

just a thought and thanks for reading
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Circuitbenders on October 07, 2010, 03:03:55 AM
Most people don't put their location into their profiles so a geographic search would probably prove a bit fruitless. Having said that, feel free to post a thread or two for events and contacts in local areas etc. I don't know how much response would be forthcoming but it doesn't hurt to give it a go.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: nochtanseenspecht on November 04, 2011, 08:59:58 PM
=bump=
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Circuitbenders on November 07, 2011, 09:14:12 PM
well, its probably fitting that this is my 2000th post on this forum and it might well be time to admit that its all over and the forum is dead. Its been just over 6 years since it started in October 2005 and as with a lot of forums i've seen recently, new posts seem to have ground to a halt and those that are made are mostly questions from people that make one post and never come back.

If anyone has some brilliant ideas on how to revitalise things then feels free to mention them, otherwise it might be time to call it a day.............  :-\
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Dylan on November 08, 2011, 12:01:10 AM
I definitely wouldn't call it a day. It's a great resource for new and old benders. I still get a lot out of this forum, even with the inactivity. This is just a lull, they happen. It'll pick up again.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: nochtanseenspecht on November 08, 2011, 10:55:33 PM
yes thats what i think.. maybe not so active at the moment, but a great resource still,
i'm not posting so much, but often i make use of the search engine and find usefull info that i don't find anywhere else
Thanks Paul for providing this place and keeping it on the air  :)
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: deb on November 09, 2011, 05:46:10 PM
I'm new here and i love it!! Thank you all very much, there are a lot of interesting informations. Keep on with the great work!
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: noiseybeast on November 10, 2011, 01:36:55 AM

If anyone has some brilliant ideas on how to revitalise things then feels free to mention them, otherwise it might be time to call it a day.............  :-\

Not brilliant, and not easy, but perhaps go archive mostly?  I love reading how tos and watching videos.  If maybe people commented on STUFF instead of posts it might be more relevant to how quick people want stuff these days?
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: noiseybeast on November 10, 2011, 02:06:39 PM
I meant "how quickly people are used to getting data these days"  Basically my idea is that maybe getting all of the how tos's, instructionals, videos, tips, whatever into one section as an info archive and then people can comment on new articles as they come up.   One section for questions instead of a whole bunch of forums.  If you start getting lots of specific questions about different products again, you can maybe then add different sections for different questions.

Like a blog combined with support forum?

Do you think that the CB forums are only dying because of social media or is circuit bending dying as a fad?
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: electoyd on November 10, 2011, 04:59:24 PM
Don't really think that an archive would help, the layout here is pretty good as forums go.  CB suffers from peaks and troughs like any other activity and equipment is stupidly priced by greedy people which doesn't help get people queing up to fritter their hard earned cash on a £100 machine that might die on it's first outing.   People ain't so keen to share their 'secrets' because they see people hawking their idea's for money on ebay and giving nothing in return.  The forums used to have projects on the go with everyone putting their tupence worth in to see how far these projects could be pushed, now it's just can anyone tell me how not to blow my expensive retro keyboard please?  then they (with a few exceptions) disappear.

There is not the same level of experimentation and sharing maybe because there is alot of info already on the site and they are quite happy just to copy the tricks but don't want to push the modifications any further.  Hope this doesn't sound well negative more just observations from a few forums. The only magic fix I can think of is delete all the info on the forum then people will have to dicuss it again  ;D
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Circuitbenders on November 10, 2011, 06:04:22 PM
I think thats kind of the point though, its more or less become an archive already, albeit a somewhat poorly organised one in archive terms. If people don't add new stuff then it might as well be a static source of information.

I think things might have become based a bit too much on the concept of answering questions from people who never come back, or who understandably want a quick fix and the topic never gets discussed any further, and not enough about presenting work that you've done or ideas that you've had. It becomes a bit of a downward spiral when people do present stuff they've done, but theres not enough people around on the forum to comment on it, so nobody bothers showing stuff off anymore.
Don't get me wrong, theres always space for questions as that's what forums are about, but it generally helps if they actually lead to a discussion.

It could be as electoyd suggests in that the beginners who come here find a whole lot of information already available and don't feel the need to post, but i'd also suggest that people who have been doing this a while have tended to move onto other areas like building modular synths etc. Maybe the name circuitbenders might actually be holding things back when it comes to a forum these days.

I'll have a think about a possible reorganisation, but i think that having all the 'how to's' etc in one place might just make it more difficult to find what you want in that section, and make it less likely that people will post. It could be that theres just too much information on here and we do need something more along the Burnkit2600 lines.

I think that a very large number of forums around the net have been slowing down or dying recently, and not just due to social media, but that is causing it to an extent. Maybe circuitbending has just reached saturation point.

Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: electoyd on November 12, 2011, 01:58:57 PM
I must say though although there is not that much traffic on the site I do find all of the people pleasant, there is no trouble makers, people laying into each other verbally or scat clones.  Which I feel it's better to have that than the constant trolling that killed the yahoo circuitbending forum.  Even with the burnkitt 2600 site there is very little traffic, less than here but that doesn't seem to worry them, maybe you have to go with the flow sometimes if you try to change too much you kill the essence of what your trying to do. 
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: tbone on November 15, 2011, 06:55:28 PM
I'd hate to see the end of this site. It is full of great info and helpful people.
I haven't posted in quite a while as I haven't been working on anything lately [due to work commitments, moving house and a general lack of money/space to keep crap].
However, i do pop by and read posts fairly often when I get the chance.
In my attempt to help keep this forum going I shall endeavor to be a more active member!
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: selfpreservation on November 16, 2011, 10:45:26 AM
i think there are two problems with this site

id imagine that many people on here are musicians and are often away making music or giging and dont have the time to stare at a computer screen all day in the same way other different subject forum members do

 i think like me a lot of people circuit bending is a means to an end ie a way of expanding thyere sonic palette and although i find it interesting im more interested in getting the job done  quickly cause every hour i spend with a soldering iron in my hand is a hour less spent in my studio

 this leaves me with a dilemma because i feel like i mostly come on here when i want something and am not part of a community as such so i dont really feel like a proper member on here cause i dont really contribute because i dont have the knowledge to contribute id imagine that many members on here dont contibrute because they dont have the knowledge to help and therfore dont post anything thus making it quiet

also there is no middle ground here there are people with a lot of knowledge and there are people with little or no knowledge , this causes a void if a newbie like me asks a question usually the answer is so rediculously complicated or technical that we simply have no idea what to do with the information given and we move on to something different
i dont know what the answer is to these problems they are just observations but it is a valuable resource
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Circuitbenders on November 16, 2011, 12:12:25 PM
also there is no middle ground here there are people with a lot of knowledge and there are people with little or no knowledge ,

Thats a good point actually, but more because i think it creates a situation where theres a lack of actual discussion about questions. Someone whos a beginner comes and asks a question, someone with a lot more experience just answers it, and thats the end of the thread. I guess thats always going to be the way of things on any forum of an experimental nature after a while.

this leaves me with a dilemma because i feel like i mostly come on here when i want something and am not part of a community as such so i dont really feel like a proper member on here cause i dont really contribute because i dont have the knowledge to contribute id imagine that many members on here dont contibrute because they dont have the knowledge to help and therfore dont post anything thus making it quiet

This is kind of why i'd like to see more people just presenting stuff that they've done or built. Maybe it might be a good idea to have a 'completed projects' section where people could produce short write ups of kit they have finished and want to show off.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Bogus Noise on November 16, 2011, 11:56:55 PM
This is kind of why i'd like to see more people just presenting stuff that they've done or built. Maybe it might be a good idea to have a 'completed projects' section where people could produce short write ups of kit they have finished and want to show off.
I like this concept actually - that kind of section could also entice more people to the site, as it would effectively open up a gallery that non-circuit-benders (circuit straights?) could come see, and then maybe get more involved along the line.

Maybe if it was more of a "Showcase" section, people can post about projects that are in the works as well. This could garner more discussion as people could discuss ideas for how to progress in a certain project. I've been working on a project dubbed "The Speakquencer" that I've been meaning to post about, but when I had a look I wasn't quite sure where to put it! Is it Toys, or is it Synth DIY? A bit of both really...

I think it's definitely worth keeping the forum going though, it's still the best place to talk about it on the net, as well as having a great archive of useful info. And without it, where else are we going to go... Yahoo?   ;)
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Dylan on November 17, 2011, 04:10:31 PM
A "Show Off Your Shit" section would be great. I have a buttload of projects I'm building and it would be nice to show 'em off. In fact I'll be finishing one this weekend that doesn't fall into any of the categories on this forum, so an overall show off area would be a bitchin' idea.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Circuitbenders on November 24, 2011, 01:30:29 PM
I've just combined the updates and site comments/requests sections into one board and you should now find a 'show off your kit' section in the second slot down on the front page
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Bogus Noise on November 24, 2011, 05:10:04 PM
Ah cool, good to see the new section there :)

Can we post projects in the works there too?
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Circuitbenders on November 24, 2011, 06:38:16 PM
go for it.  ;)

I'd prefer to keep actual discussion of technique and how to do certain things in the main circuit bending discussion section, so use your judgement, but if you have something half finished you want to show off that you're not actually looking for advice on, thats fine
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Bogus Noise on November 24, 2011, 07:43:39 PM
Yeah, that makes sense, keeps things nicely sectioned! And not in the madhouse way... well, mostly not in the madhouse way ;)

Cool, will get my first show-off post typed up and posted then! :D
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Gordonjcp on December 06, 2011, 11:10:43 PM
I've just been really busy with work, too busy to play with the musical toys.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Dylan on February 18, 2012, 12:46:41 AM
I had an idea:

Since there was the whole worrying about people just signing up, asking a question, and never coming back, how about a frequently posted content section? There you could compile the best posts talking about stuff that constantly gets posted.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: nochtanseenspecht on January 14, 2013, 12:16:37 PM
perhaps that's a nice idea
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: 01012k7 on January 17, 2013, 11:41:58 PM
i nomal read stuff on facebook what circuitbenders guys are up to but been busy my self with stuff i am building..
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: casio on January 28, 2013, 06:30:16 AM
I for one hate/lothe/detest facebook -so an "off the grid" site like this -is the place for me...
It does sadden me to see this is not going strong -yet I do guess as some have said 2-3yrs ago
in this thead (noone even wrote in here for a year -uptil just a few weeks ago) -some people have moved
ahead -and don't need help -or don't want to share info -and think they've found something nobody else will...

IDK -one must have some secrets -yet technology must have others info inorder to expand...

someone said on the first page -3yrs ago -that'd be good to consolidate some ov the threads -and make them -machine specific -and I do think this would help (have found 2 or more threads stared by the same people -talking about the same thing).

also with new technology -whom other than diehards really needs to bend anything anymore? It can all be done
with externals. Yet maybe there will be a younger generation whom might seek to learn.

Most people I meet -who like bent instruments -simply want to buy them- & even if they wanted to bend something
they never would -due to their fear.

one thing I would say -is if you want more people to come in and talk -make it so that non-members can't see the forum post -they'd need to join -because as it stand -as I'm sure others may have mentioned -people just lurk -and don't ever talk etc.

I joined to be able to talk to people -so I am hopeful to meet some nice folks here -and even if just a few -I will
view it like a small show at a club. I've worked in clubs -for near 20yrs -and the bands -will ALWAYS only have a few people...

already met Gram -and am so glad to have.

cheers to anyone here who is active...

also as others say -time is an issue -and me myself -don't come on the net much -and in the past 10 years
-I've had no access for a year or so -thus not active... so i'd think this happens to others...

heck I am about to move again (I move ALLOT) and might not have internet for 6-or more months -IDK
yet if I do -and if people (even if few) are active -i for one will be here -picking brains -getting ideas
passing on what i can (I'm more a mod. guy -rather than bending) -with my limited knowledge -yet hope
to get back my gusto through here...

Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Circuitbenders on February 05, 2013, 07:39:44 PM
I've changed it so people can't browse the boards without having an account and signing in. Its something i find quite annoying when i'm looking for information on other peoples forums, but there have been a few more posts over the past few days so we'll see how it goes.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: noiseybeast on February 06, 2013, 04:17:07 AM
Can you implement a partial preview to get people interested but not give them the full details of the posts? 
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: Circuitbenders on February 09, 2013, 01:55:56 PM
People who aren't logged in can see all the boards with the thread titles etc, but they can't actually view the posts themselves.

There have been about 50-60 new registrations in the week or so since i changed things, which is promising, even if they don't post anything. At least people are visiting.
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: 01012k7 on March 08, 2013, 08:31:38 PM
made this pcb board at work weds
(http://i1243.photobucket.com/albums/gg543/01012k7/Analog%20Synth%20Project/th_IMAG0315.jpg) (http://s1243.beta.photobucket.com/user/01012k7/media/Analog%20Synth%20Project/IMAG0315.jpg.html) only 2 tracks had a break in but was easy to repair
(http://i1243.photobucket.com/albums/gg543/01012k7/Analog%20Synth%20Project/th_IMAG0314.jpg) (http://s1243.beta.photobucket.com/user/01012k7/media/Analog%20Synth%20Project/IMAG0314.jpg.html) today i put on almost all the parts about 8 caps to solder in and about 4 links left todo
(http://i1243.photobucket.com/albums/gg543/01012k7/Analog%20Synth%20Project/th_IMAG0317.jpg) (http://s1243.beta.photobucket.com/user/01012k7/media/Analog%20Synth%20Project/IMAG0317.jpg.html)

YuSynth Fixed Filter Bank Moog 914a Clone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FCkp1r0QGM#)


Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: boneless on March 12, 2015, 12:21:47 PM
Hello all, posting this here becasue I couldn't work out how to start a new topic (has the button disappeared?)

Anyhow John from Highly Liquid has a kickstarter running–  a new midi device that has lots of circuitbenidn DIY applications. Thought folks might be interested... coz I certainly am!

 ;D

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/staskevich/midiwidget-control-anything-via-midi (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/staskevich/midiwidget-control-anything-via-midi)

check out the percussion bot here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2_bHn62eY8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2_bHn62eY8)

and the SK1 automated bends here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs1B_219R9s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs1B_219R9s)
Title: looking for tracks for circiut-bending compilation
Post by: gadjodistrada on June 28, 2017, 06:04:26 PM
hei there people  ::) :P :-*
Im looking for circuit benders all across the globe to be part of this compilation
https://www.facebook.com/pg/anewhai/posts/?ref=page_internal
anyone interested just drop a message
thankx
Title: Re: Its been a bit quiet around here recently
Post by: SynthularModulus on December 09, 2019, 07:18:13 PM
Hi All,

It appears to still be pretty quiet on here. I am a new member, so I at least thought I would post here to introduce myself, in case anyone actually reads or sees this thread. I've been bending since the late 2000s, and have gotten back into it pretty seriously over the last month. I have several projects I was hoping to discuss with folks, from some Casio SK1 and SA2 stuff, to bending/modding drum machines like the Korg KR-55 and the Yamaha DD6. If anyone has any interest in or knowledge of these machines, I would really appreciate it if you could  check out my posts/questions in the Circuit Bending section, both drum machines and synths.

I apologize in advance if this post is considered off-topic in this thread, however it seems relevant to me, simply because I would like to know who is still active on this forum... Cheers!