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Consumer Electronics Make Music

Posted by michael on from the kazoo dept.

metoikos writes "Forget about hacking your Gameboy -- what about cat toys or Teddy Ruxpins? Any of these is fair game to a circuit bending hobbyist. Essentially, circuit bending is the art of making interesting noises come out of re-engineered consumer electronics, mostly toys. Bending recently came into the spotlight when a number of news organizations discovered the 2004 Bent Festival at New York's Tank. Derek Sajbel, a bender from California, is writing a book/doing a documentary on it." BishopBerkeley writes "Circuit bending has apparently been going on long enough among a large enough contingent of benders to merit a weeklong festival dedicated to bending circuits. The art is largely a process of making musical instruments by 'bending' the circuits of fairly common electronic instruments and gadgets. According to this article in the New York Times people have been making rather interesting music by modifying the strange toys with which a lot of us grew up. If you're near Manhattan, and you didn't know about the Bent Festival, then think about going. You can find more info at the official circuit bending web site."

4 of 207 comments (clear)

  1. Benders? by Seoulstriker · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bender Festival? Think of all the oil, cigars, and robot pr0n there would be...

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  2. So If I.. by TheKidWho · · Score: 5, Funny

    So If I just go ahead and bend this keyboard something interest should come out...

    waits 10 seconds...

    ASDLJGFLKJ#$()!*U@#$!)ADFKOH#@$I!HJ@#KJRQWEKJFAK DS FHAKEJHROQWEOURQWLKJEF:LKJ#!LKJ#@$!

  3. There's more than one way to bend a PCB by drewhearle · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Think that circuit boards can only be bent by water if they're the cheap cardboard kind? Think again. Any cheap electronic toy's circuit board can be "bent" (in the musical context) by placing drops of water on the board in strategic locations.

    Electronic toys have also been known to melt (well, 'bend') when the batteries start running low.

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  4. Learn from the masters by L3WKW4RM · · Score: 5, Informative

    Bah. If you want to know circuit bending, check it out from the real masters...

    I've been torturing electronics for years, and have some personal instruments that make sounds no commercial synthesizer could ever do.