i'm looking into building a simple oscillator to use for noise/weird soundscapes...
found this schematic and sample at http://compiler.kaustic.net/machines/apc.html
has anyone here build an Atari Punk console? any tips, confirms, remarks? 8)
any other suggestions to build would be nice too, pref. on perfboard :)
Hi and welcome to the forum!
Haven't built it, but since a 556 is a dual 555 (though I don't know the pinout of it), it looks to me (and sounds) that you actually have 2 oxcillators in that circuit. Also, it sounds like they are synced together. It's looks pretty simple, so google for 556 "datasheet", pull out the solderless breadboard, and try it out! :icon_biggrin:
Since it's so simple (few components), you should try making your own layout for perfboard or veroboard. I've found that I learn so much more about circuits when I breadboard first and then do my own layout (if it's not too complicated - baby steps!). Even though it sometimes takes hours for me to get it working on breadboard, I've done it so may times, that I know I will get it right eventually.
Speaking of simple oscillators: Right now I'm playing around with this:
http://www.geocities.com/tpe123/folkurban/synthstick/synthstick.html
Dead simple, and when I get the ribbon going, it will actually be playable! :icon_cool:
Have lots of fun!
C
thanks!
i have to admit i dont have a breadboard (yet) :-[ but thanks for the advice, i think i can manage to put it together :)
that synthstick looks great, i'll look into it for perhaps a future build :)
yes, I have built it!
It is a pretty brutal noisemaker. The controls work with each other. as you move one, the other gets affected.
One pot kind of changes pitch to a certain extent, and the other makes it sort of wobble. Like an expansion I suppose. Kind of hard to describe.
lots of bleeps and bloops and sometimes sounds like the video game "pole position"
I have mine set up with pots, but with a switch so that I can change to and LDR for one parameter, and a pot for another.
I used to have a noise box that was just about the same. It was a fun little noise naker. :icon_biggrin:
If you add a volume pot to the end of the circuit and then plug that into a delay pedal set for big feedback, you can get some rather whacked noise. :icon_twisted:
do the 470k pots change the frequency of the oscillators???
just wondered as to the possibility of putting one/both under envelope control,kinda like having the env section of the meatball/mcmeat or Stephen Giles' royal filter bit....
Quote from: hank reynolds 3rd on June 23, 2006, 04:12:58 PM
do the 470k pots change the frequency of the oscillators???
just wondered as to the possibility of putting one/both under envelope control,kinda like having the env section of the meatball/mcmeat or Stephen Giles' royal filter bit....
I think they change the voltage that the circuit gets, which affects pitch and oscilation.
I don't know if you'd be interested in this, but wampcat came up with this and it sounds too freakin' cool. Take a tube screamer and solder one wire across two pins and you end up with a guitar synth.....
http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=966937
I did a quick vero layout for the Atari Punk Console...it's not verified yet, but should be just fine....
AC
http://aronnelson.com/gallery/album20/ATARI_PUNK_CONSOLE_VERO?full=1 (http://aronnelson.com/gallery/album20/ATARI_PUNK_CONSOLE_VERO?full=1)
I'm going to need to try this, it looks pretty sweet.
I built one of these on perfboard yesterday, quick and easy. I added a simple on/off switch that connects or disconnects the battery. Sounds excellent, tons of sounds to be had from twisting around on those two knobs, from video game sounds to analog synth sounds to trippy drones...now I just need some 70's hand held video game or calculator or something to pop this into...
This looks cool too! http://compiler.kaustic.net/machines/vanishing-moon.html
I'm gonna have to make that atari console. Thanks for the layout Dragonfly.
Quote from: Dragonfly on June 25, 2006, 05:55:41 PM
I did a quick vero layout for the Atari Punk Console...it's not verified yet, but should be just fine....
AC
http://aronnelson.com/gallery/album20/ATARI_PUNK_CONSOLE_VERO?full=1 (http://aronnelson.com/gallery/album20/ATARI_PUNK_CONSOLE_VERO?full=1)
thanks a lot! :icon_biggrin:
btw...on the layout, if you use a TRS plug for the output, and wire the negative lead from the battery to the ring, it'll automatically disconnect the battery when there is no cable plugged in to it....
just a thought...i'll probably modify the layout later.
AC
I only see one jack in picture. where would the input be? Is there not supposed to be one, or am i
not understanding this right? Thanks.
Quote from: fixr1984 on June 26, 2006, 10:18:36 PM
I only see one jack in picture. where would the input be? Is there not supposed to be one, or am i
not understanding this right? Thanks.
hi ...its not a "pedal"...its a "noisemaker" ! a standalone box, if you will....
AC
If you want to try hooking a guitar up to an oscillator, look for the UglyFace.
I breadboarded this thing the other day using two 555s instead of the 556. It really does do the old video game sounds well. I think I'm going to try figuring out some mods for a while to see what else can be done with it.
These application notes from Phillips have some good info on the 555/556 if anyone's interested: http://www.doctronics.co.uk/pdf_files/555an.pdf (http://www.doctronics.co.uk/pdf_files/555an.pdf)
What's a -4 decibel output?
Here's a schematic you can use for making this circuit with two 555s instead of the 556:
(http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeqml77/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/ataripunkschematic.jpg.w560h784.jpg)
*Edit: fixed pin 1 ground connections and added 100K volume control.
That schematic is missing a ground connection to pin 1 of the 555s. :icon_wink:
Quote from: Peter Snowberg on July 02, 2006, 07:46:04 PM
That schematic is missing a ground connection to pin 1 of the 555s. :icon_wink:
Damn. Thanks for finding that error. I had tried rotating one of the ICs and then put it back again at one point and must've lost track of that connection after it got broken. Will fix and repost it tomorrow. :)
Schematic now updated.
i have finished a pcb layout for this, but i have a question. i can't test this yet, so what would the two pots be called? is one pitch and the other oscillation? if so, which is which? i'll post the layout as soon as i figure this out. thanks!
Quote from: tiges_ tendres on June 23, 2006, 12:02:17 PM
I have mine set up with pots, but with a switch so that I can change to and LDR for one parameter, and a pot for another.
i was thinking about doing that with my layout. i saw their 555 "theremin" idea using an ldr instead of an antennae and i knew it would be possible since the atari pc uses the 556. any specifics on how you did that? it would just take a DPDT, right? any other components like resistors in series with the ldr? what do you think about having 2 switches, 2 pots, 2 ldrs to control both parameters with either or? i will give you credit on the layout, if you would like. thanks!
also, see my above post...
Quote from: choklitlove on July 05, 2006, 04:24:16 PM
Quote from: tiges_ tendres on June 23, 2006, 12:02:17 PM
I have mine set up with pots, but with a switch so that I can change to and LDR for one parameter, and a pot for another.
i was thinking about doing that with my layout. i saw their 555 "theremin" idea using an ldr instead of an antennae and i knew it would be possible since the atari pc uses the 556. any specifics on how you did that? it would just take a DPDT, right? any other components like resistors in series with the ldr? what do you think about having 2 switches, 2 pots, 2 ldrs to control both parameters with either or? i will give you credit on the layout, if you would like. thanks!
also, see my above post...
yeah, I used 2 dpdt toggle switches. This is a crap diagram for the switch for both pot/ldr combinations
[ ]top
[ ]middle
[ ]bottom
the two middle lugs are the points which would normally be fed to pots. The top two lugs i used for pots, the bottom two lugs are for ldrs.
I dont get a long sweep with the ldrs. It's a lot harder to control. But you do get all the action in a nice big bunch which can lead to much pet scaring!
I like to set one pot and the other ldr. So I'm waving and tuning a radio at the same time.
Dont expect it to act too much like a theremin though, it's way more unpredictable than that.
Have fun!
Built this over the weekend for a friends B-day. Used Dragonfly vero (thanks) Went together real nice. No switches or buttons to wire up so it didn't take too long. For a little two knobber it sounds cool, but I enjoy all the little noise boxes (we gotta track more down). Next time I'm at my friends I'll get a pic and maybe a sound sample.
Thanks all!
Quote from: Wild Zebra on July 10, 2006, 10:49:57 AM
Built this over the weekend for a friends B-day. Used Dragonfly vero (thanks) Went together real nice. No switches or buttons to wire up so it didn't take too long. For a little two knobber it sounds cool, but I enjoy all the little noise boxes (we gotta track more down). Next time I'm at my friends I'll get a pic and maybe a sound sample.
Thanks all!
cool...so the layout is verified....
btw...did you use a stereo jack like i mention in the thread (to cut battery power when output cable isn't plugged in) ?
AC
could i use a simple DPDT switch to switch the unit on/off and disconnect the battery? where should i put the switch?
Quote from: z1 on July 11, 2006, 02:28:02 AM
could i use a simple DPDT switch to switch the unit on/off and disconnect the battery? where should i put the switch?
You could just use an spst to open and close the connection between the battery negative wire and ground, like the stereo input jack switching does...
Heres a layout for the thing using two 555s based off the schematic on the previous page
(http://g0g0g0.dyndns.org/uploads/050114/apclayout.jpg)
(http://g0g0g0.dyndns.org/uploads/050114/apctransfer.jpg)
Quotecool...so the layout is verified....
btw...did you use a stereo jack like i mention in the thread (to cut battery power when output cable isn't plugged in) ?
No, I used a Pot with a spst switch on it. Not sure of the tech name. Turn it it clicks on. I was going to use a stereo jack, but the local elect store only had two 500k's (and they were 5 bucks a pop, ouch) and one was switchable. I never used one before and it worked real well. I just threw an led in there so it wouldn't get left on by mistake.
THANKS AGAIN FOR THE LAYOUT!
This is a great beginner project for people who'd like to add a noise box to the pack (I can't get enough of em" we gotta find more little guys like this) Just watch the jumpers under the chip. Even though I read that I still soldered the socket on first, :icon_redface:
Quote from: smnm on July 11, 2006, 09:25:44 AM
Quote from: z1 on July 11, 2006, 02:28:02 AM
could i use a simple DPDT switch to switch the unit on/off and disconnect the battery? where should i put the switch?
You could just use an spst to open and close the connection between the battery negative wire and ground, like the stereo input jack switching does...
thanks :)
Quote from: Wild Zebra on July 11, 2006, 10:31:28 AM
This is a great beginner project for people who'd like to add a noise box to the pack (I can't get enough of em" we gotta find more little guys like this)
Well - here's a great one from the ExpAnon forum - see http://experimentalistsanonymous.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=382 - there's a clip in there somewhere.
(http://usera.imagecave.com/simonm/BensSimple40106ToneGenerator.jpg)
I'm about to start building this but I don't understand how the wires from the pots and the 9 volt all intersect. Can anyone explain to me how to do that?
Thanks.
Here I am trying to give advice and now I built one and it doesn't work I made one for a friend and it worked great. Here what mine does. It appears to work, its just very, very low volume almost inaudible unless cranked. Heres the thing though if I turn the pot on the right (of the 556 stripboard layout) I can dial it in to a spot were it comes in loud an clear, but its just a tiny area and heres the kicker when I hit that spot the pot sparks not alot but right when I hit that spot. Any ideas? I hope the sparking is a givaway. I've done all the basics, solder bridges, parts, jumpers, traces, etc. I also tryed a different potentiometer. Sorry no voltages I'm at work.
I just whipped this little guy up. I've been away from the building most of the summer, so I figured the Atari Punk Console would be a good project to get back into it with. As usual, my veroboard dyslexia was flaring up again, so I had to mount the 556 chip on the copper side to get the project to work. Surprisingly, it fired right up. It's a fun little noisemaker. This one's going to get put in a plastic enclosure for a couple reasons, first, the circuit seems real reactive and sensitive. I've had it drop off a couple of times and had to touch the 556 chip to get it to start again. Secondly, I'm thinking of adding some metal touch pads to cajole circuit bent sounds out of it, something I don't think you can do with a metal case? This little circuit definitely seems mod friendly.
As far as you issues Wild Zebra, I don't know what this issue might be. I've had to go back to the iron a couple of times to touch up solder joints. There are also some dead spots in my pots. Anyone have this happen? There are a couple of positions where neither knob seems to do much.
http://www.eam.se/kraakdoos/index.html (http://www.eam.se/kraakdoos/index.html) ! ;)
I haven't built one, but the sound samples are cool.
Does this thing need to be plugged into an amp? Or, could I just hook it to a small speaker and box the whole thing up? Many thanks guys.
I think the 555/556 is able to power a speaker, or at least there are a bunch of schematics of it doing it in that Engineers Mini Notebook on 555 circuits. Won't exactly will be really loud but it'd work. I see they sometimes wire a 5kiloohm pot as a variable resistor in series with the 8ohm speaker as a volume control (its wired directly to the output of the the chip, with an electrolytic capacitor in between)
this might be a really stupid question , but where do I connect negative?
Ground is the bottom left pin on the chip.
(http://aronnelson.com/gallery/albums/album20/ATARI_PUNK_CONSOLE_VERO.gif)
Quote from: tcobretti on September 05, 2006, 01:18:43 AM
Ground is the bottom left pin on the chip.
thanks!
It's working but it doesn't really sound like I expected it to. it just makes one constant tone, and you can change the pitch, am I correct? or did I make a mistake somewhere? I doesn't sound very much like that sound clip from the kaustic machines site. I was expecting random stuff
Quote from: Psych0F0x on September 05, 2006, 04:09:22 AMI doesn't sound very much like that sound clip from the kaustic machines site. I was expecting random stuff
On the clip on the machines website i'm weaving my hand above the ldr like a lunatic... :icon_mrgreen:
You can do fun stuff with this thing... add an ldr in series or parallel to one or both of the pots, make them switchable, have an ldr controlled by a lfo (tremulus lune?)... etc...
does anybody want to attempt to make this project a guitar effects pedal, kinda like how an envelope filter controlls a wah, you could convert the signal from the guitar to similar toned atari beeps? I think it'd be kinda cool to experiment with playing some atari game theme songs using a pedal like that and i reckon it'd be a popular novelty pedal, i mean it's a pedal you woudln't be able to buy so surely many would build it.
Quote from: Brett Sinclair on September 05, 2006, 04:39:22 AM
Quote from: Psych0F0x on September 05, 2006, 04:09:22 AMI doesn't sound very much like that sound clip from the kaustic machines site. I was expecting random stuff
On the clip on the machines website i'm weaving my hand above the ldr like a lunatic... :icon_mrgreen:
You can do fun stuff with this thing... add an ldr in series or parallel to one or both of the pots, make them switchable, have an ldr controlled by a lfo (tremulus lune?)... etc...
I still think I did something wrong, I can't get double tones like you have in your clip, at 26 secs you get a low tone and a tone an octave higher, with tremelo(ofcourse that could be done with a tremelo pedal). I just get a very tiny variety of 1 straight tone. More like a normal tone than an atari tone. Also one of the other pots only does veery slight pitch shifting or none at all, unless I turn it completely full then it goes up a tone in pitch.
There could indeed be something wrong with your circuit... it should be able to give you a range of "shifting" sounds and both pots should be quite interactive.
I built one today from Choklitlove's Layout, it is now Verified. Uses a 556. and other than the pot values, it is right on the Mims Schematic.
http://geocities.com/worthekik/atari.html (http://geocities.com/worthekik/atari.html)
can someone make a layout for the version with 2 555's?
Has anyone messed around with the idea of putting this in a box with another effect and using some sort of "blend" control to mix it with a fuzzed out guitar signal or something to the effect?
you could probably mutate the single oscillator in the Uglyface to a dual oscillator. IT would be a little tougher to manipulate playing guitar and turning two knobs would be hard... even a little more ridiculous, you could use an expression pedal for each osc. controller... ORRRRR you could use an LDR for one and an expression pedal for another.... :) too many possibilities...
I used two LDR's and it works great!
Quote from: b2thea on October 09, 2006, 12:09:06 PM
can someone make a layout for the version with 2 555's?
this was posted earlier in the thread:
Quote from: Seljer on July 11, 2006, 09:50:55 AM
Heres a layout for the thing using two 555s based off the schematic on the previous page
(http://g0g0g0.dyndns.org/uploads/050114/apclayout.jpg)
(http://g0g0g0.dyndns.org/uploads/050114/apctransfer.jpg)
I still can't get mine to work right. Looking at the 2x555 layout: Pot B doesn't do much, the other pot changes pitch. Level acts a bit weird. Help??
i built one (with the LM556) and tried now. it work! pretty cool noise maker :icon_mrgreen:
i like it, now i must only find a little box to put it in a solder the last few things.
Just built the dual 555 version... Lotsa fun! One thing to mention though, on the layout posted by seljier pin 8 of Ic2 should go to +9v! Check against the schematic, you'll see what I mean.
I've built two and they both sound pretty good execpt for the second pot on the 556 layout does most of its stuff in the first 1/4 of the rotation, the rest of the way it just farts out.
I'm going to experiment with different pot values to get a better range
I used 1m for those. They do stuff over most of their range.
this is the one a build!!!!
(http://i15.tinypic.com/2eelj0g.jpg)
today i runed it thru my pedalboard, and messed a bit with all the effects (delay, lfanger phaser, ring mod and wah) preatty sick noise maker :icon_mrgreen:
i built the etched apc and etched uglyface for a circuit bending buddy of mine and he says hes gotten somegreat tones using the two together into a delay
maybe i'm gonna build this one:
http://www.musicfromouterspace.com/analogsynth/YOUR_FIRST_SYNTH/YOUR_FIRST_SYNTH.html
look really interesting. and seams not so hard to build
Yes, that one looks like fun, and it's expandable too! Maybe the Apc can tie into it...
Hey! The dual 555 layout up and dissapeared! All it needed was that one little connection under pin8 of IC2 and then it would be verified...
this thing looks awesome! ive seen pics with a led light, where does it go on the schematic?
That would just be an indicator light- is it on yet? I didn't bother with mine, I just put the switch on the output, so if it's plugged in it's on.
I just finished mine. Very cool. Any information on mods?
Quote from: Meanderthal on November 13, 2006, 09:20:55 AM
Hey! The dual 555 layout up and dissapeared! All it needed was that one little connection under pin8 of IC2 and then it would be verified...
yeah, the academic and research network of this country finally realised that I hadn't bothered to renew my internet account with them for the past year or so and finally deleted my webspace
I'll track down the file somewhere on my harddrive and put it up in the gallery :)
edit: http://aronnelson.com/gallery/album95/apclayout_copy?full=1
edit2: aaaaah, spotted that missing trace too
From a quick look at the posted schematic for 555s, it looks like the output of the first timer is being fed into the 2nd timer as the trigger. It's been a while since I've worked with 55s so I don't remember exactly what the trigger pin does specifically, but it seems like it's probably in some way, filtering the first 555's output. Assuming that 555 #2 is a filter of some sort, you could probably get some weird stompbox application here by replacing that first 555 with an op amp that would turn your guitar signal into a square wave (an effect I've wanted to play with on it's own for a while but I've never bothered to build). Am I barking up the wrong tree here or is this possibly a cool idea? I'll post a schematic for my opamp based guitar to squarewave circuit idea later when I have a bit of time.
Actually it's back now...
So I've had some time to mess around with it, and in the process annoy the hell out of my wife and possibly the band, but they didn't say anything. Anyhow, I noticed that at certain settings you can tune this thing with one knob and actually play distinct seperate notes on the other... it sometimes seems to be a pentatonic scale, and right on the edge of usability in a musical sense! I found myself actually playing notes in key with the guitar player, following his 1-4-5 with the slightest little tweak of that knob. Ran this thing thru my Zoom and my bass amp... WOW! It suddenly was sounding like a decent analog synth!
This little gizmo might actually become useful...
The 2nd 555 is not a filter, but that's still a cool idea... might be pretty interesting.
for a 555 based guitar effect, check this out:
http://www.geocities.com/worthekik//hysteresis.html (http://www.geocities.com/worthekik//hysteresis.html)
Yeah, I'm gonna hafta get more 555s and build that one!
I just built a bastardized version of the 556 APC on my breadboard (I'm running low on parts so I had to make due). It's one wacky little circuit. I think I may have to get a perfboard and build a permanent one. It's just too strange to not have on hand. It's perfectly named too. I made some killer old school bomb dropping effects with the right knob twists.