I changed my guitar amp's LED to blinking ones in a fit of manic energy. Sounded like there was a cat inside for a couple of days then it fizzed out and never worked again. Overall experience 10/10 would do again.
There's 3 LED chips (the actual light-up diodes) inside those, a tiny integrated circuit for cycling between the colors, and likely a capacitor or resistor to select the flashing speed. If you ever need a random signal generator, wire 2 of the slow-then-fast flashing ones in series. They're never perfect copies of each other, and the tiny variations between them makes them go out of sync. It's essentially a two stage oscillator, like the two pendulums ones used to explain chaotic systems.
My bet would be that we are actually hearing the PWM frequency of the driver IC. It also makes sense that for a slower LED, to get a nice slow color fade, you'd need a higher PWM frequency (basically 'higher color "bitrate"') to make it smooth. Nice tip on the chaos. Ordered these LEDs after seeing this video. Def gonna try that out. Pretty hard to find some useful datasheets on these LEDs. But in the one i found, it even seemed like they didn't need a series resistor? But I bet that without a series resistor, all this nice noise would not be there.
What youre hearing is the sound of a tiny microprocessor doing PWM. If you want some more interesting sounds ring modulating them with logic gates would be interesting
Audio agoraphobia simulator. I hear it. Interesting that I prefer this kind of noise to that of actually triggering clinical symptoms in public. Just add breakcore haha.
I have a zero HP Eurorack random CV generator from Tidbit Audio on Reverb. It has four RGB LEDs on an 1/8 inch plug with an 1/8 inch jack on the side. My guess is that it's using the same type of LEDs shown here. I need to get some of these LEDs to play with. It could be fun to use them to make a random CV box with multiple outputs.
I love it!! I also love that you mentioned Moritz Klein. I have watched a lot of his videos and he inspired me to start building things again. I always love you content as well. It's creative. You take another person's noise and turn it into music. Thanks Simon!!
Hey Brother Simon, always use a capacitor on the output of anything that is electrical that you experimenting with that will block any DC that can fry your amplifier down the road
You just convinced me to play with my LED's. I literally have A COLLECTION of LED's going back to the first commercial LED's ever made. I feel like a mix of a bunch of different sizes, makes, types of LED's, in combination with phototransistors, and photocells, could be interesting. I bet every different make of LED has it's own sound characteristics, just like vacuum tubes. Next, you should convince me to get out my 12AX7 collection, even though those are much tougher to experiment with. .
I wish I had the ability to freestyle Death Grips type lyrics instead of just mumbling some rythmic gibberish specifically so that I could do that over the jam bits at the end because these grooves are just something
I want to see it used with a guitar. Does it modify the guitar signal, or does it just add background noise to the signal coming from the guitar, whether it is being played or not?
In essence it's an instant Daft Punk/Vitalic machine, pretty useful for ~2000 EDM. I'm not into this style as a musician, but I like to listen to such noises, and your machine is surely competitive!
I had an ink pen with one of those crazy LEDs in it. It had a stack of button cells inside it. If only I had known to plug my pen into a speaker and make music.
That´s awsone! A few weeks ago i discovered a similar effect by accident when wanted to do a jam for #jamuary2023. A LED Strip was leaking into the audiopath so i used it as a drone and uploaded an ambient jam... The Pedal is really cool!
Could be interesting if you ran it into a vocal processor for pitch correction and then a boss slicer effect, or possibly as the carrier signal for a vocoder.
I wonder what would happen if the output of this were sent to the second ("modulate by") input of a ring modulator, with a more "normal" melodic line into the first input ("to modulate") - could be fun!
Hey! No idea actually. Just say ”rgb blinking slow/fast” where I get them. So just trying out a bunch is what I would do(am gonna continue to do, hehe).
I saw the thumbnail and thought "what the ___k you talking about Magpie?!"... but ooooooh..... these are interesting. I liked you video about "embracing your sucking" and it's great that you've now found a way to embrace these rather cool looking LEDs inner sucking. Put it through a huge reverb.... any chaotic noise sounds good through a huge reverb!
Now this is some amazing old-school style clever magpie stuff. love it. I was wondering to myself the other day how you come up with new ideas when you've innovated so much over the years. for the name I'd recommend some spinoff of "jesus take the wheel" but that's so dope. reminds me of an og critter&guitari pocket piano without keys lol. make the led's pressable! XD
I feel sorry for that raving and flashing little dude who was doing his best to make a full show on his own in your LED. All his friends just made a mess ,o) I love your work!
If you find THIS cool, just wait till you find out about the reverse avalanche Oscillator ;) That gives you a fantastic sawtooth wave oscillator with a transistor, a capacitor, some resistors, a 10k potentiometer and just a simple LED.
The sample and hold feel right at the start is... This is getting saved to my private "sample fodder" playlist. I think magpie has more vids on that list than any channel (likely cuz he's so kind as to remind me in most vids that, hey take this audio and do stuff).
You should definitely try the "candle flame effect" LED, because it's a pretty good random tone generator! 😉
I changed my guitar amp's LED to blinking ones in a fit of manic energy. Sounded like there was a cat inside for a couple of days then it fizzed out and never worked again. Overall experience 10/10 would do again.
There's 3 LED chips (the actual light-up diodes) inside those, a tiny integrated circuit for cycling between the colors, and likely a capacitor or resistor to select the flashing speed.
If you ever need a random signal generator, wire 2 of the slow-then-fast flashing ones in series. They're never perfect copies of each other, and the tiny variations between them makes them go out of sync. It's essentially a two stage oscillator, like the two pendulums ones used to explain chaotic systems.
My bet would be that we are actually hearing the PWM frequency of the driver IC. It also makes sense that for a slower LED, to get a nice slow color fade, you'd need a higher PWM frequency (basically 'higher color "bitrate"') to make it smooth.
Nice tip on the chaos. Ordered these LEDs after seeing this video. Def gonna try that out.
Pretty hard to find some useful datasheets on these LEDs. But in the one i found, it even seemed like they didn't need a series resistor? But I bet that without a series resistor, all this nice noise would not be there.
I've seen tons of "alternate" uses for flashing leds on YT. None of them looked at flashing RGB's and thought, "Hmm. Synth". This guy is unique.
What youre hearing is the sound of a tiny microprocessor doing PWM. If you want some more interesting sounds ring modulating them with logic gates would be interesting
It should be called "Overstimulatron". It perfectly represents my anxiety when I am overstimulated and in large groups of noisy people.
Audio agoraphobia simulator. I hear it. Interesting that I prefer this kind of noise to that of actually triggering clinical symptoms in public. Just add breakcore haha.
I have a zero HP Eurorack random CV generator from Tidbit Audio on Reverb. It has four RGB LEDs on an 1/8 inch plug with an 1/8 inch jack on the side. My guess is that it's using the same type of LEDs shown here. I need to get some of these LEDs to play with. It could be fun to use them to make a random CV box with multiple outputs.
I love it!! I also love that you mentioned Moritz Klein. I have watched a lot of his videos and he inspired me to start building things again. I always love you content as well. It's creative. You take another person's noise and turn it into music. Thanks Simon!!
Hey Brother Simon, always use a capacitor on the output of anything that is electrical that you experimenting with that will block any DC that can fry your amplifier down the road
You just convinced me to play with my LED's. I literally have A COLLECTION of LED's going back to the first commercial LED's ever made. I feel like a mix of a bunch of different sizes, makes, types of LED's, in combination with phototransistors, and photocells, could be interesting. I bet every different make of LED has it's own sound characteristics, just like vacuum tubes.
Next, you should convince me to get out my 12AX7 collection, even though those are much tougher to experiment with. .
I wish I had the ability to freestyle Death Grips type lyrics instead of just mumbling some rythmic gibberish specifically so that I could do that over the jam bits at the end because these grooves are just something
Flicker LEDs also generate tones - series of pretty atonal pitches that correspond til the brightness of the LED.
I feel like you could use this to make some really interesting sound sculptures/ nice ambient music.
I want to see it used with a guitar. Does it modify the guitar signal, or does it just add background noise to the signal coming from the guitar, whether it is being played or not?
Awesome device! You can use the outputs of the 4040s to power the leds to create more rhythms!
In essence it's an instant Daft Punk/Vitalic machine, pretty useful for ~2000 EDM. I'm not into this style as a musician, but I like to listen to such noises, and your machine is surely competitive!
I had an ink pen with one of those crazy LEDs in it. It had a stack of button cells inside it. If only I had known to plug my pen into a speaker and make music.
That´s awsone!
A few weeks ago i discovered a similar effect by accident when wanted to do a jam for #jamuary2023.
A LED Strip was leaking into the audiopath so i used it as a drone and uploaded an ambient jam...
The Pedal is really cool!
8:00 This sounds a lot like my first experiments with modular FM and a bunch of logic triggers I didn't understand.
This cured my constipation, thanks 💜. I had no idea those fancy LED's could do that, I need to experiment!
Could be interesting if you ran it into a vocal processor for pitch correction and then a boss slicer effect, or possibly as the carrier signal for a vocoder.
At 5:55 it just bursted out and I yelled: "The drum machine makes it all better!" (Please ignore that I am home alone and usually speak German.)
I wonder if they can be used to get extra crunchy noise for snare generation?
this thing was born for one thing, and one thing only:
to be slammed through a big fucking wall of distortion at maximum volume.
YES
I wonder what would happen if the output of this were sent to the second ("modulate by") input of a ring modulator, with a more "normal" melodic line into the first input ("to modulate") - could be fun!
rad af - want. some sidechain on that LED Paint synth and you got a groooove
Been quite a journey from circuit-bending with jumpers & pots to this.
A real HNW gig in a box. No need to add a Carcosa or the Merzbow Digitech pedal. Love it.
Rob Hordijk lives.
BBLS is a brilliant pedal, it can bring programmable order to anything or add even more disorder to anything.
What were these specific LEDs in case we want to try messing around with them?
Hey! No idea actually. Just say ”rgb blinking slow/fast” where I get them. So just trying out a bunch is what I would do(am gonna continue to do, hehe).
I saw the thumbnail and thought "what the ___k you talking about Magpie?!"... but ooooooh..... these are interesting.
I liked you video about "embracing your sucking" and it's great that you've now found a way to embrace these rather cool looking LEDs inner sucking.
Put it through a huge reverb.... any chaotic noise sounds good through a huge reverb!
those LEDs look like the ones Hologram uses. Honestly, if you put some gate/mod/cv inputs the Modular community would probably pay big bucks for that.
Absolutely dope, Bro! BTW, you can do a lot of electronic parts audio exploring with the Olegtron 4060 - which is a blast to mess with!
That is clearly an MPC, Magpie Punk Console! (as in APC,, atari punk console, the cheap 555 synth)
Happiness inducing stuff! All good! Right up my alley.
I have an urge to listen to old albums of Somatic Responses all of a sudden. Beautiful pedal.
I'd love to put this in a gated sidechain.
Now this is some amazing old-school style clever magpie stuff. love it. I was wondering to myself the other day how you come up with new ideas when you've innovated so much over the years. for the name I'd recommend some spinoff of "jesus take the wheel" but that's so dope. reminds me of an og critter&guitari pocket piano without keys lol.
make the led's pressable! XD
Awesome! It would be cool if you sold your pcb of this.
I feel sorry for that raving and flashing little dude who was doing his best to make a full show on his own in your LED. All his friends just made a mess ,o) I love your work!
I better get an invite to the flashlight rave Mag
I joined. Couldn’t help myself. Love your wild imagination!
It looks like you’ve already sold out of these. You ever gonna make anything with these funky LED-based synths again?
Do you have a link to the ones you used? I really wanna try this
This is awesome! Suh dude!
Each led has its own tiny chip that automates their color changes.
the seizure strobe machine
the "fast" bit at 5:16 sounds even better at 25% speed (basically you get more of it :D :D :D)
Need a name Idea? How about "Diode-Blaster RGB". Also this needs a partreon-exclusive VST version xD
If you find THIS cool, just wait till you find out about the reverse avalanche Oscillator ;) That gives you a fantastic sawtooth wave oscillator with a transistor, a capacitor, some resistors, a 10k potentiometer and just a simple LED.
luvvvv this🤯
LED change colour by voltage that changes the frequency white it's the highest and so forth 👌
MRMS-3V
Magpie
Raving
Maniac
Synth
3 Voice.....
It's great 👍
call in the "light un-bearer"
I been using them as vactrols to make LFO that wobbles pitch of circuit bent toys clock resistor
this is glorious
Industrial strength! Techno Merzbow!
2:03 it's 1994, the jungle is pumpin, the beat falls away...
The sample and hold feel right at the start is... This is getting saved to my private "sample fodder" playlist. I think magpie has more vids on that list than any channel (likely cuz he's so kind as to remind me in most vids that, hey take this audio and do stuff).
How about calling it the “RGB Synth Squawk”, “LED Sonic Havoc”, or “SynthLED Chaos”?
Next: is the universe a synthesizer?
Call it the "Disco fever dream."
It's got a bunch of tiny lights. I'd called it Starlyte. Haha.
Sounds like my covid noise project. Yours has more disco though.
The Lights Output
They are better used with controll voltages
Yeah I thought about those rgb eurorack cables. If there was a way to utilize this crazyness and have it mess with what you patch maybe?
Please call it PANDORA. As in Pandora's box. 😀
Wow, this is so stressful........ILOVEIT
Make more please 🙏
Working on it! 😁
dope
it is so harmonic! :) )))
It’s a mind control healer actually
Little Electronic Disco pedal
Imma call it the luma-rage.
ok thats somehow gorgeous, i just bought one
thank you whiskey, and thank you simon, my wallet was getting to fat to sit on anyways
You get a lot of flack for that Jacket?
Noice
Ok cool
Caveman Disco
It sounds like old internet
Nice fax machine
Tänk dig den på Fyndtabellen i Mutant.
Gift one of these to Mick Gordon, and another to Andrew Hulshult.
Alien Metal 🤣🤣✌🖖
i'm calling the copyright police
Yes. That sounds awful.
Love it!
Dude.
Not watched this channel since lockdown
Meow 😻
Disclaimer : this outfit is banned by the Geneva Convetion
First!
idc !!
Schizo-Disco?
awesome as always
i want one make more than 2 please
nicee.
Move aside, tonewood.
meet TONELIGHT.