This reminds me of my first attempt to create a synth sound. I used a CMOS chip to generate a square wave, which I tuned and sampled. I used it in FL to create my first musical sequence. I added some electric guitar and drums. "Electric Texas " was born , a bumper used on the Kevin Smith show for years.
I once built an intruder alarm for my house using 555 timers, I've never once considered using one to make music :) Yes, that final sound was pretty awesome, I think the secret to creating square waves etc, would be in the capacitors, at a guess.
That makes a lot of sense, actually. The initial waveforms looked like the derivative of a square wave (big upward spike on the rising edge, close to 0 in the middle, and then big downward spike on the falling edge). Adding capacitance is akin to integrating the signal, so you essentially recover the intended square wave!
If you were ever planning on revisiting this experiment you'd be better off using a cd40106. The circuit only needs a single capacitor and a single potentiometer and it sounds way cleaner than the 555.
Hi, so I am creating a synth like this for a school project and was wondering what is being used for the input jack? I am familiar with guitar input jacks but not so much this. Was this just being tested out on a regular speaker or straight into a computer? I ask since I need proof that I am not only testing it but it works
It's funny, as a software engineer I'm _allergic_ to having computers anywhere near me if I'm doing something with music. Watching you switch to spreadsheets while making a synth is just painful! 😂😉 Let's see if you ever finished this synth, did you make a filter yet?
@@DavidHilowitzMusic Well, next year I'm going to really get on with designing and building modules, no digital anything I want to know the analogue side of everything. Want me to post you anything I finish? 🤩
I built a whole synth around a hex Schmidt trigger. 40106IC. I love this circuit!!!❤❤❤ Thanks for the instruction!! In the future you could hook the output up to a speaker 🔊, and put a variable resistor/pot, in the place of your fixed resistor. 😊😊
I'm in the same boat as far as building a bunch of circuits at a young age. Buying a synth is expensive since I only want to dabble in music as a hobby, but your vid is inspirational.
You have a "weird" waveform representation, but a stable harmonic representation because you have some kind of a phase response alteration. 04:01 for example, this wave is supposed to be "saw", because every harmonic up to your Niquist is there. But it doesn't "look like a saw" because if you shift phase for just one (or a bunch) of your harmonics compared to others, you get this "not-phase-coherent" sum of its parts.
You gave me an idea, it could be possible to check the accuracy of a 555 frequency by comparing the audio tone with a computer generated tone of a known frequency. This only would work if the frequency of the 555 timer was in the audible range.
You could also hook up something called a snark tuner to the output of the speaker. They’re tuners typically used for guitars, but they just sense the vibration of the frequency and clip right onto what ever you need to tune. Not sure exactly how accurate this would be, but would save a lot of time.
love your videos, you're a genius!! thank you for this! ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,one thing could you zoom in on the things you're writing and/or working on.? my screen is tiny. cheers from Iceland.
I hate the way schematics look, they're so confusing. I prefer breadboard diagrams. By the way, the breadboard diagram creation software is called "Fritzing"
Very well done videos and great explanations, above super inspiring to creating instruments myself! So thank you and pse keep on! P.S. your note number table looks like slightly shifted, shouldn’t be 440 Hz/MIDI number 69 be A4 in English notation instead of A3?
If possible, can you do another sfz instrument creation tutorial? I watched one you did and it was awesome. I like the ones you do with Kontakt, but unfortunately I haven't the finances to invest in the software.
@@phonybobsmail1680 Analog refers to sound created using electronic circuits that use voltage variations to translate the information in order to create physical sound waves. Digital synthesis would be a software synth, using binary code to create and manipulate the signal that is then translated into physical sound waves. Just because it has MIDI or other data ports to be able to translate this information into a binary form that the computer can use doesn’t not make this analog synthesis.
This reminds me of my first attempt to create a synth sound. I used a CMOS chip to generate a square wave, which I tuned and sampled. I used it in FL to create my first musical sequence. I added some electric guitar and drums. "Electric Texas " was born , a bumper used on the Kevin Smith show for years.
I once built an intruder alarm for my house using 555 timers, I've never once considered using one to make music :)
Yes, that final sound was pretty awesome, I think the secret to creating square waves etc, would be in the capacitors, at a guess.
You are unlikely to get "pure" square waves out of a 555 due to component tolerances.
@@SpeccyMan It's actually impossible to make a pure square wave as it would require infinite bandwidth.
That makes a lot of sense, actually. The initial waveforms looked like the derivative of a square wave (big upward spike on the rising edge, close to 0 in the middle, and then big downward spike on the falling edge). Adding capacitance is akin to integrating the signal, so you essentially recover the intended square wave!
David - You inspired me to make my first simple test Kontact instrument with samples from my Moog Little Phatty,
I used to teach electronics. I can help you understand the 555 if ever you need to
Could you explain it to me?
@@guyug6940 I don't think he is going to explain it bro... 😅
@@orison4747 bro lied😭
Can you explain it to me?
Thanks for this - it's helped inspire me to make my own instruments.
wow can't believe you just made a really sweet synth from a basic arse 555 circuit. Amazing
If you were ever planning on revisiting this experiment you'd be better off using a cd40106. The circuit only needs a single capacitor and a single potentiometer and it sounds way cleaner than the 555.
Hi, so I am creating a synth like this for a school project and was wondering what is being used for the input jack? I am familiar with guitar input jacks but not so much this. Was this just being tested out on a regular speaker or straight into a computer? I ask since I need proof that I am not only testing it but it works
and they don't go rail to rail
The end result was pretty damn awesome! Remember what Bob Ross said. There are no mistakes. Only happy little accidents.
now that’s what i like about circuits and music
It's funny, as a software engineer I'm _allergic_ to having computers anywhere near me if I'm doing something with music.
Watching you switch to spreadsheets while making a synth is just painful! 😂😉
Let's see if you ever finished this synth, did you make a filter yet?
No, instead I ended up making several digital synths using the Teensy 4.1 and audio shield :)
@@DavidHilowitzMusic
Well, next year I'm going to really get on with designing and building modules, no digital anything I want to know the analogue side of everything.
Want me to post you anything I finish? 🤩
Great video, I had never seen a ‘naked’ oscillator, nice work and very decent sound out of this DIY project. Thumbs up 👍🏽
I built a whole synth around a hex Schmidt trigger. 40106IC. I love this circuit!!!❤❤❤ Thanks for the instruction!! In the future you could hook the output up to a speaker 🔊, and put a variable resistor/pot, in the place of your fixed resistor. 😊😊
wow. this just unlocked a whole new dimension for me. thank you
The Pad in this instrument is top notch! Thank you :)
this turned out very beautiful, as always, thanks for making these videos!
I'm in the same boat as far as building a bunch of circuits at a young age. Buying a synth is expensive since I only want to dabble in music as a hobby, but your vid is inspirational.
Excellent love this video !
You have a "weird" waveform representation, but a stable harmonic representation because you have some kind of a phase response alteration.
04:01 for example, this wave is supposed to be "saw", because every harmonic up to your Niquist is there. But it doesn't "look like a saw" because if you shift phase for just one (or a bunch) of your harmonics compared to others, you get this "not-phase-coherent" sum of its parts.
You gave me an idea, it could be possible to check the accuracy of a 555 frequency by comparing the audio tone with a computer generated tone of a known frequency. This only would work if the frequency of the 555 timer was in the audible range.
You could also hook up something called a snark tuner to the output of the speaker. They’re tuners typically used for guitars, but they just sense the vibration of the frequency and clip right onto what ever you need to tune. Not sure exactly how accurate this would be, but would save a lot of time.
Interesting, I don't remember saying that. Seems kind of silly now, I think 555 timer frequencies are very accurate.
You are great man..thank you for sharing your ideas
i love your channel
Might need an LFO for the lower frequencies
I think the "analog sound" that people refer to is the output stage construction, transformer, etc.
can you please expand on that. I'm interested
Hardly. There's a lot more to it than that.
Lots of filtering with transistors and diodes etc. Not too many actually. There are some really great videos using Hex Schmidt triggers.
You make fantastic videos! Thanks so much.
This is awesome 😃
this is really cool, good job!
Thanks Dave!
Is it normal for the 555 to explode? J/k but the rails are reversed on the schematic than my breadboard, that screwed me up
You're using Ableton why not use the built in sampler
Very cool. Subbed.
can anyone tell the module name used in this video to connect the speaker?
please try the atari punk console
love your videos, you're a genius!! thank you for this! ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,one thing could you zoom in on the things you're writing and/or working on.? my screen is tiny. cheers from Iceland.
I hate the way schematics look, they're so confusing. I prefer breadboard diagrams. By the way, the breadboard diagram creation software is called "Fritzing"
You're amazing! Thanks for sharing your knowledge. :)
Cool 😎 Thanks
What resistance does the potentiometer for controlling the frequency have?
i wonder what happens if i mix the kontact library with the mozzi library... just asking
Great!!!
Very well done videos and great explanations, above super inspiring to creating instruments myself! So thank you and pse keep on! P.S. your note number table looks like slightly shifted, shouldn’t be 440 Hz/MIDI number 69 be A4 in English notation instead of A3?
According to ISO, middle C is in octave 4 - so C4. Therefore the A above it is A4.
Fun thx 😀
If possible, can you do another sfz instrument creation tutorial? I watched one you did and it was awesome. I like the ones you do with Kontakt, but unfortunately I haven't the finances to invest in the software.
...I don't think I'd really consider that analog...am I wrong?
@@phonybobsmail1680 Analog refers to sound created using electronic circuits that use voltage variations to translate the information in order to create physical sound waves. Digital synthesis would be a software synth, using binary code to create and manipulate the signal that is then translated into physical sound waves. Just because it has MIDI or other data ports to be able to translate this information into a binary form that the computer can use doesn’t not make this analog synthesis.
wow
how about a sampler, ehh? EEHHH?
wheres that sheet tho lol
Seems like an incomplete Atari Punk Console.