OMSynth MiniLab synthesizer development workshop will cover the basics of designing and building your own custom electronic noise machines!
DATE: June 11th and 12th, 5–9pm // Artist talk on June 10th at 7pm
DURATION: 8 hours
MENTOR: Peter Edwards aka Casperelectronics
LOCATION: Ljudmila, Rimska 8, Ljubljana
About the workshop
In this 3 part workshop we will cover the basics of designing and building our own custom electronic noise machines. By the end of this workshop each participant will have a personalized instrument to take home that they have designed as well as the skills and hardware necessary to continue exploring new designs.
All skill levels are welcome in this workshop from the absolute beginner to the experienced engineer.
All materials will be provided but participants are encouraged to bring tools and supplies of their own if they like. More info here.
Schedule: This workshop has 3 parts spread over 2 days.
- Day 1
- 1. Assemble an OMSynth miniLab synthesizer prototyping kit. This kit has been designed to allow inventors to quickly and easily build and play with simple sound making circuits. This is achieved by providing all of the general building blocks they will need such as a power supply and audio amplifier. The inventor can then put their focus into exploring sound making circuitry rather than struggling with all of the important but ultimately unexciting support circuits. This stage will introduce participants to the basics of soldering and electrical component behaviour.
- 2. Build a simple light controlled noise generator. This stage is in introduction to how the OMSynth MiniLab works and how just a few components can be used to start making sound. In this stage we will cover the basics of electricity and oscillator operation.
- 1. Assemble an OMSynth miniLab synthesizer prototyping kit. This kit has been designed to allow inventors to quickly and easily build and play with simple sound making circuits. This is achieved by providing all of the general building blocks they will need such as a power supply and audio amplifier. The inventor can then put their focus into exploring sound making circuitry rather than struggling with all of the important but ultimately unexciting support circuits. This stage will introduce participants to the basics of soldering and electrical component behaviour.
- Day 2
- Design your own sound circuit using op amps and logic chips. In this workshop we will go over a variety of simple circuits that can be combined and tweaked to design a custom instrument. In this stage we will discuss electrical theory as well as electrical component behaviour in more depth.
- Design your own sound circuit using op amps and logic chips. In this workshop we will go over a variety of simple circuits that can be combined and tweaked to design a custom instrument. In this stage we will discuss electrical theory as well as electrical component behaviour in more depth.
MiniLab tech specs:
- Battery and/or wall powered +&- 5 VDC power supply
- 3 channel audio mixer
- 1 Watt audio amplifier and built in speaker and ¼” audio output jack
- 5 modular potentiometers
- 3 modular DPDT latching pushbuttons
- NOTE: The little oscilloscope is not included in the kit!
About the mentor
Peter Edwards is an American artist, musician, and teacher. He has been exploring the field of circuit bending and experimental musical electronics since 2000 through his business Casperelectronics. He performs regularly under the same name. Edwards received a BFA in sculpture from The Rhode Island School of Design in 2000 and is currently studying electronic music and experimental interface design as a Masters student at the Institute of Sonology and at STEIM in Amsterdam NL. In 2005 he developed the creative electronics department at Hampshire College. He currently designs musical electronic instruments which are sold as kits through his website casperelectronics.com and regularly teaches circuit bending classes at technology festivals internationally and writes electronics tutorials for American DIY tech magazine Make.
Edwards has performed, taught workshops and spoken on the topic of circuit bending and creative electronics at MIT’s Media Lab, Hasbro Toys, Hampshire College, Skidmore College, New York University, Bloomfield University, Long Beach University, Georgie SOuthern University and at new media festivals around the world including The Piksel Festival (Bergen, Norway), The OFFF Festival and Pixel Festival (Paris, France), Sequences Festival (Reykjavik, Iceland) and yearly at the Bent Festival (New York & LA, USA). Peter currently lives in The Haag in The Netherlands and is studying with composer and physicist Joel Ryan and master synthesizer designer Rob Hordijk.
Registration
WORKSHOP IS FULL!
Contribution for two day workshop (8 hours) is 30 €. All expenses for materials are included, workshop product remains in your possession. Workshop will be in English language, the number of participants is limited to 12, so please apply/announce yourself to: delavnica@ljudmila.org. No previous skills are needed. Newbies are welcome. Some additional OMSynth MiniLab kits will be available for non-participants (~60€).