Here’s how to create unique circuit-bent sounds on a keyboard. Circuit bending involves creating unique sounds by altering the circuit inside an electronic device.
Puremagnetik Digitar (Casio DG-20), circuit-bent Casio Digital Guitar
The Casio Digital Guitar was the worlds first MIDI guitar, available at home keyboard type prices, gave pleasure to several music enthusiasts. Puremagnetik has taken that Casio Digital Guitar, added circuit bent feature to it, and released it as Digitar – for Live, Kontakt and Logic.
The [easyazon_link identifier=”B004YGOG8S” locale=”US” tag=”keytarhq04-20″ cart=”n”]Casio DG-20 is a guitar midi controller[/easyazon_link] that will allow you to control software based synths (and also other MIDI modules, synths, tone generators). It allows you to assign a different sound/part to each string. The Start/Stop button which controls the rhythm section playback can also be used to trigger a MIDI sequencer or drum machine.
Key features of Casio DG-20:
- Adjustable tempo, transpose and tuning with separate guitar and rhythm volume controls .
- Comes with built in speaker, has a headphone socket, also has an audio output jack for connecting to an amp or external speaker.
- Works with AC adapter or batteries
System Requirements
- Requires Ableton Live 9.2 and higher or Logic X and higher or Kontakt 5 and higher
- 300 Megabytes (MB) of free hard disk space
Watch: Casio DG-20 synthesizer guitar demo
Most guitar players bend notes most of the time, and for a guitar to produce a nice sound, the string needs to make clean contact with the frets. This is the reason most (experienced) guitar players feel that midi guitars make lousy synth controllers, and to play guitar synth, you really need to possess great technique.
How to Bend a Vintage Casio Keyboard (SK-5)
The Casio SK-5 is extremely popular among circuit benders (customization of the electronic circuits to create new sounds). Here’s how to bend this Vintage Casio Keyboard.
The basic principle in circuit bending is to ground or cross-connect pins belonging to the audio-synthesis chips. You may do this yourself or get the keyboard professionally modified. A vintage keyboard like the Casio SK-5 (a popular keyboard) can be picked up on eBay for under US $100.
The SK-5 is an easy instrument to circuit bend and the mods add a great variety of “tools” to shape new sounds with the twist of a knob or a simple switch, a variation not known, an aleatoric change (probably that’s why Ghazala called his mods projects ‘aleatrons’).
Read more: Circuit bending with the Casio SK-5.
Watch: A Circuit Bent Casio SK-5
Casio SK-5 Keyboard
Although the SK-1 was more of a toy, the SK5 is a more popular keyboard and considered to be a ‘real instrument’. Famous artists who have used the keyboard include Autechre, Bjork, Portished, Nine Inch Nails, Blur, Aphex Twin, and the list is long.
The SK-5 is a 8 bit sampler with 4 voice polyphony (was a big thing then as it allowed you to play a chord). You can sample 4 sounds and play them together (with the rubber pads or with the keyboard).
One of the reason that people love this keyboard is for its sound, because the samples are totally mangled (you cannot quantize the notes) they sound really different/unique.
Useful Links on Circuit Bending
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
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