The Ohm-ing Beacon

The new instrument, The Ohm-ing Beacon, is not built from an audio device at all. By happy accident, while trying to use the LEDs from a spinning top toy, I discovered they produced tones!

The tones are varied; the alternating brightness and colors of the lights produces different notes. This isn't the one I used, I didn't think to take a picture of it since I thought I was just salvaging components, though I would love to get my hands on this one now. The two I got were taped to cereal boxes. In Korea, you get a number of random things for free at the grocery store that are just taped to other things!


The tops I used have 3 Leds, red, blue, and green. One of them had to be shut off for the sound circuit to work, connection to the green light made the best audio loop, but turned the brightest light off. The green Led still produces sound from what I can tell, but no light anymore. It wasn't until I saw the following picture I realized a connection between the light and sound: Both are the same circuits but for some reason, one is brighter than the other. Interestingly, the darker circuit plays in a lower key than the other! I am thinking that the pulses you see in the picture are the visual representations of the aural oscillations.


This is the original circuit I accidentally attached to a speaker in an ass-backward way:


March of the Light Emitting Diodes


As a bus for some of the multiple connections, and as representation of the spiritual elements of the instrument, I used two totems.

Humanity: wired to the mind, clueless, and wide eyed. There is not much control here try as it might, just things flowing in and out of the mind.


Divinity: god of music. The soul of sound. Keyboard at hand and omnipotence in a three-eyed elephant face.


Two synthesizers. Two totems. Lots of Hot Melt Glue!

I turned the switches around on the circuits and balanced the boards on a ruler I shattered. It has a 1/4 inch output from an old tape player. I didn't bother to remove it from the old circuit board. You can see it on the

Bottom:


Side:


Other Side:


Front and Top:


The name refers to the electronic Ohm, the Hindu/Buddhist Om, and a homing beacon. It is an aid in finding one's way.

The video does not have properly recorded audio. It was made before the instrument was finished for documentation in case I destroyed it accidentally. I hope you find what you are looking for.

finished for now

Finished the Tremolo build.


Unfortunately I didnt do anything with the housing because I was to impatient and just wanted to get soldering. Even though the plain unfinished metal has its own aesthetic, I decided to start covering it with some felt I had lying around. The googly eyes were also lying around and fit too perfectly to resist.



My real plans are to make a vest or "coat" (?) for the pedal out of felt. Its going to be one piece of felt with holes cut where the knobs, LED, and jacks are, and wrap around the pedal. I can then glue and sew things onto this base. There will be velcro on the back for a snug fit and so I can change the batt trees. More on that as I begin my trial and error process of cutting and sewing.

Tremolo

FINALLY got around to building one of the effects pedal kits I have been sitting on for the past few months. This is a Build Your Own Clone Tremolo.



I l o v e the digital macro function on my camera, components never looked so good.


This shot is for Colin. He knows why.


I started around 7 but unfortunately could not finish it all in one sitting because I am an old man with a full time job and a bed time.