Finally got around to completing the Weird Sound Generator. It’s based on the circuit provided by Music from Outer Space. I purchased an etched circuit board from them and purchased all the components seperately. I figure I saved around $40 doing it that way instead of purchasing all the components from MFOS. It ended up being a bit more expensive after building the custom case.
The pre-etched circuit board from MFOS
This was a fairly simple build and good for beginners but it also allows for a lot of customization. I didn’t go too crazy with the mods on this one. I had an extra Tandy Commodore computer joystick laying around I used it to control the modulation. It adds a lot of random flexibility to the sound that you wouldn’t get using knobs (you can use the knows as well, they are selectable via a switch)
populated circuit board
Case frame glued and clamped
the layout of the controls
Control panel drilled and ready for paint
I also added an amplifier circuit and a speaker into the case to it can be heard without hooking it up to an external amplifier.
Built in speaker with volume control
Despite the ease of build this this is a blast to play. Certainly one of the most versatile and interesting. This thing produces so many different types of sounds and textures it hard to put it down. I could mess around with this all day and never get bored. I highly recommend this kit to anyone who is getting into synth DIY or anyone looking to have a crazy sound generator to mess around with.
The finished WSG
Close-up, Joystick modulation control
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