moogcircuitbendingchallenge
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This DIY synthesizer cost $70 to build and it sounds amazing
What could you build with a budget of $70? For George Gleixner, it's a homemade battery-powered synthesizer. One that's constructed using a circuit bent a children's Hing Hon EK-001 squarewave keyboard no less. What's circuit bending you ask? Well, Reed Gazala pioneered the process back in the mid-90s which modifies (read: bends) the original circuits of keyboards, drum machines and even children's toys to create new sounds that vary from its original use. Each year at Moogfest, as an homage to founder Bob Moog, there's a circuit bending competition in which entrants hack together their instruments for a shot at maker glory. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the larger festival attracts electronic music's finest, like Kraftwerk and Dan Deacon, that could end up peeking the goods too. This time around, Mr. Gleixner took the top prize and we caught up with him to see the inner workings of his creation.
