Top products from r/CircuitBending

Oh boy, I have a lot to say. First off, I love seeing the increased enthusiasm for video bending I've seen as of late. Welcome!

The CHAV is something i have a LOT of experience with, the touch device on the box I've made in that link is this one and is used instead of the 40106 oscillator by use of a switching jack like this one here. Maybe you dont want to do something that complex, but I used these so i could route oscillator or CV modulation outputs from my modular synth rig. that jack works by letting the output of the 40106 chip route to the VGA generator when nothing is plugged in and my other sources route to the vga gen when something IS plugged in.

I would also recommend checking out the original article that promted the creation of the CHAV. Even more to explore here.

There are others out there who have instead used the LTC1799 or even a couple of them and the results are amazing. Better than the 40106 IMO, cheap too.

Others here have mentioned video mixers. A very popular one in the video bending community is Karl Klomp's Dirty Mixer which is just as glitchy and poorly behaved as the CHAV for which you can find a build tutorial here. It's very simple and cheap to build. Another route, should you prefer something more behaved (as it includes a time base corrector) is the Schele Mixer. The dude's website is a fucking mess and you can only buy stuff from him by emailing him and gifting him a payment via paypal - which I realize can be a sketchy proposition, but if it's any comfort I have bought a few things from him (all in all probs totaling near $400) and hasnt screwed me yet so...

Now for my take on Sima brand products. Get one of these. 2 or 3 if you can. I have made really cool bends on the board and have a few sitting around for future plans, but anything that can alter color, gain, and contrast of the image passing through it should give you similar bends to the ones ive linked. The Sima box in your video won't give you anything interesting as far as bends go (I'd know, I have one), but you are welcome to surprise me.

I absolutely LOVE video bending so hit me up if you need any help, advice or creative suggestions man.

Hey there! I started circuit bending a year or so ago and I was asking a lot of the same questions as you.

Google around for circuit bending tutorials and you are bound to find some.

Here's what worked for me:

• Find toys/electronics to circuit bend.
  
  -These are usually found in thrift stores, like Goodwill.
  
  -Don't buy new toys from a department store, they usually have electronic components that are more modern and harder to mess with.
  
  -Don't spend a lot of money on a thing unless you are certain you know exactly how you are going to mess with it. I'm poor, so saving money was a huge aspect for me.
  
  -Look for stuff that was made somewhere between 1980 - 2005ish. test it out in the store first to make sure it makes noises, the more the better. (You can sometimes hear if a toy is older, its sounds sometimes sound a bit more 'low-quality' or something... At least to me. One indicator is this: If the batteries are running low, a good toy to circuit bend will make some odd sounds.)
  
  
• Buy the crud you need, but don't overdo it. Here's my motto: cheap is fine for first projects, but invest in better if you stick with it. You need:
  
  -solder
  
  -a soldering iron
  
  -Alligator leads(clips)
  
  -Several screwdrivers of varying sizes.
  
  -Several smaller screwdrivers
  
  -wire
  
  -resistors (look online for more details)
  
  -These are the basics, but there may be more you need. Look online more.
  
  
• Circuit bend.
  
  -Use an area with good light.
  
  -Google for tutorials for your specific item. You might have gotten lucky and gotten a commonly circuit-bent item.
  
  -Google for tutorials for specific effects. You might want to make your item make certain sounds. Google will help you find people who have done it before you, if it has been done.
  
  -Google for tutorials for any questions you have. People have probably asked it before. If you get stuck, phrase your question as many ways as possible and Google the variations. You will find answers, even if they are not the specific ones you were looking for. All information you digest will help you better learn this game of circuit bending.
  
  Yeah man... I dunno. Just use Google and if you're really into it, keep reading more about it. Stop by every thrift store you see or if you're loaded, buy whatever shit you wanna bend on Ebay. Buy the stuff you need online, at local electronic stores, or if you absolutely have to, radio shack.
  
  Here's a good site to start. Just read.

u/badon_ said:

> Yeah, you probably toasted it. It's possible it could "heal", but I wouldn't count on it. Just curious, why not stick to the AA batteries?

u/BlipBlopBleps said:

> batteries run out - power supplies are 4 ever. [...] I'm just sad cause I successfully repaired it and then decided to try the power supply thing, being too impatient to study up on power supplies and potentially frying the circuit..

Rechargeable AA batteries exist, and some of the best ones will last as long or longer than the power supply. I recommend you get these ones (make sure your battery specifications match the packaging in this photo):

• New battery day! 24 AA Eneloop NiMH batteries in 16 and 8 cell packs. : r/AAMasterRace
  
  Get this package first to get the highest quality charger on the market:
  
  
• AmazonSmile: Panasonic K-KJ17MCA4BA Advanced Individual Cell Battery Charger Pack with 4 AA eneloop 2100 Cycle Rechargeable Batteries: PANASONIC: Electronics
  
  You need that charger to get the full life out of Eneloops. If you take care of them, Eneloops will last at least a decade, maybe longer.

The bracelets are like these, the wallwart i'd recommend looking up since i don't think i'm going to explain it well. But, it's basically a bunch of caps that go between the wall plug, and the device you're plugging in to give some resistance if you do cause a short. You can buy them, or build them im pretty sure. Again i'd do some research of your own, definitely not explaining it right lol

You'll want to invest in some alligator clips like these to make your life easier: https://www.amazon.com/SE-TL10-10-Piece-Alligator-Clips/dp/B0002KRABU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1519111473&sr=8-3&keywords=alligator+clips

And maybe a visit to https://www.taydaelectronics.com/ to find switches and knobs and things. You can also harvest these from old, busted electronics you find here and there. Getting started is more of an art than a science - you start touching things to other things and see what happens. Good luck!

This is the one that I use, its been holding up pretty well. Just be sure to keep the tip clean and tinned, it's a pain when they start to oxidize. I use something like this. Also be sure to get the right sized tip(s) for your projects.

Ones that complete a bent circuit are new to me and I don't know if they're the same, but people have made plugs that look like this for Eurorack as an indicator for a jack's output, particularly with bipolar LEDs for positive and negative voltages.

[Singles] (http://division-6.com/shop/Jacklight-3.5mm-Red-Blue-Test-LED.html)

[5x] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B01FWQ8RKQ/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=all)

[DIY] (https://www.muffwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=83999)

I don't exactly need them as I have a mini oscilloscope but I'd like to make some for output jacks with normalled connections when I want to break them. Anyway here, perhaps just the connection to ground through the LED is all the bend needs.

something like this?

https://www.amazon.com/Triangle-Screwdriver-Electronic-McDonalds-Disassemble/dp/B07H3S81D4

​

if so, try googling first, and to really get help, you need to add a picture.

​

EDIT: here's another one....

https://www.amazon.com/Silverhill-Tools-ATKTR4-Screwdriver-Replacement/dp/B004IUEHYS

I usually just recycle an old DC power adapter. The math is really easy. Count the A* batteries and multiply by 1.5 to get voltage.

If you wanna be really fancy, get a bunch of these: https://www.amazon.com/ZOZO-Regulated-Switching-Replacement-Electronics/dp/B015PXUHYA/

The quick easy way would be to use a converter like this https://www.amazon.com/Rockford-RFHLC-Speaker-Signal-Adapter/dp/B009VTDVMU

The more difficult way would be to open it up and trace the audio path to where it enters the power amplifier section.

Good question, I didn’t know about the difference until after I ordered them. It doesn’t say on this page but I used these https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00RGKF9WG?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

http://www.amazon.com/Circuit-Bending-Build-Alien-Instruments-ExtremeTech/dp/0764588877

Here is one circuit you might be able to build for yourself: http://www.learningaboutelectronics.com/Articles/Voltage-level-indicator-with-a-zener-diode.php


Here is a pre-assembled LED voltage bar, (might be too big though) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GGVV46T/ref=sspa_dk_detail_6?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07GGVV46T&pd_rd_w=LrOVg&pf_rd_p=10ebaf99-73de-4f5d-a994-e7f5fc52f86f&pd_rd_wg=lh6B3&pf_rd_r=2PGC63FBX3YE7CHX6K6T&pd_rd_r=d526f036-2dff-11e9-b05b-55823f4364c8


I don't know anything about RC planes, but motor control is sometimes done through pulsing the voltages at different rates instead of just providing less or more voltage- I don't think these types of meters would work on the pulsed type control.

Started collecting bent stuff a couple years ago and now can bend and build stuff myself. As you learn to solder, the only skill you need basically, read these two books:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0415998735
http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/0764588877

Check out this book, it basically describes everything.
Also learn to solder and get a decent soldering gun.

http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/0764588877

Hey, that’s progress!

Try resoldering the connectors on the back of those. They might have come loose from the mechanical pressure over time.

As for cleaning the buttons themselves, I have some stuff that I use for dodgy buttons and scratchy pots. Not exactly this, but it’s from from RadioShack which doesn’t exist anymore. Probably this is similar and would do the job:

https://www.amazon.com/WD-40-Specialist-Electrical-Contact-Cleaner/dp/B00AF0OFVU/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1541714656&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=electrical+contact+cleaner&dpPl=1&dpID=41yj73g%2B%2BlL&ref=plSrch

I’d resolder the connections, then spray this stuff in there and click the buttons like a hundred times.

Worst case scenario, those little black buttons are a standard part you can replace.