Beavis Heterodyne-Space-Explorer 'synth-a-like'

[knealebrown]

http://www.beavisaudio.com/Projects/CMOS_Synthesizers/Heterodyne-Space-Explorer.png

has anyone built this? or know if it works? i have an interesting case that would suit such a cool little project and have half designed a vero layout for it.

Could be a cool little noise maker?

[Taylor]

Yep, I've built it, and have a PCB for it forthcoming. It's a very crazy and cool unit. You can do everything from bass drones to Nintendo-ish auto arpeggios, rhythmic electro pulses, and nasty screechy insanity. I've added a switchable filter to tame it if needed.

The one thing that's a bummer about it is the immense amount of wiring if you do things offboard, which is why I wanted to do a PCB for it because I hate offboard wiring.

[knealebrown]

cool stuff, ill hold off then for your verified layout. Can you post sound samples?
im looking forward to giving it a try

[Taylor]

It'll be a double sided board, so not an etchable layout, unfortunately.  I don't have any samples yet, but once the board is available there will be some on my website. I'll have a project file with info on mods and the full schematic, so it should be easy to incorporate some of the ideas into your vero layout.

[knealebrown]

no thats excellent im in the middle of my degree atm so should be working anyway but planning a noce build like this for later in the year, let me know when its done ill definitely have a board or two, plus the mods sound like a good added bit of spice

[reddo]

Yep, I've built it, and have a PCB for it forthcoming. It's a very crazy and cool unit.  ...

Cool, I'm looking forward to this. The Echo Base project was great.

[Greenmachine]

I'm also interested in your board Taylor.  I've had the Space Explorer on deck for months now.  Have you heard the Weird Sound Generator?  If so, how does it compare to your ears?

[Taylor]

Looking at the schematic of the WSG, pretty similar, yeah. I mean, these are all based on the standard oscillator made from 40106 sections. So some similar sounds will be available.

It just occurred to me that, since these oscillators give a triangle at the RC junction, I could have a switch for each oscillator for triangle/square.

[blooze_man]

Is it possible to make this into an effect you could plug into and it oscillates the guitar sound?

[Taylor]

Well, you'd need to define what it means to oscillate a guitar signal. You could make it into an effect by sending your guitar and the output of this to the inputs of a diode ring modulator, but IMO the output would be close to white noise. And I'm a ring mod fanatic, so I don't mean that in a "anything that don't make me sound like Stevie Ray is just noise" kind of way.  

You might be more interested in the Tone God's "Christine" which does some crazy oscillating fuzz with bleepy-bloopy sounds, but it's actually meant for plugging a guitar into. I just happen to have a PCB on the way for this too, serendipitously. I think that would make for a better guitar effect - the heterodyne space box is really meant to be a standalone synth/noisemaker.

[Strategy]

Weird sound generator is a blast and very easy. You can get a kit & pcb off the shelf from Music From Outer Space but if you dig there is a PNP single sided layout on his site for the first version of the WSG. That's what I used. The filter is very musical for how simple it is.

Taylor I will look forward to the pcb for this!! Very nice!

-  Strategy

[bwanasonic]

A demo video of the Beavis Heterodyne-Space-Explorer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAIQwilE6go

Man, I'd love to mess with one of those. In a soundproof room, miles away from anyone holding a blunt object. 

K

[markeebee]

A Christine pcb would be uber excellent.  Bring it.

[John Lyons]

56k modem nostalgia? 

[JonasL]

Hi, i've build this thing , but it seems that only the first chip is producing soud. On the schematic, only the first chip is powered and grounded, but should i power and ground the other chips as well?

[egasimus]

I don't understand why would anyone build a drone/glitch box without a filter. I prefer this sort:

[tiges_ tendres]

Hi, i've build this thing , but it seems that only the first chip is producing soud. On the schematic, only the first chip is powered and grounded, but should i power and ground the other chips as well?

There is only one chip in the schematic.  The other symbols you see are on the same chip, just different gates/pins.

[JonasL]

Hi, i've build this thing , but it seems that only the first chip is producing soud. On the schematic, only the first chip is powered and grounded, but should i power and ground the other chips as well?

There is only one chip in the schematic.  The other symbols you see are on the same chip, just different gates/pins.

Oh crap. Well i guess it doesn' t matter that i used four chips, like that my finished space exlorer looked very good, not messed up at all. I've powered and wired the other ic's to and now the thing is working fine! I can also maybe add some features to the open pins... And for those who hate offboard wiring, here's a hint: i just soldered my pots onto the solderboard. Like that i didn't have to use any  wires for the pots. But maybe this was so easy because i used four chips, otherwise it might get a little thight in space...

[tiges_ tendres]

Hi, i've build this thing , but it seems that only the first chip is producing soud. On the schematic, only the first chip is powered and grounded, but should i power and ground the other chips as well?

There is only one chip in the schematic.  The other symbols you see are on the same chip, just different gates/pins.

Oh crap. Well i guess it doesn' t matter that i used four chips, like that my finished space exlorer looked very good, not messed up at all. I've powered and wired the other ic's to and now the thing is working fine! I can also maybe add some features to the open pins... And for those who hate offboard wiring, here's a hint: i just soldered my pots onto the solderboard. Like that i didn't have to use any  wires for the pots. But maybe this was so easy because i used four chips, otherwise it might get a little thight in space...

Now you can turn this into a real synthesizer by turning the unused gates into other pitches!  16 notes total!

[Mac Walker]

I don't understand why would anyone build a drone/glitch box without a filter.

Or drench it in reverb!