Hi. I found a Speak & Read in a thrift store the other day and couldn’t resist- I’m going to bend the hell out of it! I’m curious if anyone could direct me to information that would allow the implementation of MIDI controlled circuitbends. I know there are kits you can buy, but that’s no fun. I guess I caught the DIY bug pretty bad… *sigh* If you know how to MIDIfy something like this, let me know.
Thanks,
You might start here: http://www.makezine.com/extras/32.html. It’s a simple DIY circuit bending project with a Speak & Read, but it could provide some ideas as to where to start bending.
-drin
If you know how to MIDIfy something like this, let me know.
Not exactly this, but something like this is the SpeakJet, a single chip for ~25$ that you can control with a IIC-module and a Core-module. TK has just released the plans and a first firmware! The SpeakJet can talk phonemes, words and phrases, you can control pitch and speed and it has some additional sound-fx and DTMF-tones.
Documentation is minimal at this moment, but there are some of us planning to build this, so help and hints should be available.
You might want to check out this thread:
http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php?topic=2870.0
Wow. How’d I miss that link, drin? Thanks. That’s a great start for exactly what I want to do. As far as the speakjet goes, it’s really cool to watch you high-level guys develop new stuff. I’m hoping to build some of the other synths on the site this summer, so maybe that’d be a fun project for the fall (after I learn real programming skills). Keep up the good work!
Wow. How’d I miss that link, drin? Thanks.
You’re welcome. Please keep us informed of your progress! New toys are always good. 
-drin
Check out:
Would be nice if it could be done with MIOS and a Core instead, but this might be a good starting point.
as for bending a speak&read (or any toy) and controlling this with midi;
-most bends are connecting 2 points together; you can make (CMOS ic?) switches that switch with a trigger, i’m still planning to write something on this
if you make some matrixes with these switches you have some nice possibilties
-use midio128 DOUT for triggering (buttons, controlled switches)
cheers, marcel
you can make (CMOS ic?) switches that switch with a trigger, i’m still planning to write something on this
if you make some matrixes with these switches you have some nice possibilties
Please do! When you have written something, the wiki is probably the best place for it :D:D