In this workshop participants will study one of the simplest types of bend: finding a resistor within a circuit that controls the clock speed of the chip and replacing it with a potentiometer. Once bEnT you’ll be able to crush the sound of your voice to very low BITS or make it sound like a high pitched chipmunk! Participants will also be adding a jack for the speaker and microphone, to better record and hear back their recordings. Participants will be performing this bending technique on a simple voice recorder circuit that is easy to understand. They will also learn useful tricks and basic electronics that will allow them to continue to perform operations on their own toys. Participants who have their own soldering irons are encouraged to bring them (although it is not a requirement). Note: This workshop is geared toward beginners.

For specific questions about the workshop content, please contact Mark. For general questions about the Circuit Benders’ Ball Columbus, please contact Alison Colman, Fuse Factory founding director.

Big thanks to Circuit Benders’ Ball Columbus sponsors: The Founder’s Factory, Dan Rockwell, founder and CEO of Big Kitty Labs, Mark Hoffman, founder of Stomp That Box, Jason Gonzales, co-Founder of Q-Vault, Litech Lighting, Patrick Greer, and Matt Jones.

Workshop participants will create a simple two transistor light Theremin based on the 1976 Forrest M. Mims III design. This kit is perfect for beginners who will walk away confidently with a fun little noise maker, after learning about and soldering a handful of components. Intermediate attendees will also benefit from knowing how and why this circuit works. Estimated time will be 1 hour to completion. No experience is necessary. Participants who have their own soldering irons are encouraged to bring them (although it is not a requirement).

For specific questions about the workshop content, please contact Alex. For general questions about the Circuit Benders’ Ball Columbus, please contact Alison Colman, Fuse Factory founding director.

Big thanks to Circuit Benders’ Ball Columbus sponsors: The Founder’s Factory, Dan Rockwell, founder and CEO of Big Kitty Labs, Mark Hoffman, founder of Stomp That Box, Jason Gonzales, co-Founder of Q-Vault, Litech Lighting, Patrick Greer, and Matt Jones.

This workshop provides an introduction to the theoretical framework and practical applications of the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) protocol. The workshop assumes the participant is not familiar with MIDI; or is, but would like to know more detail on how the protocol functions.

Not only is MIDI extremely important in the computer music field, it also has applications in theater, lighting control, DJ/VJing, and animatronic figure control. A brief overview of MIDI’s role in each of these areas will be discussed.

In addition to the MIDI protocol itself, MIDI controllers will be discussed as well, with a demonstration on how to set-up a MIDI controller in Ableton Live, as well as using MIDI to control parameters within the program.

For more information about the workshop content, please contact the instructor, Nick Arner.

Workshop description: Processing is a programming language and environment built for the media arts and design communities. It is created to teach fundamentals of computer programming within a visual context and to serve as a software sketchbook. It is used by students, artists, designers, architects, and researchers for learning, prototyping, and production. Participants will be led through a series of demonstrations and exercises that introduce them to programming fundamentals and the Processing IDE. More information on Processing can be found at www.processing.org. Participants are required to bring a laptop (OSX or Windows).

For more information about the workshop content, please contact the workshop instructor, Rob Powell.

Experimental musicians Michael Una and Tomer Gal will discuss and demonstrate the various communications protocols that allow communication between the iPad and circuit-bent toys, such as OSC, MIDI, and CV, along with the various hardware used to translate those signals such as off-the-shelf solutions, kits, and programmable microcontrollers such as Arduino. They will also demonstrate the preparing of circuit-bent and handmade circuits to accept those types of signals and what sort of sounds can be achieved. The presentation will conclude with a demonstration of what such a system can sound like, a Q&A session, and an opportunity for audience members to play and experiment with the system to see how it works up close.

This workshop is sponsored by the Greater Columbus Arts Council’s OppArt series.

In the workshop, participants have a choice between making a quad oscillator, or a lofi fuzz box. Kits for each will be provided by the workshop instructor.

The GetLoFi Quad Oscillator Kit is based on the 4093 Logic IC configured to create four independent oscillators, which can be controlled with knobs. The circuit board provided can used in various configurations, and the oscillators can be turned off and on as well as daisy chained. The kit comes with a basic wiring schematic with each oscillator always on and the outputs being summed by included diodes. The resulting sound can very from rhythmic beeping to polyphonic drones. It is also easy to modify the circuit to expand the sound palate, such as an addition of a Tone Control Knob.

The LoFi Fuzz Kit is a very simple to build and great sounding multipurpose distortion, pixelation, and fuzz module suitable for guitar, drums, keyboard, and vocal. The kit includes a circuit board, capacitors, transistors, resistors, potentiometers, power switch, jacks, 9 volt battery connector, instruction sheet, and wire.

The circuit-bent rock group CMKT 4 is coming to town and they have designed a workshop to familiarize students with some of the general skills and concepts involved in circuit-bending. Students will start by building a simple tool with CMKT 4, a Bending Buddy, that will help everyone learn how to solder, drill plastic, mount components, and work with hot glue – these are all essential circuit-bending skills.

Students’ Bending Buddies will aide in their exploration of battery-operated circuits. We will also cover a broad overview of topics that will include selecting types of toys to circuit-bend, basic pitch “bends” and types of potentiometers, several ways to wire an audio output, other types of bends (distortions, glitches), reading schematics, and working with ICs, breadboarding, and prototyping. Attendees are encouraged to bring projects in-progress or any problem-projects to share/brainstorm.

Students will come away with a circuit-bending tool, a broader understanding of circuit-bending and some ideas about how to further control devices with external circuitry. This is a 2 – 3 hour workshop.

Students are also encouraged to bring their own electronic toys. The best toys for circuit bending have some or most of these attributes:

- Battery operated and makes noises electronically through a speaker
- Looks easy to take apart and put back together
- Has lots of extra space inside
- Already makes cool noises
- Music toys like keyboards and drum toys
- Toys from the 1980s and 1990s
- Talking toys with voices that sound computerized
- Simple noisemakers like greeting cards or one-button noisemakers
- Non-motorized toys (can be done but makes for more take apart time)
- Something you can live without if the circuits get fried.

Questions? For more information about the workshop’s contact, please email CMKT4 at cmktfour@gmail.com

For this workshop, we are partnering with the Wild Goose Creative as part of their Bike Month festivities. Join us and bring your ideas and designs for a unique bike tail light! This is a hands on workshop, so we will teach you how to assemble your design and solder together the LED’s, resistor, on/off switch and battery pack. We will provide all the materials and tools to build your own custom bike light. Let’s light up the night!

No previous experience with soldering or electronics is necessary – this is an intro level workshop.

Questions? Please email Jesse Hemminger, the workshop instructor.

Example of a DIY bike light

DIY Bike Light image #2

Before taking this course, students should either take Intro to Arduino or know how to do these basics:

• Compose and download “sketches” (programs) into the Arduino
• Solder electronic joints
• Use Arduino libraries to control input/output devices

In the first session, students will learn how to:

• Construct a real-time clock module
• Attach the clock module to an LCD shield

In the second session, students will learn how to:

• Write sketches that display character strings on a simple LCD module
• Read the current time from a real-time-clock module (on the shield)
• Read input buttons
• Combine the previous three steps in one sketch to make a clock

Required supplies (can be purchased from The Fuse Factory):

• An Arduino model that can take a standard shield (Duemillenova, etc)
• A custom-for-the-workshop “clock shield”

Instructor: Ethan Dicks

Cost: $50 for instruction only; additional $50 for a clock shield; additional $30 for an Arduino (PURCHASE SUPPLIES HERE)

Date: Wednesday, December 15 and Sunday, December 19

Time: 7:00pm-9:00pm

Location: UAEA Community Computer Lab

82 E. 16th Avenue

Columbus, Ohio 43201

Join us for another collaboration with the Film Council of Greater Columbus!   This workshop is designed to enable the average video shooter to get the best performance capable from their consumer and “prosumer” grade video camera.  The intent is to help bridge the gap from backyard family birthday shooter to the best you can be with the camera gear you own, working within whatever limitations your equipment may have.  Please feel free to bring your camera and manuals with you.

Individual topics will include but are not limited to:

• framing
• lighting
• contrast ratios
• use of color
• 2/3s rule
• audio issues
• white and color balance

Instructor: Sean McHenry

Date: September 27 and 29, 2010

Time: 6:00pm-9:00pm

Cost: $55 for both sessions

Location: The Film Council of Greater Columbus

1021 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43205-1357

The Film Council’s offices are located in the carriage house in back of 1021 E Broad St. Parking is available in the Red Cross parking lot directly behind the carriage house, which can be accessed either from S. 21st (the alley directly after the church) or from Madison Ave. Please park in the Red Cross parking lot anywhere except the spaces with ACR Vehicle marking on the blacktop. The workshop will be held upstairs.