thingstruments

More DIY for you. This guy made his own Akai MPC style controller - but with laptop trackpads ! This means each pad can track it's own X/Y coordinate! This must be a first in the history of pad controllers! Found via hack a day .

Another cool DIY controller, this time made with distance sensors . Combined with the software, a MAX/MSP patch, this DIY enthusiast can now control his favourite synths like a wizard. Found on hack a day .

Here's some more from littleBits: a keytar and a synth spin table project. littleBits are a product family of little electronics modules that can be connected together like legos. If you don't already know, they just started collaboration with Korg for a new synthesizer module product line...

Dentaku have created a mini-synthesizer the size of a cassette tape: Ototo. Looks fun!

This is for the SID fans out there: a freeware SID-emulating VSTi for Windows.

Korg just keeps bringing out some excellent toys for synth geeks. Now they have started collaboration with littleBits , a company making open-source modular circuit boards that can be connected like legos. That's right, Korg is now making open-source synth modules. They've released the monotron schematics already a while back and seems like it worked out just fine for them. It's great to see a big company like Korg embracing the DIY synth community like this! Read this great article on create digital music for more info on the littleBits + Korg collab.

No more fiddling with pots: this guy removed the knobs and replaced them with an on-board Arduino with a Bluetooth module. On top of that he wrote an Android application with which he can change presets on the fly and even create some tremolo-like effects by switching between the presets automatically. Details on the project can be found on the Arduguitar home page .

Here's a great DIY build: a small keyboard imitates 4 NES controllers that are connected to the original NES running a NESK-1 synthesizer cartridge . Check out also this demo of the NESK-1: