I'm a little confused by the circuit bending concept

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:41 am

I'm down with mods that make a toy do something that sounds interesting, but I always go on youtube and hear the most god awful annoying sounds that just make me think "well thats neet that you could make it do that, but... it's not something anyone would actually want to listen to.."

this confuses me (confuses me about myself actually) cause I am a person that likes noises and noise music even, I like watching people make drones and tweak guitar effects and play with feedback. but circuit bending usually just sounds like a robot throwing up on a circuit board.

I'm down with sampling stuff like this and making music with it but other than that I just don't understand.

things I don't understand about it:
-it usually doesn't sound good
-it often has very little actual control, it's more like the machine just goes crazy and you think "neeto"
-it's virtually never musical

I liken it to an audio car wreck (not in sound, although it is like that too) we are only listening cause it's so fucked up and we can't help it.

I guess I'm lame...

creature · Post by **creature** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:58 am

I use circuit bending as a sound source for creating something cool. On its own I agree circuit bent toys sound a little harsh and abrasive.

For an example, download my demo pack from here

http://www.hauntedhouserecords.co.uk/el ... cCritters1

These sounds where designed based on circuit bent source material. When I use bent based sounds in my own music I use it for background ambient, fills and general glitches along with the rhythm track.

At the end of the day though it is just good ol personal preference. Some people like it, whilst others don't

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:06 am

I totally feel the sampling thing. I've just seen too many people tweaking out on a "shawihufaoikjnds;vnpoiwauhgiujfwjafoeae" for 10 minutes at a time on youtube I think

I do however kinda like drum machine circuit bends. but thats just cause they're usually rthymic

ollyb303 · Post by **ollyb303** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:54 am

I circuit-bent a speak and spell a few years back... You're right, it's pretty impossible to get anything musical going on, but I make techno, and sometimes I just need the sound of a robot throwing up on a circuit board as part of a fill, or a glitch or whatever. For that it's perfect.

The last record I put out on vinyl had 6 or 7 speak and spell bends on one of the tracks, but you wouldn't have recognised them at all - just sampled it an effected it and slotted it in at appropriate moments.

Never used it live though!

creature · Post by **creature** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 2:18 pm

Yeah as I was saying, bent samples make great wave tables etc. There are soem noise bands that perform just using bent toys, which is fine if you like that sort of thing, but I am not to keen. I would much rather use them for further sound design.

fatrabbit · Post by **fatrabbit** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 2:29 pm

The majority of stuff taken as is (for example 10 minutes of tweaking on YouTube videos) usually does sound a bit horrid. But they can be great sources for sounds. I'll often use a couple of short blips or bleeps (sometimes completely transformed with post-processing and effects) in a track, but is normally something subtle that serves the track.

I wouldn't go to a live gig of someone just tweaking a toy for an hour. It's only amusing for about 2 minutes.

logic_user99 · Post by **logic_user99** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 3:53 pm

creature wrote:Yeah as I was saying, bent samples make great wave tables etc. There are soem noise bands that perform just using bent toys, which is fine if you like that sort of thing, but I am not to keen. I would much rather use them for further sound design.

The Modified Toy Orchestra come to mind... those guys are GENIUS. Srsly.

Emissary · Post by **Emissary** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 3:55 pm

i watched an art installation type thing a few months back that was 2 guys with these weird electrical things in their hands and they rubbed them over all types of toys and crap keyboards. it was circuit bending without having to open the actual stuff up. to me it was quite cool, to the single mums and kids that went to watch...not so much.

Mr Mowgli · Post by **Mr Mowgli** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 4:11 pm

I think the sounds are cool when used in music productions, I can't say i'll be listening to a Circuit bending CD this xmas, but I think the glitch sound is great, right now I'm going to shamelessly plug our 'Circuit Bent Glitches' Sound Suite! (You can download FREE SAMPLES) of it there too!

http://www.primeloops.com/loops-samples ... itches~25/

Warminstrel · Post by **Warminstrel** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 4:15 pm

http://www.kidcarpet.co.uk/Kc_01/home.html

ubermnd · Post by **ubermnd** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 4:20 pm

logic_user99
PostPosted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 3:53 pm Post subject:
creature wrote:
Yeah as I was saying, bent samples make great wave tables etc. There are soem noise bands that perform just using bent toys, which is fine if you like that sort of thing, but I am not to keen. I would much rather use them for further sound design.

The Modified Toy Orchestra come to mind... those guys are GENIUS. Srsly.

+1

These things definitely have a place in the sonic landscape, but its not for everyone. I can recommend a brilliant book on the subject of circuit bending:

Circuit-Bending: Build Your Own Alien Instruments
Reed Ghazala
ISBN: 0-7645-8887-7
Paperback
450 pages
August 2005

I'm a big fan of improvised diy electronics, its kind of like jazz in some ways. Again, I think it falls into the category of sonic exploration rather than music as it is very hard to describe as 'accessible'. Sure you could use software to create totally mangled sounds but sometimes using a real thing to make a real (and totally new) sound is the way to go.

manimal · Post by **manimal** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 5:29 pm

Yep, Modified toy orchestra

Saw them live at sonar few years back
They manage to pull it off live

friend_kami · Post by **friend_kami** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:42 pm

bent toys are excellent for sound sources. most bent stuff is really unmusicial though, unless youre into noise and things like that. i am, some people are not. however if bent properly things can becomes very playable and very musical indeed.

this guy has alot of really good bends, this is one of my favourites i guess: http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=i3NjUHLch ... annel_page

djsynchro · Post by **djsynchro** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 12:27 pm

Well you're not going to be bending anything anyway because you've got some slacker chick camping out in your studio!

condra · Post by **condra** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 6:19 am

Killing Furby is the best reason to circuit bend.
http://electricmuseum.com/wp-content/up ... ideo_1.mov