Electronic Music 411 - Atari Punk Console gone wrong

Atari Punk Console gone wrong
em411.com forums : Circuit bending : bending hardware

page 1 | 11 posts new topic Store

thread starter

10/14/08 + Wavedude

Everything in this new Atari punk console works fine except for one problem:
There is two 500k linear pots, and when I touch these two pots terminals, there is this weird screaming noise. It is pressure sensitive. It seems to be the sound made from my body heat touching the pot wiring. It seemed cool at first, but now I want to do it the right way.
Apparently, its these two pots, everything else is working just fine. The actual pot isn't controlling anything, its just the wires connected to it that make the screech when I touch them. The oscillator is definitely working according to the pitch screaming I am getting, now can someone please tell me how to control it? with the pots?

Recent Blog: Floridian Events Needed

Replies

10/14/08 + Wavedude

Heres the schematic:

link

Recent blogs: Floridian Events Needed

10/15/08 + Wavedude

Also, are those wires on the the pots terminals connected to both two terminals? I cant tell if there are just underneath the component are if they are connected.

Recent blogs: Floridian Events Needed

10/16/08 + xLefr

I wish I knew more so I could say more, but when touching pots and stuff happens, it may be grounding issues.
A) You could try to just put a plastic knob on the pot shaft for a quick fix
B) Sometimes, the trimpot chassis needs to be connected to ground for a quick fix (though I've never really liked that approach somehow)
C) There might be something funny in the ground scheme / implementation, overall. I'd personally take the screaming as a hint to go carefully over the ground. I think that the wires-on-the-pots-terminals connectedness question is a good one, I hope you find an answer quickly.

edited: Oct 16 2008 + password

lol sounds cool

Recent blogs: nothing

10/16/08 + Wavedude

Ok, where is the trimpot chassis? And Ill check the grounding and stuff.

(Btw, I never put the LED and its res in the circuit just to save power and space, is that a problem?)

Recent blogs: Floridian Events Needed

10/17/08 + xLefr

The pot's chassis is just the chassis of the pot - not the shaft, not the terminals, but the house where the shaft and terminals live, you know?

10/17/08 + xLefr

And no, I'd guess that skipping the led isn't a problem. To me, it looks like the path the eletricity takes from +9V to ground is just through a resistor and a LED, so it doesn't look like there is any effect on the rest of the circuit - as I believe you have correctly deduced, sir.

10/17/08 + Wavedude

Hmm, ok then. As for the pot, I think you might be right. the whole circuit really isnt grounded to anything but the negative of the battery, and the box is made out of cardboard, so there is no metal chassis to ground the circuit to...
I think that might be a problem, lol, would you agree?

Recent blogs: Floridian Events Needed

10/17/08 + zifcak

no, that shouldn't matter. the battery should be the only ground it needs. go over your circuit very carefully checking to make sure all the connections are correct, and that there are no solder connections where there shouldn't be. make sure that each of your solder joints is smooth and shiny and solid.

most of the time, problems like this come from hard-to-spot errors.

10/18/08 + em978

everytime i hear the name of thing it makes me angry.

Recent blogs: On the radio, New Release- Any Means To Many -EP1 <-lost15->, Hot Beatz and Dancing

You must be a member to reply or post. signup or login