1. Create an LED circuit with a (class presentation). Record the voltage drop from each step and amps used in the circuit:
8.97 V -> 6.90 V -> 0 V 6A
2. Create a three-LED circuit on Tinkercard and measure Voltage Drop and amps using their multimeters (class presentation).
https://www.tinkercad.com/things/j1s7003LCWM-new-circuit-with-3-leds
3. 📚 Read Chapter 02 - Musical Electricity for Electrophobes (39-45) in Electronic music from scratch (Pearson). Write a comment on one of Pearson’s phrases that speaks to you. (2-3 sentences)
“Thwacking a ruler while holding one end against a table sounds only so-so when you listen to it with your ears (or if you record it with a traditional microphone). With a piezo pickup underneath, however, it produces an earth-shakingly deep bass tone—perfect for your forthcoming late-’90s- inspired acid-trance-stomp EP.”
This particular phrase spoke to me because it shows how the impact of everyday actions entirely depends on scale. The thwack of the ruler against a table is only a mild and very fleeting sound to us, but creates fierce vibrations in a piezo pickup such that it creates a much more impactful bass.
4. Follow the Piezomania (39) and Sound through your skull (42) experiments.
5. Create a groundbreaking musical instrument using Pearson’s advice in the conclusion of the chapter to customize your circuit to play sound in a new way.
https://youtube.com/shorts/92TI0V6DyMU?si=RfnlLsn1dHVYCQ3y
6. 📚 Read Chapter 03 - The Hello World Oscillator (46-59) in Electronic music from scratch (Pearson). In your own words, why should you be careful with capacitors?
If you use a capacitor with a figurative bucket too small to handle the high voltage from the circuit, then the capacitor will explode. This is very dangerous, and therefore you should be careful.
7. What is the difference between an analog and digital component?
Analog components are continuous and mechanical. Digital components take discrete values.
8. 👉Activity: Analyze square waveforms with an oscilloscope. On the Snap-on Waveform demo board, which pot controls variable voltage (duty cycle) and which controls variable frequency (PWM slides)? What is a common use of each? Post a photo of your testing.
I’m not sure but I assume that we are going to do this in class.
9. 🎬 Watch Synthesizing with Moog - Lesson 2: Dynamics (15:33). Which tells us that every musical sound has three defining characteristics. What are they?
10. If you were to make a list of your top 10 songs, share a link (e.g. youtube) to one that demonstrates an envelope generator at work, as well as the timecode for that position. Here is an example:
The opening synth keyboard melody in Com Truise Galactic Melt uses a very short attack, making it punchy and alive. The base synth (
1:30) uses a slower attack, adding to its weight and helping to ground the tempo. —Owen Mundy
https://youtu.be/BY1qkoUhcWQ?si=aYaM991bfbTF4gey&t=10 at 10 seconds, the main synth has a fast attack and slow decay.