Applications and Implications
Assignment
- Propose a final project that integrates the range of units covered, answering:
what will it do?
who's done what beforehand?
what materials and components will be required?
where will they come from?
how much will it cost?
what parts and systems will be made?
what processes will be used?
what tasks need to be completed?
what questions need to be answered?
what is the schedule?
how will it be evaluated?
- Projects can be separate or joint, but need to show individual mastery of the skills covered
What will my final project do?
My final project is a Slide Theremin Guitar that can be used as a normal slide guitar and also as a photoresistor/transistor Theremin. Plus to make other weird digital/analog psychedelic sounds.
Who's done what beforehand?
For my final project I was quite sure to make some kind of instrument, since I am active musician playing in bands and doing troubadour gigs. For last two years I have been playing in a blues band. The love for the blues and to be able to combine something old and traditional to newer technology is interesting to me. The traditional cigar box three string blues guitar is a symbol of something that you can make by yourself with material you find in your environment. Then you assemble it with great care and you have something you truly enjoy.
As research for my final project I started looking at several things on the web. I found most of it on Youtube:
- How cigar box blues guitars are made
- Learn about the neck through system
- Learn about truss rods and how to install them
- Learn about how Theremin works
- Learn about photoresistors and transistors
I was also inspired by Drew Blanke (Dr.Blankenstein) who makes fantastic sound equipment like synths and effect pedals. Drew Blanke has great knowledge using photoresistors to make crazy cool sounds for his equipment. For this project I contacted Drew and he gave me good advices, thank you very much Dr.Blankenstein!
What materials and components will be required? Where will they come from? How much will it cost? BILL OF MATERIALS
Wood:
- Wood for the neck (beech) / local hardware store / 23,96$
- Wood for the body (birch) / Gift from a friend / 0$
- Wood top plate of body (ash) / Gift from a friend / 0$
- Unslotted Fingerboard Guitar Rosewood / Stewmac.com / 19.60$
Electronics:
- 1 ATMega 328 microcontroller / Fab Lab Hornafjordur / 3.65$
- 1 ATtiny 44 microcontroller / Fab Lab Hornafjordur / 2.03$
- 1 Digital Potentiometer / HFH REYKJAVÍK / 2.17$
- 1 Low Voltage Tone decoder / MBR Reykjavik / 3,7$
- 1 5V regulator / Fab Lab Hornafjordur / 0.7$
- 1 Cer resonator 20.00MHZ / Fab Lab Hornafjordur / 0.2$
- 6 (2x2) connectors / Fab Lab Hornafjordur / 0,05$
- 5 (2x3) connectors / Fab Lab Hornafjordur / 0.05$
- 2 Capacitor 0.1uF / Fab Lab Hornafjordur / 0.03$
- 4 Capacitor 1uF / Fab Lab Hornafjordur / 0.02$
- 1 Capacitor 100uF / MBR Reykjavik / 0.1$
- 12 Resistor 0K / Fab Lab Hornafjordur / 0.02$
- 3 Resistor 1K / Fab Lab Hornafjordur / 0.02$$
- 5 Resistor 499ohm / Fab Lab Hornafjordur / 0.02$$
- 3 Resistor 10K / Fab Lab Hornafjordur / 0.02$$
- 2 Resistor 100K / Fab Lab Hornafjordur / 0.02$
- 3 Potentiometer / HFH REYKJAVÍK / 15.17$
- 2 Buttons /MBR Reykjavik /4.79$
- 1 Photoresistor /MBR Reykjavik /4.79$
- 10 Phototransistors / Fab Lab Hornafjordur / 0.2$
- 5 LED / Fab Lab Hornafjordur /0.07$
- LCD module 16x2 / Fab Lab Hornafjordur /13.6$
Hardware:
- Truss Rod 18" / Stewmac.com / 16.99
- Fretwire / Stewmac.com / 19.68
- Gotoh guitar tuners / tewmac.com / 21$
- Bleached bone Saddles, blank / Stewmac.com / 5.39$
- Metal jack plate / Stewmac.com / 24$
- P90 guitar pickup / / Stewmac.com / 90$
- Guitar string ferrules (6pcs) / Stewmac.com / 7.21$
- Guitar strings / Local store / 5$
Other:
- Copper shielding tape / HFH REYKJAVÍK / 10.7$
- Filament for the 3D printed bridge, buttons and Slide Light / Fab Lab Hornafjordur / 12.3$
What parts and systems will be made? What processes will be used?
The whole guitar and the electronics will be made by participant. I designed the shape of the guitar in the first week and used Computer Controlled Machining Week to cut it out. The electronic systems is still in a design process but lot of tests have been made. I am still waiting for electronic parts to be able to make more tests.
The process / What tasks need to be completed?
- Design the shape and size of the guitar: Completed
- Make the photoresistor analog board:Completed
- Design the light for the guitar slide: Completed
- 3D print and solder the guitar slide light: Completed
- Design the digital board that talks to and controls the analog board: 25.june
- Design the Led board that talks to and controls the Digital board: 27.June
- Sand the guitar neck and body: 20.June
- Mill the rosewood fingerboard for fret wire, nut bone, phototransistors and wires: 17.June
- Design
and mill out a base for the bridge: 25.May
- Install all electronics: 30.june
- Assemble all hardware: 30.june
- Tuning and testing: 20.june-4.July
What questions need to be answered?
- What kind of build-in sound effect can I add to the system and how?
- Will I get a right digital potentiometer for my system, waiting for a supplier to answer me about that?
- How will I program the digital board to talk to the analog and display settings on the LCD screen?
- How will I switch between settings?
- How will I react to unwanted buzz to the output signal?
- How will I design the Led board and how I let it read the active phototransistor?
What is the schedule?
- From Mai 26. - June 15. / Design exploration.
- From June 15.-20. / Assembly and fine tuning
- From June 20.-22. / Final presentation
- From June 22.-July 8. / Finish documentation
How will it be evaluated?
I have to finish designing and building the whole guitar. I have to finish the electronics and the programming part. I will have to put it together and tune it so I can use it as an slide guitar and workable Theremin guitar. The only thing that I will not finish is the paint job, I will do that after Fab Academy but it does not matter for the evaluate. The guitar will be a full functional prototype but I am sure I will keep on developing it after Fab Academy 2016.