Simple ways to circuit bend a toy

 by nknouf
Featured
I want to show some of the modifications you can do to any toy to turn it from what might simply be an annoyance to a tool for glitchy, noisy awesomeness. The techniques here are pretty easy--even if you don't have much experience with electronics. All you need is a willingness to make mistakes, to repeatedly pop batteries in and out when you crash the processor and need to reset things, and a desire to make strange sounds.

This instructable, and its videos, show two of the simplest modifications that can be done: pitch bending and body contacts. I've deliberately not shown some of the more complicated methods, like triggering samples using a timer circuit, that you can learn once you've got the basics down.

Most steps have videos that carefully go through the processes described in the text. I see them as vital tools to help you see how this is down within a real circuit.

Difficulty: beginner to immediate
Skills needed: basic electronics (know about resistors, power, ground, switches), soldering (although this is an easy-enough project to get or build soldering skills)
 
Remove these adsRemove these ads by Signing Up

Step 1: Materials and tools

DSC02068.JPG
DSC02064.JPG
You need a few things to begin with, of course. If you have never worked with electronics before you'll have to spend more money to get things like a soldering iron--but I bet you can get everything you need for under $30.

Onto the list of things you need!

Toy: Obviously you need a toy to modify--one that you don't mind opening up and (potentially) making inoperable if something bad happens. I recommend the usual places: thrift stores, surplus stores, etc. But...please, please, please, PLEASE don't go to a major retailer and purchase something new to modify. There are enough toys out there on the market being discarded---we don't need to give multinational corporations higher profits by buying something new when we can reuse and modify something that already exists. So go to your thrift store and scrounge around; you might not find something immediately, but be patient for the right toy to come along.

The best toys are the ones that aren't complicated: only a few sounds, a few buttons, etc. Anything that has complicated behavior is going to have complicated circuitry that is both going to be more difficult to modify and more likely to simply screw things up without making useful sounds. A good beginning toy to bend would be a stuffed animal that makes a few sounds...open up the toy and you'll find inside a plastic case that has an extremely basic chip. In my case, I chose a toy designed for toddlers that has only a few buttons and sounds--meaning the circuit inside will be relatively straightforward.

And it should go without saying (I hope)...but don't bend anything that requires a connection to the wall or mains! ONLY BEND TOYS THAT USE 9V BATTERIES OR LESS!!! I'm certainly not responsible if you hurt yourself doing this...you shouldn't, if you bend battery powered toys. But no warranties, etc. legal mumbo jumbo.

Electronics: For this bend you'll need a random assortment of parts: on/off switches, some resistors, a potentiometer, and wire. To attach things you'll of course need a soldering iron and solder. And to test things out, some alligator clips are really useful.

Other tools: A drill or dremel to cut holes in the casing, and a screwdriver to take the case apart.

The video for this step is me playing around with the toy before any modifications are made.


adebruin says: Aug 16, 2011. 8:46 AM
Thanks for all these beginner bend tips. I started to play with connections on a keyboard's circuit board (my first attempt at circuit bending). Found a few intersting sounds, made some notes but didn't solder any points. But I hit some contacts that killed the sound. And taking out the batteries doesn't reset the circuit board, but the keyboard is definitely powering off and on still. Just no sound. Any suggestions?! Thanks!
Zem says: Feb 20, 2010. 1:10 PM
 I like that bend. Are you just attaching one lead the the chip? Or is one lead at the chip, and another on ground?
Zem says: May 5, 2009. 3:02 PM
Cool, can you add a jack to it? So you could hook it up to an amp.
ravingking2008 in reply to ZemNov 5, 2009. 6:27 PM
adding jack to it is easy but WHY WHY ???  nobody wants to listen to kids toys @ 100 watts  lmao
Zem in reply to ravingking2008Nov 5, 2009. 7:54 PM
Well, yeah. but if you did a really cool bend... 
ravingking2008 in reply to ZemNov 6, 2009. 5:52 AM
like a circuit bent swearing furby doorbell. my kids would love that
Zem in reply to ravingking2008Nov 6, 2009. 8:13 AM
XD 
nos770 says: Aug 26, 2009. 6:30 PM
What pot did you use? and what was the resistance?
MilotisX says: Aug 7, 2009. 1:04 PM
how do you wire the pot though?
cloner says: Aug 3, 2008. 8:34 PM
anybody know or thought about the negative psychological effects this would cause to a child?
Steeltowndude in reply to clonerDec 1, 2008. 5:04 PM
Anybody care? Lol It shouldn't hae any effects unless it was negative sounds. Like screaming and gunshots.
kelseymh says: Oct 9, 2008. 12:31 PM
Nice mod! I've been searching for the "inverse" I'ble, but have been unsuccessful, so I'm asking around...given a toy with a built-in speaker, what is the best way to add a volume control knob (potentiometer)? I can make a mute trivially by inserting a switch on either speaker wire. But for a volume control is an inline pot, or a "shunt" pot (across the speaker terminals), the better choice?
MACKattacksnipe says: Aug 3, 2008. 6:46 PM
make a synth box
cotton says: Jul 9, 2008. 10:44 AM
dosent work i did it on old toy and it only turned the volume down!
nknouf (author) in reply to cottonJul 18, 2008. 3:45 PM
Hmm, you must have found the resistor that controls the volume. Does the toy have a volume knob? If not, then maybe the volume was set as fixed by that resistor you modified. Maybe the toy you have doesn't have a pitch resistor...but even so, you've at least found a possible bend, by adding in a volume knob!
garbagebomb says: May 17, 2008. 9:10 AM
i'm selling a "circuit bending starter kit" i put togethera bunch of NEW tools that can be used for circuit bending and a tool box w/ built-in speakers and iPod jack. *unopened dual heat soldering iorn w/pointed tip *unopened soldering iorn stand and cleaner *unopened 60/40 solder *unopened Rosin flux *unopened 18 range multitester *Plyers needle nose, side snips *Wire cutter *9 sets of alligator clips (test leads) *a fistfull of microswitches, potentiometers, toggle and push button switches *solid core copper wire :::TOOL BOX::: w/tray, built in speakers, built in am/fm reciever...but who cares? it's got an IPOD input! awesome, it's like a boombox you can bring your tools and projects in to the next circut bending workshop and keep yourself entertained for hours on a couple AAA batteries! (IPOD not included) ...i'll even give you my old projects, INCLUDING A BEHEADED TEDDY RUXPIN, & a website and email for help & hook you up with the weirdos i know that do this regularly in Chicago! pick up in Chicago, cause i don't know how to do this otherwise.
graymalking says: Mar 1, 2008. 3:35 AM
The toy keeps the same concept, just that now is for grown ups too :D Good work.
nknouf (author) in reply to graymalkingMar 2, 2008. 11:27 AM
Thanks! I like doing things that give grown ups the same ability as kids to be serious and silly at the same time :-)
incorrigible packrat says: Feb 26, 2008. 3:39 PM
Many years ago, I used to take apart the calculators that my schoolmates trashed. Once, just for fun, I powered up a board from one, and started randomly tapping processor contacts with the leads from a crystal earphone (from my trusty Radio Shack 30 in one Electronics Projects Lab) You would not believe the funky sounds that'll come out of those things!
nknouf (author) in reply to incorrigible packratFeb 28, 2008. 2:44 PM
Oh wow, that's really cool. You mean just from the contacts from the inside of the calculator? I guess since it would've been clocked in the hertz to kilohertz range you'd be able to get some audio-frequency sounds. Very awesome!
incorrigible packrat in reply to nknoufFeb 28, 2008. 5:59 PM
That's exactly what I mean. It's a pretty special sound. I've also tried computer mobos (that's with them running too, mind). If I was less lazy, I'd hook it to an amp. If I was even less lazy, I'd record some clips & post 'em.
Gonazar says: Feb 27, 2008. 1:02 AM
Lol, you looked like you were having too much fun with the toy before the mod, i mean a good 1:30+? jkjk good job man, looks like the techy way of solving the stress issues from such toys played excessively.
nknouf (author) in reply to GonazarFeb 28, 2008. 2:43 PM
Yeah, I definitely was! The rhythms that I got from tapping things were really fun to play with.
daem says: Feb 22, 2008. 8:02 PM
hehe... Yeah, this is definitely a fun thing to do. The festivals they hold out in Portland and New York City are off the hook, so I hear....
philthyanimal in reply to daemFeb 26, 2008. 12:50 PM
what festivals in portland?
sheepishlion says: Feb 23, 2008. 7:56 PM
Cool! Now I am inspired to break a few toys. +1
cr0ybot says: Feb 23, 2008. 4:46 PM
I'm in the process of circuit-bending a 1st gen Furby. This is a great tutorial on the basics!
chalky says: Feb 22, 2008. 4:31 PM
dude this rocks nice one! my little bro's got a whole heap of this stuff lying around so i think in the morning im gunna get a bending lol:)
nknouf (author) in reply to chalkyFeb 22, 2008. 6:05 PM
Awesome, thanks, glad you like it! Good luck and have fun!
nknouf (author) says: Feb 21, 2008. 4:58 PM
(removed by author or community request)
LinuxH4x0r in reply to nknoufFeb 21, 2008. 4:59 PM
Click reply at the bottom of their comment or they won't know they got a reply
nknouf (author) in reply to LinuxH4x0rFeb 21, 2008. 5:44 PM
Thanks! Missed that part of the interface; moved the comment.
LinuxH4x0r in reply to nknoufFeb 21, 2008. 5:56 PM
Glad I could help! Feel free to ask me (PM) if you ever need anything.
GorillazMiko says: Feb 21, 2008. 3:52 PM
"Circuit bending".
I hear it all the time, and it always confuses me, I can never understand what it means.

Does it mean it makes really weird noises and stuff?

Nice Instructable by the way.
nknouf (author) in reply to GorillazMikoFeb 21, 2008. 5:44 PM
Yup, that's basically what it means. It's about taking an electronic toy that makes, well, okay sounds, and modifying it so that it makes really über awesome sounds. It's about finding the latent potential within these mass-market toys. It's about reusing what might be otherwise thrown away. And yeah, it often means making really weird noises that would be hard to make otherwise :-) And thanks for the comment!
LinuxH4x0r says: Feb 21, 2008. 4:58 PM
Cool! Can't wait go start bending.
Pro

Get More Out of Instructables

Already have an Account?

close

PDF Downloads
As a Pro member, you will gain access to download any Instructable in the PDF format. You also have the ability to customize your PDF download.

Upgrade to Pro today!