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This instructable is all about making a beatbox - but one that does things a little differently. It is also about reusing existing toy technology to make it all happen. In order to develop a controllable sound engine, I decide to "circuit bend" a kid's toy. The toy that I'm using is the Yada Yada Yada voice recorder, which includes recording/playback control, a built-in microphone, and the ability to "warp" (pitch-shift) the recorded sound.
All of these capabilities sounded interesting for a beatbox-like device, and they are also very cheap ($6 new at the local Target store).
The overall idea is to use an Arduino Nano as the beatbox brains, and to use modified Yada Yada toys as the individual voice modules. This will require a fair amount of rework, since I will want to maintain most of the functionality of the recorder while completely reworking the packaging.
In a recent project, I found an interesting way to interact with beatbox-like machines. Rather than using a typical "pad" interface, I used a two-dimensional grid of "preset patterns" for voice rhythm selection. The user can select an approriate phrase and shift them to generatively create a beat. The result is a lot more dynamic than simply playing presets, and allows the player to fine tune the performance without the embarrassing stumbles that come with realtime programming.
I also want to try an idea that I've had for a long time, but was never able to implement. I want to have an "auto-record" feature that will be able to randomly record new audio into different voices, creating ghost rhythms and melodies as part of its operation. Obviously, this would get in the way of creating a standard beat, so this mode should be well-labeled and easily defeated.
Finally, in order to make it work with other equipment that I have, I want to make sure that it can be externally clocked. Using one of the interrupt-capable pins of the Arduino should make this easy, and external clocking will allow me to actually use it to create music.
Aggressive plan, but I'm up for it!
All of these capabilities sounded interesting for a beatbox-like device, and they are also very cheap ($6 new at the local Target store).
The overall idea is to use an Arduino Nano as the beatbox brains, and to use modified Yada Yada toys as the individual voice modules. This will require a fair amount of rework, since I will want to maintain most of the functionality of the recorder while completely reworking the packaging.
In a recent project, I found an interesting way to interact with beatbox-like machines. Rather than using a typical "pad" interface, I used a two-dimensional grid of "preset patterns" for voice rhythm selection. The user can select an approriate phrase and shift them to generatively create a beat. The result is a lot more dynamic than simply playing presets, and allows the player to fine tune the performance without the embarrassing stumbles that come with realtime programming.
I also want to try an idea that I've had for a long time, but was never able to implement. I want to have an "auto-record" feature that will be able to randomly record new audio into different voices, creating ghost rhythms and melodies as part of its operation. Obviously, this would get in the way of creating a standard beat, so this mode should be well-labeled and easily defeated.
Finally, in order to make it work with other equipment that I have, I want to make sure that it can be externally clocked. Using one of the interrupt-capable pins of the Arduino should make this easy, and external clocking will allow me to actually use it to create music.
Aggressive plan, but I'm up for it!
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Signing UpStep 1SquawkBox - Yada Yada Disassembly
Disassembly and preparation of the Yada Yada Yada box is the most delicate and important part of this entire instructable, so I'm going to spend more time on this than any other activity. Please use extreme caution with this device, since it is small, fragile and not made for end-user manipulation.
The first thing you need to do is to take the Yada Yada Yada recorder apart. It's not very tricky, but I busted up the first one I tried, so you need to be careful. First, you take it out of its over-done retail packaging. This gives you a simple little device.
Next, you have to remove the rubber/plastic bumper that surrounds the device. The easiest way to to this is to cut one side of it, then peel it off around the body. Watch out when you are removing the bumper at the top of the device; it is holding an LED that could easily tear off and mess up your circuit board.
Finally, remove the five screws on the back of the device. Don't remove the screw holding in the battery compartment - we'll leave the batteries intact for now.
Once the five screws are removed, you should be able to open the device and remove the pointless plastic components. Be careful when moving the battery compartment so that you don't rip it off the board, and use a small jeweler's screwdriver to pry the speaker and microphone from the front panel (where it may be glued to the frame). Once this is complete, you should have a minimalist voice recording device.
The first thing you need to do is to take the Yada Yada Yada recorder apart. It's not very tricky, but I busted up the first one I tried, so you need to be careful. First, you take it out of its over-done retail packaging. This gives you a simple little device.
Next, you have to remove the rubber/plastic bumper that surrounds the device. The easiest way to to this is to cut one side of it, then peel it off around the body. Watch out when you are removing the bumper at the top of the device; it is holding an LED that could easily tear off and mess up your circuit board.
Finally, remove the five screws on the back of the device. Don't remove the screw holding in the battery compartment - we'll leave the batteries intact for now.
Once the five screws are removed, you should be able to open the device and remove the pointless plastic components. Be careful when moving the battery compartment so that you don't rip it off the board, and use a small jeweler's screwdriver to pry the speaker and microphone from the front panel (where it may be glued to the frame). Once this is complete, you should have a minimalist voice recording device.
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Good luck on your quest!
[ddg]