I’ve seen a lot of MP3 player projects, but this has to be one of the simplest designs yet. Control is from a PIC16LF877. Files are read from the compact flash card’s root directory in the order in which they were copied. This data is streamed byte by byte to the vs1001k decoder chip with a built in DAC.

If this project seems a little hard you might want to check out one of Raphael’s other projects: Alarm Clock of the Short Now [via MAKE]. It’s designed for people that don’t have a regular sleep schedule, like me.

[thanks iamdigitalman]

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Here are plans for building a noise canceling headphone circuit. Noise cancellation works by placing microphones close to the ear and then playing the recorded sound out of phase causing destructive interference. Commercial headphones have the mics and power supplies built into the headphones. The page has some other fun suggestions for playing around with the stereo mic setup. If you’re looking for a cheaper route, there is this.

[thanks flybri and h-tech]

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They’re supposed to sound great. I swear. Well at least compared to bagpipes. They should only cost you about $5 not including the reeds. I doubt many of you are going to rush to the hardware store to build these, since you need to be pretty familiar with the instrument beforehand. That being said: I’m sure the submitter will get some great mileage out of his pipes without the fear of damage and I do actually like bagpipe music.

[thanks Billy the impaler]

Continue reading “PVC Bagpipes” →

This is a hack by the most basic of definitions. Seriously, the tool list is only two items long and the second item is “butterknife”! No real technical problems here; you just need to format your new 80gb harddrive as vfat and then mirror the RCA files from the original 40gb drive. It’s nice to see someone else try this before you go knifing around.

On the topic of MP3 players: have there been any other network attached players besides the Rio Karma?

[thanks ikka]

Continue reading “Lyra MP3 Player Drive Upgrade” →

Reader David Kristian was annoyed with having to use a full table or other object to support his half-rack effect when playing gigs. Laying the box flat made it impossible to read or tweak the device. He ended up with this mini-tripod. Replacing the pan lock screw and adding a suction cup foot created a really elegant solution. It gives a good viewing angle and it’s easy to pick up and take with you.

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Henry sent this in just in time for us to ignore Slashdot’s terrible story on JuiceBox hacking. The JuiceBox is a simple personal video player designed for people who don’t care about resolution or framerate, supposedly kids. Major retail chains have started dropping the prices of these units so you can pick one up pretty cheap. Probably the cheapest MMC based MP3 player you’ll find. To get more info on the hardware and the uClinux OS that it runs check out the JuiceBox page at the eLinux wiki. Details and pictures of Henry’s boom bag after the jump.

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Circuit bending is the art (as opposed to science) of modifying audio toys to produce musical instruments. By creatively shorting circuits, adding switches and pots you can create a truly unique musical object. The hobby is incredibly easy get started in; just roll down to your local thrift store and pick up some old speak ‘n’ spells and start poking around. This comes with all the usual disclamers i.e. don’t hook house current up to your body. If you’re careful though you’ll soon be hearing the wonderful sounds of a know-it-all speak ‘n’ spell in agonizing pain. Sound like fun? Have a look at Anti-Theory’s great guide to everything you need to know to get started with circuit bending.

There is also an interesting gallery show over at Crown Dozen.

Continue reading “Circuit Bending Guide” →