Junkyard Jam Band

Junkyard Jam Band

Released October 2015
Publisher(s): No Starch Press
ISBN: 9781593276119

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Book description

A collection of DIY musical instruments made from everyday materials. For any lover of music making or crafts.

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Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. About the Author
  5. Brief Contents
  6. Contents in Detail
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. Introduction
    1. What’s in This Book?
    2. A Note on Safety
    3. Further Reading
    4. Support and Contact
    5. License
  9. Part I: Quick Projects and Tinkering
    1. Project 1: The Slinkiphone
      1. Preparation
      2. Building the Slinkiphone
      3. Finding Amplifiers
      4. Playing the Slinkiphone
      5. Echoes and Amplifiers
      6. Tips, Tricks, and Mods
    2. Project 2: The Plasti-Pickup
      1. Preparation
      2. Building the Plasti-Pickup
      3. Protect Your Lungs and Brain!
      4. Playing the Plasti-Pickup
      5. Doubling the Vocals
      6. Tips, Tricks, and Mods
    3. Project 3: The Elephant Trumpet
      1. Preparation
      2. Building the Elephant Trumpet
      3. Playing the Elephant Trumpet
      4. Tips, Tricks, and Mods
        1. Tube Length
        2. Mutes
      5. Resources
    4. Project 4: The CPVC Slide Whistle
      1. Preparation
      2. Buying CPVC
      3. Building the CPVC Slide Whistle
        1. Build the Mouthpiece
          1. Cut the Windway
          2. Install the Fipple Block
        2. Add the Piston and Slide
        3. Finishing Touches
      4. Playing the Slide Whistle
      5. Pipes and Pitches
      6. Tips, Tricks, and Mods
      7. Resources
    5. Project 5: The Scratchbox
      1. Behold the Magnetic Musicassette!
      2. Preparation
      3. Building the Scratchbox
      4. Building a Tape Deck Amp
      5. Playing the Scratchbox
      6. Tips, Tricks, and Mods
    6. Project 6: The Droid Voicebox
      1. Preparation
      2. On the LM386
      3. Building the Droid Voicebox
      4. Connections in Circuit Diagrams
      5. Playing the Droid Voicebox
      6. Tips, Tricks, and Mods
        1. Tweak the Body Contacts
        2. Resistor Math: Series vs. Parallel
        3. Use a Different PCB
    7. Project 7: Circuit Bending for Beginners
      1. Preparation
      2. Three Basic Circuit Bends
        1. Modify the Output
        2. Explore Resistor Bends
        3. Add a Power Reset
      3. Package Your Project
      4. Playing Your Circuit-Bent Instruments
      5. Tips, Tricks, and Mods
      6. Resources
    8. Project 8: Junkshop Percussion
      1. Meet Vince: Professional Washboardist
      2. Listening to Music
      3. Exploring Surfaces and Sounds
        1. Boom
        2. Ting and Ring
        3. Click Sounds
        4. Shake and Rattle
        5. Sticks
        6. Your Hands as Percussion Instruments
        7. Multisurface Improvised Instruments
        8. Washboard Playing Tips
      4. Exploring Techniques
        1. Practice Rudiments with Your Hands
        2. Free Your Fingers and Feet
  10. Part II: Weekend Projects
    1. Project 9: The Playing-Card Pickup
      1. Preparation
      2. Building the Playing-Card Pickup
      3. Guitar Pickups Demystified
      4. The Facts on Wax
      5. Playing the Playing-Card Pickup
      6. Tips, Tricks, and Mods
      7. Resources
    2. Project 10: The Robo-Tiki Steel-Stringed Ukulele
      1. Preparation
      2. Building the Robo-Tiki Steel-Stringed Ukulele
        1. Build the Pickup
        2. Build the Neck
        3. Build the Body
        4. Add Pegs and Strings
        5. Tune and Test
        6. Tuning by Ear
      3. Playing the Robo-Tiki Steel-Stringed Ukulele
      4. Evolution of the Ukulele
      5. Tips, Tricks, and Mods
        1. Swap Out the Cigar Box
        2. Straight Acoustic or All Electric
      6. Resources
    3. Project 11: The Twang & Roar Kalimba
      1. Preparation
      2. Buying Music Wire
      3. Building the Basic Twang & Roar Kalimba
        1. Prepare Your Tines and Bridge
        2. Drill the Holes
        3. Install the Saddle Blocks and Bridge
        4. Install the Tines
      4. Time to Go Electric!
        1. Build the Electronics
        2. Test the Electronics
        3. Install the Electronics
      5. Tuning the Twang & Roar Kalimba
      6. Playing the Twang & Roar Kalimba
      7. Tips, Tricks, and Mods
        1. Troubleshooting
        2. Acoustic Mods
        3. Electronic Mods
        4. Expand Your Scale
        5. Jamming in C Major
      8. Resources
    4. Project 12: The Mud-n-Sizzle Preamp
      1. Preparation
      2. Building the Mud-n-Sizzle Preamp
        1. Prepare the Hardware
        2. Build the Circuit
        3. Bridging Connections the Easy Way
        4. Complete the Circuit
        5. Install the Circuit in Its Enclosure
        6. On Enclosures
        7. Test and Install the PCB
      3. Using the Mud-n-Sizzle Preamp
      4. Tips, Tricks, and Mods
        1. Boost the Fuzz with a Darlington Pair
        2. Experiment with Resistors
        3. Build the Preamp into an Instrument
    5. Project 13: The Universal LFO
      1. Preparation
      2. Building the Universal LFO
        1. Prepare the Hardware
        2. Build the Circuit
        3. Install the Hardware
        4. Troubleshooting and Packaging
      3. Using the Universal LFO
        1. Integrate the LFO
        2. Create a Tremolo
        3. Combine the LFO with the Mud-n-Sizzle Preamp
      4. Tips, Tricks, and Mods
      5. Building on Another Generic PCB
    6. Project 14: The Twin-T Phaser/Wah
      1. Preparation
      2. Building the Twin-T Phaser/Wah
        1. Prepare the Hardware
        2. Build the Circuit
          1. Preamp Circuit
          2. Twin-T Filter
        3. Install the Hardware
        4. Test the Twin-T Circuit
        5. Add the Phaser/Wah
        6. Final Testing and Enclosure
      3. Using the Twin-T Phaser/Wah
      4. Tips, Tricks, and Mods
        1. Troubleshooting Mods
        2. Tweak Components
        3. Mount the Twin-T Inside a “Broken” Pedal Enclosure
    7. Project 15: The Single-Chip Space Invader Synth
      1. Preparation
      2. Building the Single-Chip Space Invader Synth
        1. Prepare the Hardware
        2. Build the Circuit
        3. Install the Hardware
        4. Troubleshooting
        5. Enclosure
      3. Playing the Single-Chip Space Invader Synth
        1. Trigger Mode
        2. Theremin Mode
        3. Experimental Free Style
      4. Tips, Tricks, and Mods
        1. Add Speakers
        2. Work with Pedals and Effects
        3. Tone Mods
        4. Pitch Mods
        5. Control Mods
        6. Add a Keyboard
      5. Resources
    8. Project 16: The Bleepbox 8-Step Analog Sequencer
      1. Preparation
      2. The Bleepbox Control Breakdown
        1. Output Controls
        2. Modulation Controls
        3. Click-Gate Controls
        4. Step Controls: Pitch and Overdrive Mute
        5. Tempo, Power, and Pause/Reset Controls
        6. Rhythm Control
      3. Building the Sequencer
        1. Prepare the Hardware
        2. Build the Circuit
        3. Install the Hardware
        4. Troubleshooting the Sequencer Circuit
      4. Building the Modified Single-Chip Space Invader Synth
      5. Connecting the Synth
      6. Testing the Sequencer and Synth Together
      7. Enclosure
      8. Playing the Bleepbox
        1. Your First Sequence
        2. Experiment with the Click-Gate Control and Mute
        3. Cut and Loop with Pause and Reset
        4. Explore the Modulation and Per-Step Pitch Knobs
        5. Change the Rhythm
      9. Tips, Tricks, and Mods
        1. Strip Away Features
        2. Build a 4-Step Bleepbox
        3. Add Speakers
        4. Add More Sequence Lengths
        5. Circuit Bending
      10. Resources
    9. Appendix A: Electronic Components, Tools, and Skills
      1. Guidelines for Sourcing Components
      2. Components Primer
        1. Resistors: Fixed and Variable
        2. The Gory Details: Audio Taper vs. Linear Taper
        3. The Gory Details: Selecting the Right Photoresistor
        4. The Gory Details: Voltage, Current, Resistance, and Ohm’s Law
        5. Capacitors
        6. Diodes, LEDs, and Transistors
        7. Integrated Circuits
        8. Wire
        9. Quarter-Inch Phone Plugs and Jacks
        10. Switches
        11. Batteries, Clips, and Holders
      3. Tools
        1. The Standard Soldering Kit
        2. Helpful Additions to the Standard Soldering Kit
      4. Skills
        1. Soldering
        2. Desoldering
        3. Using a Multimeter
        4. Advanced Trick: Using Resistance to Identify Mystery Transformers
        5. Building a Circuit
        6. General Troubleshooting
    10. Appendix B: Extra Circuits
      1. Super-Basic Continuity Tester
      2. Stereo Jack-Power Switch
      3. Oscillators and a Metronome
        1. LM386 Oscillator Circuit
        2. CD4093 Oscillator Circuits
          1. Single Square-Wave Oscillator
          2. Four Square-Wave Oscillator
        3. 555 Timer Oscillator and Metronome Circuits
      4. Amps and Preamps
        1. Dirt-Cheap Amp
        2. Basic Transistor-Based Preamp
        3. Two-Transistor Fuzztone
      5. Filters, Mixers, Panners, and Splitters
        1. Low-Pass Filter
        2. Extra-Presence Volume Control
        3. Crossfade-Style Mixers
        4. Simplest Passive Multi-Channel Mixer
    11. Appendix C: Music Theory Crash Course
      1. Beats, Bars, and Time Signatures
      2. Notes, Scales, Chords, and Intervals
        1. Keeping Time
        2. Pitches and Octaves
        3. Scales and Chords
        4. Sharps and Flats
        5. The Gory Details: Intervals, Steps, Half Steps, Major, and Minor
      3. The Circle of Fifths
      4. Applied Theory: The 12-Bar Blues
      5. The Gory Details: The Music History of Two Hound Dogs
  11. Footnotes
    1. Project 1: The Slinkiphone
    2. Project 2: The Plastipickup
    3. Project 3: The Elephant Trumpet
    4. Project 4: The CPVC Slide Whistle
    5. Project 5: The Scratchbox
    6. Project 6: The Droid Voicebox
    7. Project 7: Circuit Bending for Beginners
    8. Project 8: Junkshop perCussion
    9. Project 9: The Playing-Card Pickup
    10. Project 10: The Robo-Tiki Steel-Stringed Ukulele
    11. Project 11: The Twang & Roar Kalimba
    12. Project 12: The Mud-N-Sizzle Preamp
    13. Project 13: The Universal LFO
    14. Project 14: The Twin-T Phaser/Wah
    15. Project 15: The Single-Chip Space Invader Synth
    16. Project 16: The Bleepbox 8-Step Analog Sequencer
    17. Appendix A: Electronic Components, Tools, and Skills
    18. Appendix C: Music Theory Crash Course

Product information

  • Title: Junkyard Jam Band
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: October 2015
  • Publisher(s): No Starch Press
  • ISBN: 9781593276119