Synth From Nothin'

There are several purposes to this project:
  • Examine whether electronic music instruments can be made without the semiconductor industry.
  • Whether environmentally-friendly electronic musical instruments can be made.

    A simple synthesizer was constructed using all-natural materials. The oscillator was based on Nyle Steiner's zinc and steel oscillator and baking soda oscillator. It was powered with tomato juice, copper and aluminum. Resistors were made with sea salt. A speaker from naturally-occuring lodestone magnets and seashells was planned, but time ran out for the assignment :)

    • Video Link

    In this video , you can get a pretty good idea of the process. Unfortunately, I was never able to capture the oscillation in a recording, because it was so brief. Perhaps at some time in the future, I will revisit this and make it into a more thoroughly useful piece of equipment.