Better Gear - Most Elegant Circuit Bend of All Time

[@AudioPilz]

Don't know what's going on? kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5yVlouQrdihadU Full Tracks, Extended Jams, Sample Packs: www.patreon.com/audiopilz

[@chordorgan]

Hope you're feeling better soon :)

[@d_vibe-swe]

Get well!

[@TheSciHi]

Get well soon, Florian! Although Better Gear is always much appreciated, a Friday without proper Bad Gear episode is only a fifth day of the week :(

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!! Trying to get back to the traditional schedule asap

[@patrikkonat3085]

@@AudioPilz Stress is an underlying factor for balding. Dont stress your recovery, just plan a BAD GEAR - health recovery special :)

[@Jxnxdoe]

I can tell you had a blast and couldn’t help to smile 👾

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, that thing is super fun to use!

[@MarshalArnold]

Thats pretty awesome! And very cool that you don't have to permanently alter the hardware.

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, love the concept!

[@LondraCalibro9]

How about 'overrated gear' ?!? - I can't ever imagine you being snarky or negative - so you may need support from gearslutz! This method of circuit bending is superb - kudos to the creators.

[@AudioPilz]

Great suggestion, thanks!

[@synthnchill7457]

Damn I wish this worked on my mc505...too bad

[@AudioPilz]

There's actually a groovebox/workstation-like thing that works with the box, the MV-30

[@TechnoMetalDude]

This is so sick, incredibly industrial sounds straight out of a NIN record!

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, probably the most hifi circuit bend I'm aware of

[@Death_By_Media]

NIN used the R8 quite a bit allegedly

[@dykodesigns]

Yeah, It feels like something NIN would use.

[@foxholeartist]

I mean... wow! So, Roland can produce good sound, but it was hidden from us!

[@AudioPilz]

Lol, shots fired;)

[@unclemick-synths]

I've always loved gear that spoofs interfaces. My first job was with a company making add ons for old telephone exchanges that worked that way. The exchange thought it was just grabbing stuff from its ferrite core memory (very old tech) but it was being manipulated in real time by an alien being like those parasitic barnacles that make male crabs female so they nurture the baby barnacles.

[@AudioPilz]

Still a better love story than Twilight...

[@dictabeat]

At the second glance this item is switching all the switches.

[@AudioPilz]

True that😂😂😂

[@thquib]

Jam 2 sounds like splatoon story mode music (in the best way possible)

[@AudioPilz]

😀Thanks!

[@MrGrahawk]

This is totally emperors new clothes. Yes we can make you're dull drum machine sound really horrible and people will say it's industrial.

[@AudioPilz]

That sums it up really nicely;)

[@johnwethekylow]

I circuit bent my own casio keyboard and yeah it mostly does this when activated. As in mostly noise. But it can sound dirty as hell for when you need that sort of thing. Another great video, get better soon!

[@danielleohallisey4218]

My lifelong habit of bending audio gear circuits was finally cured when I fried something I couldn't afford to replace. For the tenth time. This looks relatively safe, so say we, "ROCK ON!!!"

[@AudioPilz]

It's almost too convenient - such a clean solution

[@polmorgan3533]

Hope your feeling better mate, all the best.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@joonglegamer9898]

Brutal, on our speakers too. I question the remaining lifetime of my tweeters after this. Also I'd like to extend your warning about circuit bending (as an old Electronics Service tech and enthusiast): Please Do Your Research before attempting circuit bending. Just randomly opening a device and randomly trying to short various solder points in the electronics will most likely lead to destruction of your device as various (especially older) chips will potentially get exposed to overvoltage and parts will be shorted which can result in instantly damaged components. Here's a tip for the potential Circuit bender - please acquire a schematics for the device, check out the chips datasheets and specifications on what voltages it can handle, and have at least BASIC knowledge of electronics - this is not hard to learn, fortunately electronics is very simple to learn and you don't need a ton of math. Just learn a little Ohms laws basics, how capacitors, transistors, diodes and resistors work before you do it. It's well worth it for you all, youtube have plenty of beginner electronics tutorials. And to encourage you to learn: Remember... An electrolytic capacitor CAN EXPLODE and it's not fun to get Metal-Shards from a capacitor or Glass Pieces from a Diode in your eyes - stay safe - stay informed!

[@chriswareham]

Paul at Circuitbenders is a total dude. He MIDI retrofitted my Roland TR-77, and can also retrofit pretty much any of the classic 70's drum machines from the likes of Ace Tone and Roland.

[@AudioPilz]

Legend!

[@agentvx8320]

Gotta love non-destructive circuit bends.

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, really like the concept of this one!

[@isaac.anthony]

i had an Casio RZ-1 bent, it's the only reason i had it to sample for 3 years. The sequencer in that machine is still garbage, would have kept an R-8 modded, very nice!

[@AudioPilz]

The R-8 seq is an, erm, acquired taste too;)

[@alexcrouse]

This is "circuit bending" like a Game Shark is "beating the game." But it sounds sweet!

[@AudioPilz]

True that!

[@turtleCalledCalmie]

Get well soon dude, and thank you for another awesome episode!

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks for watching!

[@5lip5pace]

AUDIOPILZ IS FINALLY RUNNING OUT OF BAD GEAR, REJOICE FRIENDS! REJOICE

[@AudioPilz]

Dream on;)

[@channelite]

Cool to see Circuitbenders UK being reviewed. Another cool product they offer, which requires soldering, is the Audio 2 Trigger. So you can send like an audio rim shot or short percussive sound from your DAW or drum machine from a separate output and Audio 2 Trigger will convert it to a Eurorack gate. Useful for syncing a drum machine to eurorack.

[@AudioPilz]

Their bends are the best!

[@lairdkilbarchan]

Sounding loud, clear and relatively crackle free. The circuit-gadget-thingymajig sounded pretty good too. 😁

[@AudioPilz]

That was recorded pre-illness but thanks;)

[@lairdkilbarchan]

@@AudioPilz I guessed as much. Get well soon, bro.

[@kristianTV1974]

A lot of this reminds me of the music from the club scene in Robocop.

[@AudioPilz]

Needs more orchestra hit;)

[@AlexIsASeraphim]

I know of a U-110s and U-220s that have been sitting dusty, unloved and unwanted in a 2nd hand gear shop near home. At budget friendly prices too. I've resisted so far but if I could my hands on this ... The possibilities. Thanx as always. B.

[@AudioPilz]

Totally get the U220 - great strings!

[@gelatinous6915]

Yessssss, that r8 was just itching to be circuit bent. I would also suggest having the SR-16 bent if you still own it. It does involve soldering the PCB but it's one of the coolest, easiest and most musical sounding bends of all time. There are some really cool sounding demos on KZbin, none of which are as noisy or harsh as the R8. (Provided, it has to be labeled as 16-bit and not 24-bit on the front panel. The 24 bit version is unbendable.)

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, heard about the unbendable 24 bit version

[@ropeburn6684]

Not to mention the Alesis HR-16 and HR-16B. These are particularly worthwhile because of their weird 8bit data turned into 16bit audio via bitshift trickery. If you "bend" those, it results in utter awesomeness and sounds very powerful. They're also electronically simple enough to make your own custom sound ROMs using a standard EPROM burner. There are tutorials online about how to recreate and use the bitshift pseudo-16bit trickery. Fun and worthwhile!

[@gelatinous6915]

@@AudioPilz wouldn't be surprised if I was the one who mentioned it sometime before, I have the memory of a soggy piece of pickled fish.

[@dumafuji]

This is ace. How to get this to destroy an Mc303

[@AudioPilz]

Drop it onto the MC303 from a tall building

[@wildfeuer]

Cheezus!!!!! I have to order the Behringer Superfuzz immediately!!!! lol

[@AudioPilz]

Lolz

[@soerenraudonis]

glad to find your second channel:)

[@80iesDude45]

cEvin Key would love this.

[@AudioPilz]

He actually watches the channel from time to time;)

[@spectrumcommand1188]

Got some pedal (bad gear/rad gear) ideas. ProCo Rat (any version best dirt distortion ever in my opinion effect any 303 with one and you'll get the best acid ever) WMD Geiger Counter (best bit crusher going especially the pro version) Any other pedals comment below. And a gear episodes on both the Bastl Microgranny and Tasty Chips GR-1 would be nice.

[@HauntedHarmonics]

Hey, I just did something super similar to a Yamaha RX8! Just put a video of it on my channel yesterday. Didn’t think to try bending the cartridge slot though

[@AudioPilz]

Nice, just left a sub!

[@HauntedHarmonics]

@@AudioPilz Thanks dude!! Big fan of your content by the way. Whenever im about to buy some piece of vtg gear, I always check to see if you have a video on it first

[@kowjackyow7585]

Ready-to-use out-of-the-box """""circuit bender""""" fow those who awe scawed to use a soldering iron or run with scissors.....because Mommy would have to kiss their booboos! smh

[@AudioPilz]

Shots fired;)

[@paterpillar5997]

I am once again asking you to do SOMETHING about the MPX8. (I will send you one just for you to put it in a microwave and claim “problem solved.”)

[@AudioPilz]

Hey, there's already an MPX8 episode out there;)

[@Crabby303]

Very cool, sounds great! I was jamming with my circuit-bent HR-16 earlier today, by coincidence! I'll post a vid of the jam later :D

[@AudioPilz]

Nice! HR16 is a circuit bending classic!

[@MrMargaretScratcher]

I killed one of the channels on mine whilst probing about - any idea of a fix?

[@fatkev1983]

Fuck, I like this... A LOT. I thought the name sounded familiar - they do mods for the old Zoom rack multi fx units 1201, 1202, and 1204. I own all those units and was tempted to get mods done to one of them, probably the 1202 as it is the most boring of those units.

[@AudioPilz]

In circuitbenders we trust;)

[@feliperojasc]

Bad Gear 🤝 Better Gear >>>>>>>Roland

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!

[@maintaint3003]

I have RX-8 bent with patch panel by Circuitbenders, and it do not sound like that. It does crackles and pops with random off-beat sample slicing at first, but with over six connections it usually settles into rhythmic noise pads. I would like to have one of their bent Zoom effects.

[@AudioPilz]

I'd love one of their Zoom hacks too!

[@mycosys]

We know you hear the siren song of patch cables calling to you. One of us, one of us, one of us..........

[@AudioPilz]

Vade retro satanas!!!😂😂😂

[@matthewfrueh5699]

Hi Florian, get well soon! Would you consider a video on the Roland SH-01A Boutique? Danke! 🙏

[@AudioPilz]

Danke!!! Great suggestion!

[@kevinwhite6176]

This is like the drum machine version of when your NES malfunctions because the connector is dirty and every character in Super Mario Bros was actually represented by a brick.

[@AudioPilz]

Aren't there actual NES circuit bends out there?

[@irradix213]

it's not a patch bay, it's a break out box, totally not modular. and you might not recommend just buying one of these and a U220 just to see if it works?

[@AudioPilz]

According to circuitbenders.uk the U220 is supposed to work

[@bentsound]

Circuit Bending is finally going mainstream! Time to break out all my Speak & Spells I've been hoarding!

[@AudioPilz]

You're talking about your pension fund?;)

[@gelatinous6915]

Be soooo careful with soldering them though, TI used oversized holes for the ICs so solder can drip through the board and melt the chips. Did that once. :c

[@voltijuice8576]

@@gelatinous6915 - I've always found that the oversized holes make modding easier. Once I find a good mod with probes I can heat the pad/pin and slide another small wire right into the hole. Much more robust than tacking fine wires into pins like in my TR-707. But yeah, a few broken devices tend to be part of the learning curve.

[@stixvane]

Omfg the circuit Alesis HRb is amazing....

[@AudioPilz]

Alesis stuff is ideal for that too

[@madelinehoyle1059]

I had an R8. My poor fingertips. Why in the world did Roland think that hard plastic with zero travel was the best way to make a drum machine? :(

[@AudioPilz]

I assume it was a method to make it less accessible for the "pro" feel;)

[@stockwellengineeringhints3527]

Hi I was wondering if you would consider doing one of those Zoom RT drum machines? They are all over eBay and quite reasonably priced (cheap). The RT-123 seems to be the cheapest and most common, but the RT-323 has quite a few more features. Would be a good piece of gear to feature.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks for the suggestion! I'm still trying to find enough hate on one of these

[@stockwellengineeringhints3527]

@@AudioPilz Yeah the problem is that people actually like them! Still they are not the famous drum machines.

[@BarryRowlingsonBaz]

I guess this works by shorting address bus lines together so that the samples are accessed from "wrong" memory locations depending on the bit pattern? Or does it short the binary data values read from memory? Either way, wizardry!

[@AudioPilz]

I assumed it's science - I just don't understand it;)

[@paueraka5097]

of course!!! why wait to ridding modular gear!!!Thanks

[@AudioPilz]

Modular gear is just too addictive;)

[@lookapi]

Great card!! Great instruments!! TB-3!!😁👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼🔥🔥🔥🤟🤟🤟

[@AudioPilz]

❤️❤️❤️

[@tronovan3d]

Jam 1 slams! I had to switch from laptop speakers to bluetooth speakers to give it justice. Feel better.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!

[@danielhertzmaybe]

I swear I could hear Ron Morelli's neck make a 180º turn at 3:48 from a distance

[@AudioPilz]

;)

[@baileycarthew4381]

I have one of these I use with a MV-30 sounds great with the filter, but I am looking for a R8 to add to the collection :)

[@AudioPilz]

Get a U-220 too;)

[@shpongled587]

Circuit bending is a work of art and a great way to dip one's toes in building instruments and engineering for that matter. Look up "Look Mum No Computer" and you are in for such a treat!

[@AudioPilz]

LMNC is a bending master!

[@swankprecisionstudio4365]

Waw, i think my U-20 and U-220 are going to come back in my productions !!!

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, I really want to try it with these two as well!

[@huntergalloway3944]

STOP GIVING ME EXCUSES TO BUY VINTAGE DRUM MACHINES!! (Never stop gear daddy)

[@AudioPilz]

You could get away with a Roland U-110. Thanks;)

[@morganbecker6071]

That first demo sounded so much like classic Chemical Brothers!😮

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@xisotopex]

interesting concept, there might be a few more instruments that something similar could be designed for...

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, I'd love to hear about other Roland instruments with similar hacks

[@edwardfletcher7790]

Hmm digital bends always sounds like a robot brain aneurysm....

[@AudioPilz]

That's why we use them;)

[@pablobarria296]

i just subscribed again even when i was subscribed to audiopilz hahahah

[@AudioPilz]

😀

[@kenniferlopez1]

Check out FASTMATT! Get a circuit bent Texas Instruments speak and something!

[@AudioPilz]

Just checked out the store - nice!

[@Jedson66]

I never uderstood this circuit bend stuff. Is just a super overdrive that litterally destroys the sounds.Nothing too impressive. Just pust a distorsion pedal and thats it

[@AudioPilz]

I think it's a lot about turning it into a unique instrument

[@circuitbenders]

Tell that to Speedy J, who uses it extensively on this. It depends what you do with it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/in-upXipiqplqrM

[@voltijuice8576]

Distortion is only one kind of bend. I've always preferred bends that change the structure of the events themselves. That was how I got started in generative music! Ways to create drum patterns that would be impossible to program into the machine the normal way, or even through a typical DAW.

[@1000110000010102]

How rad is this? I just sold my R8, but seeing this use of the machine makes me happy.

[@AudioPilz]

😀😀😀

[@timschulz9563]

Weird... I can't find this video in my subscriptions.

[@AudioPilz]

🤔

[@austinmitchell2652]

We've finally seen another episode of Better Gear, but will we ever see a book case tour?? :V

[@AudioPilz]

Book case tour is long overdue indeed!

[@imagitu6409]

cool... the circuit benders basically made a game genie for music gear

[@AudioPilz]

True that!

[@CaidicusProductions]

I still think you should have a "Rad Gear" series. :D

[@AudioPilz]

I agree!

[@markolijus]

🤪 OMG my r8 is gonna be used again i feel it... Get well Flo..

[@AudioPilz]

Nice! Thank you!!!

[@althejazzman]

I still have a problem with the sound of nearly all circuit bent synths. Maybe it's because I'm not into techno and industrial, but it just sounds so unmusical with useless glitchy distorted noises. I would love circuit bending if it unlocked sounds that were clean.

[@AudioPilz]

There are some mods that make instruments cleaner but circuit bending usually is a sound destruction thing

[@mattswensen3030]

Eureka you’ve done it again! Better gear is a great idea

[@AudioPilz]

It was about time! Thanks!

[@inamortz2372]

Had to go straight to the jams for this one. Soz Introduction and friends.

[@AudioPilz]

😥

[@pong808]

Which preset was used in the Intro and ending? I heard it in a 90s Jungle tune. 8-)

[@AudioPilz]

Korg M1 Universe

[@bitegoatie]

I feel like I broke my wow a long time ago. Cheers to the return of Better - so get better soon so we can return to shoveling out the poop on the other end of this channel.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you❤️❤️❤️

[@juliaseppi2205]

Sounds awful.

[@AudioPilz]

Certainly an acquired taste;)

[@lukeimontv7086]

Wow, this thing is pretty slick if you want to make music like Autechre or Squarepusher

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed!

[@ciatangallaghe2485]

And the r8 price has now doubled. Thanks.

[@AudioPilz]

Hey, it even got a little cheaper recently;)

[@gacstibi]

The Yamaha RX7 has a card slot, I wonder if the same would work with it as well

[@AudioPilz]

Maybe just give it a try (at your own risk;)

[@designator7402]

Oh so THIS is how they made the Cruelty Squad Soundtrack!

[@AudioPilz]

You might be onto something here;)

[@andrewgeary9749]

I have one of their last modded MB33's! great stuff from circuitbenders

[@AudioPilz]

Nice!

[@melonfernsebner1771]

woah how did you get the pattern to pan for different voices sick

[@AudioPilz]

Just using the internal panning of the R-8

[@Eisenwald64]

We're learning about this sort of thing in school right now! How timely!

[@AudioPilz]

Nice!!!

[@djdarksidejungle559]

i likw it Audiopilz bad gear is awesome but a bit of better gear is a bonus

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!!!

[@JosephCodette]

Cool but not my kind of sound tbh . Dead battery effect would be cool

[@AudioPilz]

Interesting, only used it on Fuzzes - any synths worth trying it on?

[@skywatchernorth]

All that effort bending this is definitely worth it to make those fart sounds XD for real though it looks fun as hell to play with.

[@AudioPilz]

Other people get a Moog for them fart sounds;)

[@richardtretzel8353]

yes! Phinelli, signature drumsound!

[@AudioPilz]

True that!

[@danielortizdecaracas]

Roland R8 clean setup its a powerfull Drum

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed!

[@nomorejunkiebusiness1286]

That thing is rad I no longer have to buy casinos at the swap meet

[@AudioPilz]

;)

[@Mamiya645]

Nice unit. If I could go back in time to a TR-505 that I got tired of, I would use some sort of piggyback method on the sample roms to clean my job up a bunch, and also use these proper patch bay sockets instead of the thick RCA ones I got from cheap thrift store equipment. It got a lot more useful and interesting the way it ended up, could still work with its defaults sounsd and act as a sequencer, just had far too much wiring inside to properly stay screwed together.

[@AudioPilz]

TR-505 hacks are legendary!

[@pirateradioFPV]

Uh, Better Gear episodes are expensive, you have to hold on to a lot of it instead of passing on the curse to someone else 😂

[@AudioPilz]

True that;)

[@caleblaughlin8351]

Yeah!!!! Bad..Now Better…Fantastic!

[@AudioPilz]

😀

[@GO-tq6hs]

wow circuit bending through the rom card slot is wild. i don't have any circuit bent audio gear but i have a ton of circuit bent video gear, like mixers and video enhancers. it would be so cool to just be able to plug something into the serial control port of an Edirol V8 to get the kind of effects that require a ton of intricate soldering and risk of breaking expensive rare gear. super cool also too bad this doesn't work with something like the JV-1080

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, the overall concept is just too cool! Totally worth getting an R-8m just for that

[@palmereldritch6137]

Neat.

[@AudioPilz]

😀

[@-Deena.]

I guess it doesn't work with the 1080? 😒

[@AudioPilz]

AFAIK it doesn't. Maybe get a U220 just for that?;)

[@this_connor_guy]

Ooooh, yeah, I'm gonna have to get this. Will be keeping a close eye on that etsy page.

[@AudioPilz]

Just write them a message, there's usually a waiting list

[@YungCortex]

Dude that makes it sounds SOOOOO sick this is so badass

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, that thing is unique!!!

[@lo-firobotboy7112]

Oh cool.....I must have one!

[@AudioPilz]

Much recommended!

[@lo-firobotboy7112]

@@AudioPilz It's like very complex, gear-specific distortion pedal. I wonder if it would work with my D-50?

[@tblv9300]

wen speak n spell with moog slayer mod?

[@AudioPilz]

The answer is: YES;)

[@cravensean]

I'm not saying I'm going to buy a setup like this. But I'm certainly going to price and fret about whether I can or should. I've been doing a lot of non-input synthesis lately and it's a lot of work to try and get actual musical use out of the results. This seems a lot more practical.

[@daneguitarist1]

dang that rules! I circuit bent a casio keyboard and now it sounds ok hahaha, but i certainly broke it in the process hahaha, like "broke a casio keyboard" tho...... doesnt mean it sounds worse, it sounds pretty sick, but it uh.... 'shivers' now playing notes lol

[@AudioPilz]

Isn't breaking a Casio keyboard a good thing?;)

[@daneguitarist1]

@@AudioPilz dont tell me what to do dad

[@doctorscoot]

I got an r8 which I hardly use I ought to get one of those

[@AudioPilz]

Much recommended!!!