Blinky Blinky: The world's easiest Eurorack DIY Project (bipolar LED)

This is probably the world simplest and easiest Eurorack DIY project. Now I don't have a Modular setup, but I have enough semi-modular synth to want to have this little blinky blinky light.
Ingredients:
- 1x 3.5mm mono (ts) audio jack
- 1x 5mm Bipolar LED
- (optional) 1x resistor
Gear List: kit.co/o0/musique-electronique
Video List: kit.co/o0/music-video-gear

[@extralifedisco]

Ha, just made a couple of these with the same jacks and leds I had on my bench for testing the module I'm working on. I was going to make a video on it but then I found yours and realized your bipolar version is is much better! And so is your macro filming - though maybe my soldering is still competitive :P. I found 220ohms a good value for the resistor, not so much for limiting brightness but current draw. Digital modules might not like to have their outputs shorted to ground, or some gate outputs might fry the LED.

[@t3chnod3lic]

Bipolar LEDs don't have mood swings lol classic 😎👍

[@loopop]

Nice!!

[@sqriations]

Awesome! Great and simple idea. I'll have to give this one a go sometime.

[@theoysterhouseboys7082]

Very cool and so simple! Thanks for sharing.

[@mcshafty1]

These are fab. I just built 4 of them. I didn't usr a limiting resistor either but so far so good. Excellent hack!

[@RneubauerBmore]

Cool! Thanks for uploading this tutorial

[@unsoundmethodology]

Thanks for this! I'd been meaning to put one of these together for a long time but seeing your video got me to do it. As Extralife suggested, I added a 220Ω resistor to limit current; I've done too much LED stuff not to. I goofed by leaving the leads too long, so they kept shorting out against the metal plug body; I swapped the housing for a hard plastic one I had lying around, and now it works like a charm. I'm finding it especially useful in testing whether other audio projects I've built have high enough levels to feed into Eurorack stuff. 😀

[@OlivierOzoux]

I like the look of the metal barrel, but yes, you need to make sure everything is well isolated. I did another batch "off-camera" ( which is a lot less stressful ) and used a resistance as well. next project is to build the LED into a patch cable

[@ChanseMacabre]

Very cool! A friend from the Synths, Yo Discord made me a handful of these, and I think he used the same jacks. They look great, and they're really handy. Thanks for explaining how to make them. :)

[@OlivierOzoux]

Yes, I think I saw yours and someone else in the channel that had them, and I couldn't find anywhere that sells them. I just built the one prototype for the video, but I have the parts for a dozen or so. I wish I'd bought different colored bipolar LED.

[@2mbst1]

Great Video! Nice voice! More of these plz. :)

[@OlivierOzoux]

Thanks, I think the VO came out better than the very first time I tried, when someone said that "for a musician, I certainly didn't know how to record voice-overs..." 😳

[@flrs221]

Will the led burn out without the resistor? Looks cool, I tried it but used a jack socket instead as it was just a test. Thanks

[@AABattery]

Very nice! While I don't have Eurorack stuff yet, I might build some just for fun to see if they work for Volca sync!

[@retoided]

It will work with Volca's sync out but only a positive voltage is coming out of the Sync. (so only one color of light)

[@AABattery]

Yeah, I thought so. Thx!

[@nyrbsamoht]

if i some how fit a small resistor and LED into a patch cable - would it work just the same? or would the LED and resistor mess up the signal path? how would it work for an audio signal? make it quieter? hrmmm

[@consbuteri411]

Great idea. What happens if I put an LED on the output of a trigger? Is there any way to test a trigger output using an LED?

[@OlivierOzoux]

It depends what the signal is, if it stays on long enough you’ll be able to see it, but if it’s too short you may not. Same with signal strength and the LED intensity. But you see me putting the blinky on various types of outputs in the video.

[@tgroppi]

Superbe video, production, just need a good soldering iron, variable temperature, with sponge to clean and then apply solder to the tip first, the heat seems to hot. Just my 2 cents... Great work !

[@OlivierOzoux]

Yeah, i was so focused on getting the shot that i didn’t really do a great job soldering. Also, because there’s the camera between me and the tools, I was looking at the monitor to see what I was doing, and not at the tools directly.

[@tgroppi]

yup must not be easy, to record, talk, film and demonstrate...when i started soldering electronic for pickups and then switch to a 300 dollar soldering iron the sky became blue again. Love your channel, great filming, great tips and review !!

[@OlivierOzoux]

I make the voiceover after the shoot, during editing. I don’t think I could do all of this live

[@tgroppi]

i see :-)

[@janatomy260]

could this work stacked on stackable patch cables ?

[@OlivierOzoux]

Yup, as long as you have an electrical connection to the CV signal, or will light up

[@ComposerMichaelDow]

I cant find those jacks anywhere?

[@OlivierOzoux]

I think I got mine on Amazon? Usually Mouser or Digikey are a good source for components

[@ComposerMichaelDow]

@@OlivierOzoux none of those come up with a resuly for bipolar LED for me. Weird. I am on aliexpress.com but delivery time is up to 50 days!! what decade is this!?

[@ComposerMichaelDow]

@@OlivierOzoux Thanks Oliver! Ended up getting the jacks from RS components and the leds on ebay!

[@Hellseeker1]

Yea you don’t need resistors, done them myself

[@Musicalmane]

2:35 ill do my best 🤣

[@OlivierOzoux]

Don’t put a camera between you and what you’re trying to solder, and you’ll be fine! 😜

[@naught101]

Get a flux pen, you won't regret it :)

[@softsmoken]

Man the bipolar 2 lead are just... not available anywhere. Very annoying.

[@OlivierOzoux]

Welcome to the post-covid component world! I haven’t tried sourcing things recently but I’ve heard everything is much harder to get

[@softsmoken]

@@OlivierOzoux bi color np, polarized, pretty much only latvia/China...

[@MidiFister]

@@softsmoken search bi color instead of bipolar? im new to this and also having a hard time, without paying like $8 for 1

[@softsmoken]

@@MidiFisterthey want like 40usd for 5 3.5 mono with bipolar led.. I did find red/ green ones.. but no other colors.. made myself some jacks that light up and give you an idea of the wave movement/ polarity.. also made some that only light up with positive with single color...I'd like to start making little passive utilities just out of jacks and stuff. Very very easy.

[@softsmoken]

@@MidiFister how many are you trying to get? I bought a bag of like 100 I'll see if I can get you a link, if I can't I'd sell you 20 or something..? That's the thing though I don't want just a 2 color led I want one that's 2 colors with polarity change(1 ea of the 2)