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 This is a Make crackerbox schematic (http://cachefly.oreilly.com/make/09/cracker_box_amp.pdf) in a head unit. Runs off a 9v battery and powers a passive 8ohm cabinet. I have a second of these, constructed combo amp style, and have been experimenting with plugging this head unit into that with pretty good results. Goes together pretty cheaply, too, which is nice. This is housed in a nice free project box I got as a sample, too. The decoration is courtesy of the band Racebannon, who I saw later in the evening and had free stickers.  I read somewhere that credit card readers just use normal cassette-style tape heads, and so I figured that it might be possible to mod one to turn it into an audio signal. Turns out I read correctly -- I ordered one of these for 20 bucks from digikey, played with test leads and found the ground and signal pins, did a bit of soldering and added a 1/4" jack, and now I can plug it into an amp. The signal is low but even a small boost really makes it shine -- I've been using a Big Muff to increase the volume so it's clearly audible and it's been working well. The time from opening this up to getting it working was seriously about two hours, which was great. I'm in the process of putting together an Atari Punk Circuit, a simple two-pot synth. Hope to have it finished by this weekend.
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Sep 18, 2008 18:39
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mcrandello posted:Now I want to rip apart a walkman and see if I can get the head to read my magstripe cards. Also that table/chandelier set is terrific. How did you mate the legs, are those threaded inserts you have welded into the top? I might have to steal that idea once I get my own place I think the only difference between the heads from a walkman and the heads from a card reader, is that the heads from the walkman are going to be stereo. But they're basically the same -- just figure out which one the ground is and you're all set. Takes about two minutes and an extra set of hands is helpful. But yeah, a walkman head will read your stripes if it's hooked up proper. I got the card reader because I wasn't patient enough to come up with another case to fit it. But in like art music communities for a little while, there was a big thing where people would cover poo poo in magnetic tape from cassettes and run tape heads over it, or put tape heads on fingerpicks, etc. Was neat.
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Sep 21, 2008 16:21
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Put together the Univox Superfuzz clone kit from Build Your Own Clone. I've only worked with PCBs once or twice before and love it. So much faster. Kits don't leave me as satisfied with the finished product but holy hell are they easier and more reliable.  Beyonce and my cat shirt show off the finished product. It's loving monstrously thick, like a Big Muff but with a slight octave. I guessed Pete Townshend used this thing on a bunch of The Who recordings, like Live at Leeds.
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Feb 6, 2009 18:46
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