The Drone Jar: Light-Dependent Synth
Confuse your family and sneak some oscillation into the kitchen with the Drone Jar! Built inside a jar, this layered drone synth contains oscillators which react to light by changing pitch. This unusual control method forms unique, organic melodies which evolve as the environment changes.
The hardware is mounted to the lid of the glass jar, with the 9v battery and clean circuit board clearly visible. This is a refreshing design choice, and it is also essential to the synths function! Three highly sensitive light-dependent resistors conduct the oscillatory orchestra, changing the pitch of each voice independently when struck with any external light source.
The Drone Jar creates sound using three square-wave oscillators which modulate against each other to create dynamic tones. These oscillators alone already open up a wealth of sonic possibilities, but combined with the exciting control method, the Drone Jar becomes an inspiring and exploratory way to create music.
Though the Drone Jar is best suited to dark environments where light can be directed at the inputs, it also creates neat results outside in the sun. Check out the video demonstration, which uses a flashing bike light, to hear the endless potential of this little device!
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‘Handmade Electronic Instruments‘ is a maker based in Oakland, California. Well-known on Tindie for their innovative musical inventions, this is a storefront to watch!