My website started a project page a few months back, and we try to do some sort of project every month or so with parts out of old TVs and such from around our shop. This month we did a toy organ, I thought it would be fun and something my young kids can enjoy playing with. Hope you enjoy, if you have any questions or suggestions please let's hear them.
Parts List:
SPKR= 28 ohm speaker from a pair of old headphones
S1-S5= tactile switches from an old portable DVD player
S6= SPST switch from an old flashlight
IC1= NE555P from parts stock
C1= 68uF
C2= 47uF
C3= 33uF
C4= 22uF
C5= 15uF
C6= 47uF
R1= 330 ohm
R2= 100 ohm
R3= 10 ohm
D1= 3mm green LED
I attached the schematic and a picture of the completed circuit.
I know this is a simple circuit done many times and different ways but I thought I would share it anyways. Have a nice day/night everyone.
I like the idea! Very simple, fun design. The sound is somewhat more annoying than it is musical though, and I would be surprised if the exposed electronics last very long with kids playing with it It'll be a contest between whether the electronics or your eardrums fail first
Pretty neat for something thrown together out of discarded electronics though!
What you really need is to use a MIDI synthesiser and make a real organ sound
I like the idea! Very simple, fun design. The sound is somewhat more annoying than it is musical though, and I would be surprised if the exposed electronics last very long with kids playing with it It'll be a contest between whether the electronics or your eardrums fail first
Pretty neat for something thrown together out of discarded electronics though!
What you really need is to use a MIDI synthesiser and make a real organ sound
Yes the kids only use it under supervision, not only would my 5 year old son break the thing quickly, he may also eat an electrolytic, that would be a nightmare.
I thought it was a fun project to do and it was quick/easy with what I have around. It does hurt the ears but with a few modifications it could sound much nicer I am sure.
I don't know an awful lot about audio signals, but maybe a PIC could be used to manipulate the waveforms and produce a more pleasant sound. Maybe audioguru can help once he's got past the jump-on-it or set-it-on-fire ideas.
It is not an organ.
An organ has musical frequencies and musical tones. The 555 buzzer has neither.
The horrible sound might scare kids away from studying real music.
I don't think it will scare kids, all kids who have seen it love it. It is a toy organ regardless of wether you say it is or not, many people have designed 555 based toy organs, simple adjustments, some extra keys and it can have frequencies that correspond to normal musical notes.
I just played happy birthday on it, is that not real music? Defining real music can be difficult some say heavy metal isn't real music.
as far as quality of my organ you are right I probably should shoot the thing. Maybe I will make a video of it on fire just for you....
I don't know an awful lot about audio signals, but maybe a PIC could be used to manipulate the waveforms and produce a more pleasant sound. Maybe audioguru can help once he's got past the jump-on-it or set-it-on-fire ideas.
A PIC could generate sine waves using PWM and maybe even more than one at a time so you could play chords on it.
You could add a simple low-pass filter to the 555 circuit to clean up the sound some too. Get it away from the raspy square-wave into something a bit more pleasant. Next, add a waveshaper and an adjustable filter and you're on your way to building a cool little analog synthesizer.
Yes the kids only use it under supervision, not only would my 5 year old son break the thing quickly, he may also eat an electrolytic, that would be a nightmare.
A PIC could generate sine waves using PWM and maybe even more than one at a time so you could play chords on it.
You could add a simple low-pass filter to the 555 circuit to clean up the sound some too. Get it away from the raspy square-wave into something a bit more pleasant. Next, add a waveshaper and an adjustable filter and you're on your way to building a cool little analog synthesizer.
An electrolytic would probably just pass through; I'd be more concerned if he ate the 555 with those pins.
Hey thanks for the tips. I was mainly concerned with the electrolytics thinking he could bite them before swallowing or even without biting that the some how the electrolyte would leak out of the capacitor and poison him...
It'd take a fair munch to bite straight through the metal casing, and I'm not sure what electrolytes are typically used in these capacitors but I doubt it's a significant health risk.
It'd take a fair munch to bite straight through the metal casing, and I'm not sure what electrolytes are typically used in these capacitors but I doubt it's a significant health risk.
I have heard that many electolyte mixtures used in capacitors can be toxic, and so I have always made sure to keep lose electrolytic capacitors away from my kids, and I also make sure not to accidentally leave any on customers floors when I am doing service calls if they have pets or small children. I also worry to much,,,
Very true...I have a fealing you are probably right and they are not that toxic, you would probably have to snack on them for awhile to start having a problem...LOL