Cheap homemade synthesizer

A cheap homemade Arduino based synthesizer. AKA Behringer Grind Clone (Sort of ?)

Martin

1/13/20252 min read

Behringer Grind Clone Sort of ? Cheap homemade synth main

Cheap homemade synthesizer

I recently made a cheap copy of the AE Modular Grains module to add to my AE modular synthesizer system. When it was combined with the envelopes and filters of the AE Modular synth, I ended up with a sort of Behringer Grind clone. (Note: also have a Behringer Grind, and Patch ideas and examples are on my YouTube Channel Tailbiterz Synthesizers - YouTube)

I would have got a Grains module for the AE Modular system, but I didn't have much space left in the rack. I did also have some spare Arduino Nano clones and other components left over from other projects. So I decided to try and build a Grains copy.

So... I got a lot of information from these sites

GRAINS

GitHub - eclab/grains: AE Modular GRAINS Projects

GRAINS codes | ginkosynthese

GitHub - aemodular/GRAINS: Firmware for the GRAINS module from tangible waves

Then I initially tried out a build of the Grains using an old RadioShack project board that I had.

Behringer Grind Clone Sort of ? Cheap home made synth 1

Behringer Grind Clone Sort of ? Cheap home made synth 2

Behringer Grind Clone Sort of ? Cheap home made synth 3

The images above show the prototype grains build at the top and the connection to the AE modular system at the bottom.

After building the prototype, I uploaded various bits of code to the Arduino Nano, to check out the sounds that the Grains could produce. Note that the details for the code upload procedures are provided in the previous links above. There is also a lot of useful information on the Arduino website. Arduino - Home

I also did a quick video of the procedure. It is linked at the end of the blog.

After trying out the prototype and thinking that it would be useful, I decided I wanted something a bit more permanent, so I built up a rough version on Veroboard (yuk !)

Cheap home made synth Behringer Grind Clone sort of ?

I ended up doing a video of the prototype build using the RadioShack project board. But bear in mind it has me talking in it (again yuk ?). The end parts of the video include some sound demos (should be clear on the indexing where these are if you look on YouTube).

I also did a video of try outs with the Veroboard version of the synth. I hope the videos are of some use, and if you end up watching them, please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel, Thanks.