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Peter Edwards (Casperelectronics)
Saturday, November 8 noon-6pm
Sunday, November 9 noon-6pm
$350 [one price]
Over the course of two intensive workshops we will focus on all aspects of circuit bending from basic circuit modification to complex interface design. Each student will leave with a finished, well built instrument as well as an abundance of valuable info and experience which will help them in their future bending endeavors.

Circuit bending is an exciting medium. It helps familiarize creative thinkers with the very technical and incredibly powerful medium of electronics. The practice of circuit bending can render some truly amazing and often unexpected results. It's a medium that celebrates creation and exploration. In this course we will explore every step of the process of creating a circuit bent instrument from removing the first screws to applying labels on the finished piece. It is our goal that every student leaving this class will take away a finished, well made circuit bent instrument as well as the knowledge necessary to continue creating on their own.

Peter Edwards, the teacher, strongly believes that every circuit bent object should be considered in a holistic manner. Every step of building a circuit bent instrument is worthy of careful consideration and purposeful execution. The novelty of the sounds created through bending are not enough to carry a bent instrument.  Without quality craftsmanship and a careful attention to details you are left with a weak and unreliable instrument.

Through this course we will explore many topics including:
-finding bends
-fine tuning your bends
-installing pitch adjustments and audio output jacks
-designing a control scheme (which bends make the cut?)
-selecting control hardware (do the controls communicate the function?)
-drilling and cutting plastic
-how to properly mount control hardware
-labeling your controls

MATERIALS:
Everyone in the class must bring at least 2 toys to work on! There will be a few at the workshop as emergency back up toys but these are only for emergency situations. Participants must bring their own soldering irons. There will be a variety of control hardware at the workshop including different styles of buttons, switches, potentiometers and knobs, but participants are encouraged to bring some of their own as well. A basic set of tools will also be available for use at the workshop, but again, people should bring their own.

We will put up a website concerning matrials for the workshop before the workshop.

INSTRUCTOR BIO

Peter Edwards has been circuit bending professionally for almost a decade through his business CASPERELECTRONICS. He has worked extensively with musicians around the world including Mike Patton, BT and Otto Von Schirach. Edwards worked at Hampshire College from 2006-2007 where he taught a circuit bending heavy "creative electronics" course and developed a previously non-existent electronics department. He has taught numerous workshops on circuit bending and interface design at venues around america and has been involved with the Bent festival since it's inception in 2004.