The AxeSynth is an electronic musical instrument

Electronic musical instrument

An electronic musical instrument is a musical instrument that produces its sounds using electronics. Such an instrument sounds by outputting an electrical audio signal that ultimately drives a loudspeaker....

 invented by Tony Amendolare of Long Island

Long Island

Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...

, N.Y. in the winter of 2004.

The first AxeSynths that were produced used the vintage Texas Instruments SN76477

Texas Instruments SN76477

SN76477 "complex sound generator" was a sound chip produced by Texas Instruments . The chip came to market in 1978, and TI production of the part ceased some time ago. More recently, a 100% compatible version, identified as ICS76477, has been listed as 'in stock' by at least one US-based component...

 Sound Generator integrated circuit

Integrated circuit

An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...

. The SN76477 IC was the sound synthesizer

Synthesizer

A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...

 used in the Space Invaders

Space Invaders

is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...

 video arcade game

Arcade game

An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...

 of the late 1970s and early 80's, this fact prompted the AxeSynth to be nicknamed "the Atari" by some of its noted users.

Shaped like a guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

, with a neck and body, it utilizes two sensors as the user interface

User interface

The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...

 to produce synthesized tones. The main sensor, located on the "neck" is a Force Sensitive Resistor (FSR) similar to a ribbon controller.

Linear changes in resistance are produced when the FSR is touched at various positions along its length. This variable electrical resistance

Electrical resistance

The electrical resistance of an electrical element is the opposition to the passage of an electric current through that element; the inverse quantity is electrical conductance, the ease at which an electric current passes. Electrical resistance shares some conceptual parallels with the mechanical...

 is similar to that of a common linear potentiometer

Potentiometer

A potentiometer , informally, a pot, is a three-terminal resistor with a sliding contact that forms an adjustable voltage divider. If only two terminals are used , it acts as a variable resistor or rheostat. Potentiometers are commonly used to control electrical devices such as volume controls on...

 and subsequently controls the oscillation

Oscillation

Oscillation is the repetitive variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value or between two or more different states. Familiar examples include a swinging pendulum and AC power. The term vibration is sometimes used more narrowly to mean a mechanical oscillation but sometimes...

 of frequencies produced by the main synthesizer IC.

The AxeSynth also utilizes a photoresistor

Photoresistor

A photoresistor or light dependent resistor is a resistor whose resistance decreases with increasing incident light intensity. It can also be referred to as a photoconductor or CdS device, from "cadmium sulfide," which is the material from which the device is made and that actually exhibits the...

 sensor, or CdS cell, whereby varying amounts of light received by the sensor is controlled by the musician's hand, resembling Theremin

Theremin

The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...

-like frequency control.

Although not a "circuit bent" instrument in the strict tradition since it is made from new parts as opposed to recycled circuits, its creation was inspired by the experimental electronic art

Electronic art

Electronic art is a form of art that makes use of electronic media or, more broadly, refers to technology and/or electronic media. It is related to information art, new media art, video art, digital art, interactive art, internet art, and electronic music...

 of Circuit Bending

Circuit bending

Circuit bending is the creative customization of the circuits within electronic devices such as low voltage, battery-powered guitar effects, children's toys and small digital synthesizers to create new musical or visual instruments and sound generators....

, and particularly the creations of Reed Ghazala

Reed Ghazala

Qubais Reed Ghazala, an American author, photographer, composer, musician and experimental instrument builder, is recognized as the "father of circuit bending," having discovered the technique in 1966, pioneered it, named it, and taught it ever since...

.

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AxeSynth Articles on the Web:


AxeSynth (SpaceAxe Model) on Gizmodo


Sci-Fi Theremin Guitar


MusicThing: "Doctor Who Prop"


Chicago Electronic Band Velva Live With Two AxeSynths


YouTube Video of Mutemath Playing The AxeSynth at BluesFest