casio

Circuit bent Casio SA-8 // Model No. GSA8-04

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Check it out over on my page for circuit bent keyboards in the Casio SA-X family!

Functionally identical to GSA8-03 [on the SA-X page], just has some aesthetic differences. Because it’s almost identical I haven’t made a new video, but you can check out the GSA8-03 one here!

  • Hard on/off switch

  • 1/8” switching audio output jack

  • Squealing feedback/distortion knob with on/off

  • Glitch trigger button with depth knob

  • Power indicator LED, lightly flashes to audio output

  • Five additional tone select buttons allowing access to an additional 75 voices

  • A switch for dropping the clock speed of the SA-8 allowing it to run in a much slower, pitched down mode

  • LED backlights that respond to audio

  • Anatomical heart

Commissioned by…my sister! Christina Gleixner of the band Yeni Nostalji.

March, 2021.

In other news, I’ve been slow with the update blog and social media the past month or so, mostly due to current projects being future releases or commissioned works I can’t share, or things that aren’t ready to be released just yet, but it’s not for a lack of projects for sure. Also been on a bit of a break from social media which I’ve needed. Really excited about a few things I’ve got in the works though!

I came across something I built 10 years ago in the wild.

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In a bizarre turn of events I came across a photo the other day of Vaporwave artist Skeleton Lipstick’s gear and thought "Hey... wait a minute. Is that...? WHAT it is!"

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It's a Casio PT-87 that I circuit bent and sold on eBay in 2010!

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I reached out and learned that they're the one who won my eBay auction for it back then and have been using it to this day! Even passed along a photo of their set up from a few weeks ago where it still lives. After ten years.

I often wonder about all of the instruments I've done through the years that are still out there. Early on I was churning things out that I auctioned off on eBay and after that they were just sort of gone. There are a few commissions I've been lucky enough to see or hear being used (A Casio SA-2 I did for Darren Korb can be heard on the phenomenal soundtrack to Pyre by Super Giant Games which I didn't even know until after having played through it!), but it's not all that common that I get to.

The best thing about building these things has always been knowing that I'm playing a part in somebody's creative process. To somehow come across something from my earlier days and have that confirmed has really made my week. I can only hope some of them are getting this same sort of love!

To add to the coincidence, Skeleton Lipstick did the after party for 100% Electronicon that I went to here in Brooklyn last year - which ALSO ends up tying back to the 100PFB video synth I did for Adam Kane the other month! What a small world!

Check out Happy in Disguise, Am I Close to the Edge?, and Philadelphia by Skeleton Lipstick to hear the PT-87 in use!

This device has some photos and a demo video over at gleix.net/misccasio

New build: Circuit bent Casio SA-8

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Model No. GSA8-03

A commissioned circuit bent Casio SA-8 build.

  • Hard on/off switch

  • 1/8” switching audio output jack

  • Squealing feedback/distortion knob with on/off

  • Glitch trigger button with depth knob

  • Power indicator LED, lightly flashes to audio output

  • Five additional tone select buttons allowing access to an additional 75 voices

  • A switch for dropping the clock speed of the SA-8 allowing it to run in a much slower, pitched down mode

    October, 2020.

Via the Casio SA series page.