How I did it: 1.  I started off doing circuit bending.  This is an electronic artform that involves randomly connecting various spots on the circuitboard of battery-powered children's toys to make strange sounds.  This video shows what circuit bending is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6Pbyg_kcEk

2.  I began wondering why the circuits were making the sounds they were making, so I procured a copy of "Getting Started in Electronics" by Forrest Mims.  I built several of the projects in there.

3.  I am interested in music, so I built small synthesizers and musical instruments that made bleeps and bloops.  Here are some that I started off making:

the cracklebox:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI8XjXkWdkE

the atari punk console:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVzn53luugU


4. I became interested in computing, so I made a very simple homebrew computer that adds two binary numbers.

Lessons & tips: The way you learn this is basically the same as the way people have learned throughout human history:  work very hard on a difficult problem that is important to you.  Choose projects that are interesting, and just try to start making them.

Resources: "Getting Started in Electronics" by Forrest Mims

Nov 29, 2008, 04:10PM PST | 0 comments | 1 cheer