Circuit bending is the experimental modification of an existing electronic device to discover new sounds or behaviors. Beginners often start with inexpensive, battery-powered sound toys or small keyboards: temporarily test connections, listen for changes, and only then consider adding controls. Results vary by device, and a device can be damaged, so safety starts with a strict battery-only boundary.
What circuit bending is
Circuit bending means exploring and modifying an electronic device’s circuit to alter or control its sound. A temporary connection between points on a circuit board may change pitch, timbre, rhythm, or produce unstable, glitch-like behavior. The response depends on the particular device; there is no universal connection that guarantees a desired sound.
It is best approached as exploratory sound design and instrument making, not as a predictable repair or recipe. An introductory example from Hackaday works with a Yamaha PSS-14 keyboard, but that demonstration does not establish how another model—or even another unit—will respond.
Safety comes before opening a device
Reed Ghazala’s instructional text hosted by the Video History Project states: “Circuit-bending is for BATTERY-POWERED CIRCUITS ONLY.” It warns against circuits connected to wall current or AC adapters and recommends not exceeding six volts. An academic discussion of experimental electronics also reports Ghazala’s recommendation of battery power and six volts or less (Marasco and Berdahl, 2019).
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- Do not open or probe mains-powered equipment, a device connected to a wall adapter, or equipment whose power arrangement you cannot identify.
- Choose a battery-powered device with a known voltage, and disconnect any charger or adapter before opening it.
- Battery power is a boundary in this practitioner guidance, not a guarantee that every action is risk-free. Opening a device can damage it; soldering irons also require ordinary hot-tool precautions.
Choose a suitable first device
An inexpensive sound-making toy or small keyboard is a sensible starting point because it already produces sound and may be replaceable if experimentation goes wrong. Do not choose solely by brand or age: devices differ internally, and a tutorial for one model does not guarantee the same result on another.
Before choosing, check the following:
- Power: It runs only on batteries, and you can verify its voltage.
- Sound: It produces sound on its own without external power.
- Cost and sentimental value: You can accept the possibility of damage or losing the device.
- Documentation: A credible tutorial exists for that specific model, if you want a reference point.
- Condition: It works before you begin, so you can tell whether experimentation changes its behavior.
The Yamaha PSS-14 is an example in Hackaday’s tutorial, not a current buying recommendation or a promise that a particular bend will work.
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A beginner’s process
- Start with a working, battery-powered target. Check its battery requirements and known voltage. Disconnect it from any charger or adapter, then open it carefully and locate the circuit board and battery compartment.
- Probe temporarily and listen. Use suitable insulated test leads to explore connections while the device is powered by its batteries. Avoid treating any specific point or combination as universally safe or effective; behavior depends on the circuit.
- Record useful results. Note which connection you tested and what changed in the sound. Keeping a record makes an interesting result easier to repeat and helps distinguish it from an accidental or inconsistent response.
- Make a permanent control only after finding something worthwhile. If the device still works and you want to use the effect, you can consider soldering leads to a switch or potentiometer. Permanent changes may require mounting hardware and can make damage harder to reverse.
Experimentation may produce no useful effect, and opening or modifying the device may stop it from working. A result found on one unit may not behave the same way on another.
Tools and optional further reading
For initial exploration, the relevant categories are an inexpensive battery-powered sound toy or keyboard and insulated test leads. If you decide to make a permanent modification, soldering equipment, switches, and potentiometers may be useful. These items enable a project; they do not guarantee a successful bend.
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Reed Ghazala’s Circuit-Bending: Build Your Own Alien Instruments is a subject-specific book for readers who want to explore the practice further. Its current edition and retail availability are not established here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where the practice came from
Ghazala’s own account describes an accidental short in a battery-powered amplifier in a desk drawer during the 1960s, which produced unusual oscillating sounds. He says he explored similar connections in sound-making devices and developed the approach. This is his account of an early discovery, not proof that he was the first person ever to modify a circuit accidentally or deliberately.
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Academic writing places circuit bending in DIY culture and credits Ghazala with naming and publicizing the technique through his writing (Fernandez and Iazzetta, 2011). An interview with Ghazala recounting his origin story was published by CDM in 2005. The practice is also discussed in relation to experimental sound art and performance in Utne.
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