Little Smart Spelling Book - 1st Tests

November 26th, 2006 by Day | Posted in Progress, Recordings, Tech, Sound |

I’ve been making some progress on the V-tech Little Smart Spelling Book I found at the Bargain Corner, and am getting started bending it’s circuits. We’re finding that some toys are much better for having their circuits bent than others. Hi-tech memory chips are hard to get at and alter, but really simple toys don’t have much variety of sound. A lo-fi retro electronic toy with lot’s of circuits seems to work best.

Bent Circuit Test 2

I am new at this art of altering kiddy toys, and Cole has already demonstrated how easy it can be to render a toy useless by frying its circuits. The V-tech spelling book seems to be gold so far, so I’m somewhat afraid I might kill it. After finding it could produce some pretty unearthly sounds, I decided the first thing I should do is wire in some sound output. That way I can capture any crazy sounds it makes, and if it blows up it won’t be a total loss.

Bent Circuit Test 3

The first thing I did was wire in this kill switch to the main power. This will be useful, since it’s not too hard to make things freeze up when you’re crossing wires that weren’t meant to be crossed. I installed that potentiometer for volume control there too, but so far I haven’t wired it in.

Bent Circuit Test 4

I wired a couple switches together to flip between three sound outputs: a 1/4″ jack for a main out for recording and mixing, a 1/8″ jack for cueing if in a performance setting, and the original speaker for portable use. But so far I’m getting some unnecessary hum and poor sound with this system, as I don’t think it likes having the current spread out to all the extra wires, but then again I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m bypassing the switch at least for the moment to get a cleaner sound for recording, and might have to scrap it altogether.

Bent Circuit Test 5

I shaped some nice red plastic to make a control panel where the book used to store its picture cards. I glued in some posts and velcro so that the panel is removable. This way I’ll have easy access to install new switches for the bent circuits at any time. The ‘experimentor bread board’ will be the main access for the incoming circuits and a gateway to the switches. This will hopefully make experimentation a bit easier and accessible.

Bent Circuit Test 6

My next step is to feed the main bundle of wires for the bent circuits around the elbow in the book which I have drilled out. Then I’ll glue the hinge area back together, be able to solder the wires in as I find good connections on the circuit board, and connect them to switches on the control panel on the other side of the book.

oh, what kind of geek have I become?