The Prism Is Part Laser Synth, Part Guitar, Pure Fun
Building your own guitar or synthesizer is impressive enough. But when you decide to smash the two music makers together...
Building your own guitar or synthesizer is impressive enough. But when you decide to smash the two music makers together — and throw some lasers in for kicks — the end result is the jaw-droppingly awesome “Prism.”
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This synth-guitar uses the lasers as “strings,” allowing the player to select octaves, and a fretboard equipped with infrared rangefinders, to electronically detect your fingers’ positions and modify the pitch of the instrument.
Unlike a DIY Guitar Hero Controller, it requires no special software, and plugs into any amp, making setup a breeze.
Aside from the lasers, the heart of the beast consists of a voltage-controlled oscillator, a low-frequency oscillator, and three selectable synth waves (sine, square, and triangle). And for something that’s been Frankensteined together, it doesn’t look too shabby either.
[via Instructables via Make]

The Starter Guitar

Stripped Down and Hollowed Out

Electronic Guts

The Laser Sensor Block

Wired Up

Testing the Components

Assembly Time

Sound Options

No Midi Necessary

Pitch Control

Finished Product