12 July 2008

This compact device will help you tune almost any musical instrument - acoustic or electronic. It can produce any note on the tempered musical scale (standard pitch) in any of the eight most commonly used octaves, with an accuracy of better than ±0.08% or 1.3 musical cents. The selected note is compared with that from the instrument either by ear or visually by using an eight-LED stroboscopic beat indicator.

10 July 2008

10 July 2008

Developed during the very early days of radio, reflex circuits were used in receivers right up until the 1950s. One such set was the Astor KM.

05 July 2008

In last month's first part, we described the circuit operation of the DSP Musicolour. In this instalment, we guide you through the construction. The operation of the firmware and troubleshooting tips will be described next month. In this issue there are also notes and errata for the schematic published last month.

05 July 2008

Interesting circuit ideas which we have checked but not built and tested. Contributions from readers are welcome and will be paid for at standard rates.

02 July 2008

A light switch is a light switch, right? You just flick it and the light comes on . . . Of course - but it is very obvious that many people think what goes on behind the architrave or wall is a black art. Magic, even!

30 June 2008

Ever seen those video clips of car crash tests where the dummies are thrown about like rag dolls? The dummies are highly engineered to simulate the effect of crashes on human bodies and they carry lots of instrumentation to record the pain (forces & deflections) they suffer.

26 June 2008

A portable USB hard drive is a great way to back up data but what if your USB ports are unable to supply enough "juice" to power the drive? A modified version of the SILICON CHIP USB Power Injector is the answer.

20 June 2008

Do you have a large collection of slides which are deteriorating by the day? Are they growing mouldy or becoming discoloured? Then there is no time to waste. Get them onto your computer's hard drive before it is too late. This method is very quick, simple and does not require any electronics.

18 June 2008