In March 2020, two weeks after the COVID-19 lockdown, Berkeley-based audio laboratory Dogbotic teamed up with Oakland nonprofit Thingamajigs to produce “Synth In Place,” a socially-distant beginner’s workshop on the joys of DIY electronics. Designed with absolute beginners in mind, the nine-week curriculum teaches participants the art of creative electrical engineering, the cultural significance of electronic audio, and how to blend DIY music with students’ pre-existing creative practices. After building a variety of theremins, talkboxes, stepped tone generators, sequencers, and vactrols, students have the opportunity to design, engineer, and fabricate an instrument entirely of their own creation—several of which you’ll see in front of you.
Join curator Kirk Pearson and the makers in a discussion on 2/25/21 at 6:30pm. This program will be streamed live via Zoom. Just log on at 6:30.