The two-knob synth from 1980 still sounds like a broken robot
A two knob noise box from a pair of 555 timers. It makes the stepped, gritty square wave tone people have built since 1980.
Free build sheet
The parts, every wire with its length and bend points, a bend guide, both sides of the board and checkboxes to track your progress. Print it or keep it open at the bench.
Open the build sheetWhat you need
11 parts on a perfboard 16 × 26 holes, plus hookup wire.
| Qty | Part | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Ceramic Cap10nF C1, C2 | Buy Ceramic Cap on Amazon |
| 1 | Electrolytic Cap10uF C3 | Buy Electrolytic Cap on Amazon |
| 1 | Power Input (2-pin) J1 | |
| 1 | Screw Terminal 2P (5.08mm) J2 | |
| 2 | Potentiometer Q1, Q2 | |
| 1 | Resistor (axial)4.7k R1 | Buy Resistor (axial) on Amazon |
| 1 | Resistor (axial)1k R2 | Buy Resistor (axial) on Amazon |
| 2 | DIP-8 U1, U2 |
Check every pin against the datasheet of the exact part in your hands before wiring.
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Cut list
17 wires, 447 mm (17.6 in) in total, in the order the build sheet cuts them. Wire numbers match the build sheet. Each length includes 5 mm per end to go through the hole.
| Wire | Colour and net | Length | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | BlackVCC E17 → I14 | E17 → I14 | 28mm | 15mm (90°) |
| 6 | BlackU1_TIMING H9 → F4 | H9 → F4 | 38mm | 15mm (90°), 28mm (90°) |
| 11 | BlueVCC B13 → D16 | B13 → D16 | 23mm | 13mm (90°) |
| 17 | BlueGND J21 → N22 | J21 → N22 | 23mm | 8mm (90°) |
| 5 | BlueTRIGGER G3 → F13 | G3 → F13 | 48mm | 13mm (90°), 38mm (90°) |
| 4 | GreenU2_TIMING H18 → F17 | H18 → F17 | 18mm | 8mm (90°) |
| 10 | GreenVCC E8 → C12 | E8 → C12 | 25mm | 15mm (90°) |
| 16 | GreenGND I11 → I20 | I11 → I20 | 33mm | Straight |
| 1 | RedU2_PW C18 → F18 | C18 → F18 | 18mm | Straight |
| 13 | RedGND I3 → E4 | I3 → E4 | 23mm | 15mm (90°) |
| 7 | RedAUDIO_OUT L19 → G13 | L19 → G13 | 38mm | 20mm (90°) |
| 3 | WhiteU1_DISCH C9 → F9 | C9 → F9 | 18mm | Straight |
| 9 | WhiteVCC C3 → H3 | C3 → H3 | 23mm | Straight |
| 15 | WhiteGND J12 → E13 | J12 → E13 | 25mm | 8mm (90°) |
| 2 | YellowU1_DISCH D8 → F8 | D8 → F8 | 15mm | Straight |
| 8 | YellowVCC B4 → D7 | B4 → D7 | 23mm | 13mm (90°) |
| 14 | YellowGND J4 → K11 | J4 → K11 | 30mm | 8mm (90°) |
About this build
The Atari Punk Console is a tiny two knob synth built from a pair of 555 timers. It's been around since 1980 and it still sounds like a broken robot.
The first 555 runs as an astable oscillator, and one knob sets its frequency. Its output keeps retriggering the second 555, which runs as a one shot, and the other knob sets how long that pulse lasts. Turn the two against each other and you get the stepped, gritty square wave the circuit is known for.
Two 10nF caps, a 4.7k and a 1k resistor set the timing next to the knobs. A 10uF cap couples the output to a screw terminal for an off board speaker, and a 2 pin input brings the power in.
Atari is a trademark of its owner. The circuit only borrows the name, and PerfBoard is not affiliated with or endorsed by Atari.
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