We previously covered how to make an Atari Punk Console using a solderless breadboard, a quick and easy way to build this classic, and simple device. We’re taking it up a level here, and building a simple sequencer to control it.
Our sequencer is a variation on the classic baby10 sequencer design, and here uses a 555-timer as a clock. It’s easy to build, and should get your Atari Punk Console making some even crazier sounds in no time!
Component list
2 x small breadboards
1 x power unit
1 x 555 timer chip
1 x 4017 decade counter
4 x diodes
5 x 1k resistors
4 x red LEDs
1 x 22uF capacitor
5 x 500k potentiometers
15 x 5cm jumper wires
6 x 10cm jumper wires
4 x 15cm jumper wires
Building a Baby4 Sequencer – A Step-by-step Guide
Step 1 – Join your breadboards together. We’ll be using one breadboard for the 555 timer and 4107 decade counter connections, and the other breadboard will focus on the four pots to send signals to the Atari Punk Console.
Step 2 – Position your power unit to the top of the breadboard
Step 3 – Position your chips at the top and bottom of the top breadboard
Step 4 – Position a 500k pot in between the chips
Your breadboards should now look something like this…
We’re now going to focus on our 555 Timer Chip connections. The 555 chip will be what sends a pulse to the 4107 chip.
Step 5 – Connect pin 1 to ground.
Step 6 – Connect pin 8 to positive.
Step 7 – Connect pin 2 to pin 6.
Step 8 – Connect pin 6 to the centre of out pot (centre pin). This pot will allow us to adjust the speed of our sequencer.
Step 8 – Connect pin 7 to the outer pin of the pot.
We’re making progress, here’s what we’ve got so far…
Step 9 – Connect a 1k resistor from pin 7 to positive
Step 10 – Connect a 10uF capacitor from pin 6 to ground. You will see in the picture below I’ve use a jumper wire to move the capacitor to the rear of the breadboard, so it’s out of the way when using the sequencer controls.
We’re now going to build some connections for our 4017 Decade Counter chip. This is what allows us to send individual outputs from our sequencer. As the name suggests, we can have up to 10 outputs. We’re going for 4 outputs with this device.
Step 11 – Connect pin 8 to ground.
Step 12 – Connect pin 10 to pin 15. Our outputs are numbered 0-9 on the chip. We’re connecting pin 10 (output 4) to pin 15 (reset) to allow us to count from 0 to 3, and the reset at 4.
Step 13 – Connect pin 16 to positive
Step 14 – Connect pin 13 to ground
Step 15 – Connect pin 14 to pin 3 on our 555 timer chip.
We’re now going to move on to our second breadboard…
Step 16 – Connect 4 pots to the edge of the board. Space them out evenly.
Step 17 – We’re going to connect the decade counter output pins from the 4017 chip to our pots…
- Pin 3 to pot 1 (outer pin)
- Pin 2 to pot 2 (outer pin)
- Pin 4 to pot 3 (outer pin)
- Pin 7 to pot 4 (outer pin)
We’re going to build the connections for each of our sequencer pots now…
Step 18 – Connect your diodes from the pot centre pin, bridging the centre of the breadboard
Step 19 – Connect your 1k resistors from the outer pins of the pots, bridging the centre of the breadboard.
Step 20 – Connect the diodes to positive. This will have no power attached, but will be our CV rail, and will connect to the Atari Punk Console.
Step 21 – Connect your LEDs, from the 1k resistor to ground.
Step 22 – Connect your CV rail to pin 6 of APC 556 chip
Step 23 – Connect ground to ground on your sequencer breadboards.
Step 24 – Connect your positive power rail, and the ground rail between the Atari Punk Console and the sequencer breadboards. Your Atari Punk Console will take power from the sequencer board power unit.
Once you’ve finished and have everything connected, it should look something like this…
We can now go ahead and play, enjoy!
