Circuit bending is the creative modification of electronic circuits to create new instruments and audio/visual devices.

Safety First

• Never bend anything connected to mains power — only work with battery-powered or low-voltage DC devices
• Start with cheap, expendable devices
• Keep a soldering iron and basic tools handy
• Document your bends — photograph connections before and after

Getting Started

1. Find a cheap video device (Sima SFX series, Panasonic AVE units are great starters)
2. Open it up and identify the circuit board
3. With the device powered on and outputting video, carefully touch a wet finger or wire between different points on the circuit
4. When you find interesting visual effects, note the connection points
5. Add switches, potentiometers, or patch points to make the connections controllable

Resources

The circuit bending community has extensive resources for beginners. Start with Reed Ghazala’s “Circuit-Bending: Build Your Own Alien Instruments” for foundational knowledge.