An analog VHS cassette working as a portable synth

I needed to monetize all the expenses of the components, pieces and tools I had bought for this hobby of building handmade devices. I had the idea of asking for German VHS cassettes that people didn’t use anymore.

I designed like a portable synth inside a VHS cassette, using its own gaps for two powered speakers. All in one. And you can take it everywhere. It doesn’t need a charger or to be plugged in, it works with batteries.

I removed everything from inside (reels, pins, and thousands of small pieces) leaving enough space for the board.

You can see the circuit from outside the tape through its transparent part, what makes it visually interesting. Besides, I could choose tapes with funny or controversial titles or plots.

I placed the 9v battery outside, so it was easier to change it when needed. With 2, 3 or 4 potentiometer controllers and 1 tactile control, which uses the original magnetic tape located above the cover. Depending on how it’s touched, the oscillator’s behaviour gets altered, but I had spacing problems for that control.

I built some prototypes with different appearance. They had different number of controllers and location of the components to optimize it, besides extra functions, such as commutators or switches.