Breadboarding Modular Synthesizers Workshop

In this hands-on DIY Breadboarding Modular Synthesizers Workshop, you’ll learn how to design your own modular synthesizer from scratch. Using basic electronic oscillators, integrated circuits, and discrete components, you’ll explore the fundamental principles of sound synthesis. We’ll create and arrange melodic and rhythmic patterns, building musical sounds from the ground up. Over the course of two days, we will focus on two circuit typologies: square wave oscillators for synthesizing pitched instruments and sine wave oscillators for emulating percussive sounds. After learning how to build these circuits out on breadboards, we’ll explore two ways of interacting with our circuits – one a button-based system for actuating sounds, and another an automated circuit for sequencing them. By the end of the workshop, you will have built your own unique, playable instrument capable of generating synth melodies and sequencing drum patterns in real-time. No previous experience is necessary and all materials are provided for you in this workshop. Dates: Tuesday, May 12 & Wednesday May 13, 2026 Scholarship: We also offer Diversity Scholarships. Apply by April 28, 2026. Scholarship notifications will be sent within 1 week after the deadline. Experience Level: Beginner Requirements: • No additional tools required Additional Information: • No refunds or exchanges • View our FAQ here • Contact [email protected] with any questions Accessibility Update: Please note that this workshop will be held in the upstairs Gray Area classroom, which is not ADA accessible. We apologize for any inconvenience and encourage those impacted to contact us for assistance. Thank you for your understanding. Gray Area Members enjoy access to our interdisciplinary arts & education programs while supporting our mission. Get free admission, discounts, and more by becoming a member today! Sean Russell Hallowell (aka isorhythmics) is an audiovisual artist from the Bay Area. His performances and installations synthesize compositional techniques developed from hand-built electronic circuitry with a cosmic perspective on music's origins in number and time. In his art, visual and auditory phenomena emerge as dual manifestations of what Medieval European musicians called the “arts of number” – i.e. music, arithmetic, geometry and astronomy. Concert works and multimedia installations of his have been showcased at festivals and galleries across the US as well as in Mexico, Chile, South Korea, the UK, Belgium, Croatia, and Iceland. He holds degrees in music theory from Brown University (AB) and Columbia University (PhD) with a specialization in 15th- and 16th-century Franco-Flemish vocal polyphony. This workshop takes place in the form of two 3-hour sessions over the course of two days. Dates: Tuesday, May 12 & Wednesday May 13, 2026