There was a dynamic mic in my junk box, but without any stand or connection cable. I needed a high-quality microphone to narrate my project videos, so I had to think of a way to build a stand for the mic. This is what I came up with. Video: . I used a 2GB sound recorder for wi ...more
Kill with skill. That's the motto of the newly released Bulletstorm, available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows. It may sound ridiculous and somewhat obnoxious by itself, but it's actually in regards to its many "ridiculous skillshots" that a player can perform. And yes, ...more
Many things cause a bike tire to deflate. Glass, sharp rocks, tacks, and nails can pierce the tire and puncture the tube within. A tube can be pinched between the rim and tire causing the tube to split when inflated. If a tire has a hole in it, the tube, which is filled with a ...more
Make this Valentine's Day one to remember! Well... because you forgot. But don't worry, you can still make that heart pitter-patter for your love by saving face and getting some last minute Valentine gift ideas on the cheap. There's no reason to shop at Hallmark or buy expens ...more
It's been done for ages, but for most of us, "regift" entered our vocabulary after the 98th episode of Seinfeld—"The Label Maker." In this episode, Elaine calls Dr. Whatley (played by Bryan Cranston) a "regifter" after he gives Jerry a label maker—the same label maker that Ela ...more
Many filmmakers are going old school for sound recording with the Canon 5D Mark II. Double system, previously thought to be a thing of the past with modern XLR inputs, has become a necessity with the 5D's 1/8" input. Jem Schofield from Abel CineTech also shows you a great plu ...more
Do you yearn for the days when house music had a soul and didn't sound like something that combat robots are supposed to dance to? Check out this video. It features a veteran DJ explaining all sorts of techniques for creating old-skool house beats, mostly using amazing 1980's ...more
Old drum machines make some of the coolest sounds in modern music, but can be very hard to get used to for beginners. If you're lucky enough to have gotten your hands on a Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer drum machine, watch this video to learn how to program it.
Replicate the old arcade games like Pac Man or Galaga by downloading the free software Gamemaker 7.0. After you've downloaded the program, create your own sprites in an image editor, use the sounds already provided in the software and finally load your background. Then set up ...more
The Moog synthesizer is the most intimidating instrument ever made from a playing standpoint. Sitting down at one, it is possible that without prior knowledge you would be unable to make any sort of sound with one. Fortunately, this video for analog synth beginners will show y ...more
The Moog is the original and arguably still the king of the analog synthesizers. It looks like an old phone switchboard, and can create a dizzying variety of unique, warm sounds. This video will show you some advanced features of the Moog, including how to use the sequencer to ...more
If your furniture has seen better days but is nevertheless structurally sound, restoring it might be as simple as applying a fresh layer of paint or wood stain. This free video tutorial demonstrates a method for refinishing furniture with a power sander. For more information, ...more
Looking to make use—if not necessarily good use—of your old hard drives? This how-to presents instructions for creating a hard drive speaker system to use in conjunction with an MP3 player. To follow along, you'll need an MP3 player (e.g., the Samsung YP-S3), at least one spar ...more
Listen to conversations over long distances with a homemade laser listening device. All you'll need is a laser pointer, tripod, old pair of headphones, photocell, a recording device, and the step-by-step instructions in this how-to video. The creator of this video tutorial doe ...more
The ukelele is a great little instrument that is easy to learn, sounds good, and is portable. How much better could it be? They work especially well for covering pop songs, since they're very simple and catchy, which is the essence of the ukelele. This video will teach you how ...more
How To Sing Without Lifting Your Larynx I get asked a lot by singers about how to sing without your larynx shooting up really high behind your chin. This can be challenging to any singer – beginner or advanced. We naturally raise our larynx when we speak and swallow so it can ...more
Curling your hair without either a curling iron or a flat iron? It sounds preposterous, but it can be done - and to great effect - after you watch this video. Sure, curling irons are great and quick ways to add bounce and volume to your locks, but they eat up electricity and d ...more
The ukelele is a great little instrument that is easy to learn, sounds good, and is portable. How much better could it be? They work especially well for covering pop songs, since they're very simple and catchy, which is the essence of the ukelele. This video will teach you how ...more
Here is a very crafty and cute way to create a wind chime out of old salt and pepper shakers that can be found either around your house or bought at second hand stores and a small tin tray or plate to hang your shakers from. A bit of out door or water-proof glue and some color ...more
First off, don't be frustrated. YOU CAN DO IT! Contrary to the message in the image above, it's NOT over. It's just beginning. And when it comes to solving the New York Times crossword puzzle, the old cliche does apply: practice makes perfect. I've read quite a few books and ...more
Why Changing Your Wiper Blades Is Important The last thing you want is to get caught in a storm and discover that your windshield wiper blades do not properly keep the water, snow, or ice off your windshield. Not only will this be annoying, but could also lead to an auto acci ...more
"The Christmas Song" is the Christmas song of all songs, but many know this holiday favorite under a different name— "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire". It may not be as old as other Christmastime favorites, like "Jingle Bells" or "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", but thanks ...more
Need some cool sound effects for your next film? Kipkay's got an idea… the "Rumble Pipe". This noisemaking pipe creates a rumbling sound perfect for any drone SFX. Try it out. It's just a little sounds effects gizmo. Cheap and easy! Materials: * 2" SCH 40 PVC * Hacksaw * Rul ...more
There's no getting around it: if you want to get good at playing the ukulele or any other instrument, you'll need to practice. Fortunately, the Internet is awash in free uke lessons, like this one from Ukulele Live, which make the task not only easy but fun. This clip, in part ...more
Ukulele Mike shows his viewers how simple it can be to play "Oh, Susannah" on the ukulele. According to Mike, "Oh, Susannah" is an old classic story song. This means that it is a song that has been handed down that tells a story and doesn't just throw words together because th ...more
As your home ages, so does your deck in the backyard, but there are ways to resolve this issue. If that wooden deck is looking weathered or worn, you can simply replace the components with composite materials without a complete rebuild. Composite doesn't splinter or have knots ...more
If you're a musician in need of some lessons, there's no better way to learn than with MusicRadar's so-called "Tuition" instructions. Although the title tuition is misleading, this video class is anything but costly, because it's free, right here. Whether you're looking for he ...more
Take your old electronics and make them scream with glitchy goodness. This an extremely easy project and makes a great project for first-time solderers. Circuit bending involves taking electronic devices that make multiple sounds and wiring in switches to set off glitches or l ...more
A First Timer's Guide When some new guitarists break their first string they stash it in the closet and forget about it. Me, I put the sweaty axe back in its case and asked my parents to take me to the local music store. After a morning full of senseless racket emanating from ...more
Is your French up to par with Parisians? Can your Aussie tongue mingle with the local Australian natives? What about your old-style New York accent? If you're in need of improving your accents in different languages, then Amy Walker can help you out. This is a masterclass fro ...more
No one wants or needs a flat tire. If you do get one, however, don't get all flustered — changing a tire is as easy as buying groceries or going to the gym. How do you know you’re losing precious air pressure or if the tire’s already gone?! 1. Your car’s computer system info ...more
Yesterday was the biggest shopping event of the year— Black Friday— the day after Thanksgiving. Most waiting in huge lines, getting swallowed up by commercialism on its biggest profit-turning day, and there's still tons of shopping to be had on Saturday and Sunday, with many s ...more
Lock picking is a great skill that takes lots of practice and patience to master, but some locks simply can't be picked, like a Master Lock combination padlock. With a combination lock, you'll have to do it the old-fashioned way—cracking combinations. Video: . If you were to t ...more
This is an intermediate guide on how to easily fix or retrieve data from a bad hard drive. What we're trying to do: 1. Fix a hard drive with a corruption problem (i.e., blue screen) or that is full of viruses to the point of being inoperable. 2. Retrieve data from a hard dr ...more
Recently, buyout talks between Google and Groupon ended with Groupon turning down Google's $6 million offer. But with Amazon backing LivingSocial, should they have? Your guess is as good as mine, but one thing's for sure— Groupon has a great voice, and they're sharing it with ...more
Circuit bending is when you take an old sound producing machine and change the circuitry to make new sounds. Make Magazine's Bre Pettis and circuit bending expert Justin Gerardy discuss the various tips and tricks of circuit bending.
You got a hold of some old vintage "sound transferring thing" on eBay... If it's a Goko, you're in luck. In this video, learn the basic functions of a Goko TC-20 Super 8mm sound film transfer machine.
In this article, I'll be showing you how to make a cool visual representation of sound using an old cathode ray tube (CRT) television, a stereo, and a sound source. You'll also need a pair of wire cutters, and a few screwdrivers. To properly understand this project, it's a goo ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to mix an 80s era music as a DJ. There are so many different styles of music from the 80s, start at modern day dance music to see how the beat sounds now from then. A lot of the dance music back in the 80s was off key because it was done by peopl ...more
You want to transfer your cassettes to digital music but don’t have a clue where to start. With these tips and the right equipment, your old music will sound brand new. You Will Need * A cable with two RCA plugs at one end and 1/8-inch stereo plug at other * A cassette deck * ...more
The objective of this lesson is to break up the same old up and down strumming pattern and sound better. Otherwise your playing can sound the same after a while even though your playing different tunes. By adding rundowns, fill-ins, and alternating bass notes, we can take ordi ...more
Need a hand figuring out how to encourage your baby to make sounds? This video guide from Health Guru will teach you everything you'll need to know. For all of the details, watch this video guide for new parents.
This is an old school trick to revitalizing your bass playing skills— on the cheap. If you're in desperate need of some new bass guitar strings, but can't afford the cost, then there's a solution to bringing new life into them for that "brand new" tone— boil them. Boiling bass ...more
Ditch those namby-pamby clichés like skeleton decals and peeled-grape eyeballs. This year, give your guests a real scare. WARNING: Pregnant women, people with heart conditions, and those who are photosensitive to flashing lights, like some epileptics, should not visit haunted ...more
Whether it stands for “good old raisins and peanuts” or “granola, oats, raisins, and peanuts,” gorp is a great food for the outdoors. Learn how to make gorp for your next camping trip. You will need: a bowl nuts or seeds, like peanuts, almonds or sunflower seeds granola or cer ...more
Learn how to reuse a crashed hard drive or two for a set of wind chimes with this great tutorial. Easy to make and sound great. You will need a #6 and a #8 tork screwdriver, an exacto knife, a pair of needle nose pliers, a phillips and a flat screwdriver, red fishing line and ...more
The Amazing Spider-Man is off to find the next fragment. His trail has lead him to an old mining town filled with sand, sounds like the result is going to be obvious, right? Spidey finds the fragment, but Sandman has already gotten control of it and old Flint is looking to mak ...more
In this video, we learn how to play the old spiritual "Morning has broken" on guitar. Start with D, then G, A, F#, B, G7, C, F, and C when you first begin the song. Then, play D on the different frets so you are getting different sounds each time you touch the strings. As you ...more
Johnny is Irvin Zisman for this one, so let's call him Irvin ;) there will be Spike Jonze too, but he will be dressed as "Gloria", the old lady. They are husband and wife in this one.Irvin goes inside a toilet, in a restaurant or something like that, with Gloria. Irvin, after ...more
The guy in the video starts out explaining that, over time, his guitar has started to sound a little funny. He thought maybe it was a cord or wire shorting out, but it turned out to be the battery. He shows us how to change that battery. You are going to need a Philips head sc ...more
Do you have an old collection of vinyl records but can't keep them in good condition? First, take an empty syringe and fill it with clean water. Add the water from the syringe as the record plays. The water will spread throughout the record and increase the sound quality. The ...more
Ever wondered what the Vikings sounded like? Old Norse is the grandpa of the modern Scandinavian languages of Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish, and is actually quite similar to Icelandic. Polyglot Alexander Arguelles presents a series of videos to provide introductory overviews ...more
Just installed the new iOS 5 on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch? There's a lot of great features to check out and play around with. After messing around with it on my iPhone 4 for a few minutes, these seven additions caught my attention. Check them out below—and tell us what y ...more
So the Big Surprise News of today is that The King's Speech is Kicking Major Nomination Ass with twelve count-em 12 nominations, just brutalizing stuff like The Social Network (eight - nice try), The Fighter (seven - really? seven? that's the best you can do idiot movie?) and ...more
Posted below is an interesting video on the effects of low frequency square waveforms on cornstarch. To make, simply mix cornstarch and water, then place on a large speaker hooked up to an amplifier and a signal generator (generating around 20-30 hertz). An old stereo works gr ...more
Sounds dirty, but this entry is straight up clean. According to the Art of Manliness, proper shaving has become a lost art and it's time to take a lesson in the old: "Today’s average male has no clue about the fine art of the traditional wet shave that their grandfathers and ...more
Beginner piano players are usually relegated to easy - and boring - songs like "Old McDonald Had a Farm" and "Mary Had a Little Lamb." But being a piano novice doesn't mean you have to skip out on fun tunes. In this tutorial you'll be guided through how to play the gospel "Am ...more
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to get a Windows 98 theme on Microsoft Windows 7. The Windows 98 themes need to be downloaded from the link in the video description. The Windows 98 themes are: Baseball, Jungle, Mystery and Travel. When opened, the background changes ...more
Learn how to make a mute plug for your computer by following the steps outlined in this tutorial. This plug can be used for anything, including computers, stereos, mp3 players, or anything else with speakers that has audio. A mute plug is useful to get back at someone that con ...more
In an old video posted on YouTube, about how to make a speaker in a tissue box, they got a Kleenex box, foil, motor, and battery. Of course the motor ran off the battery and it made a sound, but there's no way to just plug in the audio jack from your Apple iPhone into the Klee ...more