This is a cheap Chinese reproduction of Stylophone with the COB IC. The original 1960s British version was all discrete components, with a unijunction transistor oscillator and resistor ladders for the notes, which made a distinctive sawtooth sound. Then later versions from mid 70s and onwards, used an NE555 timer IC as the tone generator, which made a squarewave sound. Dupreq called it "New sound Stylophone"
@@TomorrowLab I'll show him when I'm down to visit in a week or two :-) Though this is one of my recent re-release Stylophones rather than one of the old analogue ones... the old ones are WAY more hackable than the new digital ones I'm afraid :-)
I think that is a Chinese copy... Or a more modern original. The original 1960s and 70s one just uses lots of discrete resistors, caps and transistors. Just finished repairing two 60s and 70s Stylophones and whilst doing so, came across your video. Interesting seeing inside this one though 👍
"Almost as if it was designed to be open and hacked" I don't think so. How the hell did you manage to open it without breaking that plastic box ? I just can't figure it out. Any advice ?
What is the phillips head size for the battery cover screw? Need to figure out how to open mine up to get it playing but I forgot I gave away my tools lol
The main body/pen for the stylus is not meant to be taken apart. The brass head is just pressure fit and slid into place. So if you use some pliers you can slowly twist and pull the head out. After that unsolder the wire and you can pull it back through the body/pen. My wire was completely shredded and I had to replace it to get mine playing again. Hope this helps.
Any idea what I could do? The vibrato switch on my stylophone doesn't work anymore...no matter if it's in "on" or "off" position - its always deactivated. Nothing happens when you change the position of the switch.
If it's an old school original, it's probably a dodgy capacitor. I have a 1970s one that doesn't vibrato, but I haven't gotten as far as replacing the caps yet.
The Stylophone that we have here is generation #2. The first generation did not have the switch on the front edge that changed the voice. First Gen. was made in the very late 60s. Gen #2 was made in the early 70s. I used to have a gen #1. And it sucked. I have to laugh at the comment about " is it analog or digital?" It was made in the 70s. What the hell do you think? I think I might know a thing or two about these things. When I was a young man, phone calls were made with a rotary phone. Cell phones were a thing in 'Star Trek. I watched the world change from analog to digital. I watched the world go to hell. At the end of the video, you say we can do new tech, we can do old tech. You have no idea about how the old tech worked. The old stuff has no resemblance to what we have now. Dynosores and automobiles.
OK so you guys are not good at this... here's why 1) it's not resistive It's resistive on the old one not the modern ones. this one it's just a dry contact with a microcontroller making the tone. that's fine but you are incorrect because you can't have a mid point by bridging two contacts with the stylus which is misleading. 2) you don't know how to actually use the oscilloscope. yes you need the ground. otherwise it's floating.
This is a cheap Chinese reproduction of Stylophone with the COB IC. The original 1960s British version was all discrete components, with a unijunction transistor oscillator and resistor ladders for the notes, which made a distinctive sawtooth sound. Then later versions from mid 70s and onwards, used an NE555 timer IC as the tone generator, which made a squarewave sound. Dupreq called it "New sound Stylophone"
I'll have to show my dad this :-)
I'm sure he'll appreciate your appreciation of his creation :-)
Wooow Yes, please do!
@@TomorrowLab I'll show him when I'm down to visit in a week or two :-) Though this is one of my recent re-release Stylophones rather than one of the old analogue ones... the old ones are WAY more hackable than the new digital ones I'm afraid :-)
Thanks for opening this. I’ve been wondering what’s inside my stylophone.
Them ones remind me of the musical birthday cards lol. Great video well explained
>have a whole electronics lab in your house
>don't know LM386
Breh
Thanks, i needed to open my stylophone to replace the styles cable great video btw :)
Thank you so much for this video
I think that is a Chinese copy... Or a more modern original. The original 1960s and 70s one just uses lots of discrete resistors, caps and transistors. Just finished repairing two 60s and 70s Stylophones and whilst doing so, came across your video. Interesting seeing inside this one though 👍
"Almost as if it was designed to be open and hacked" I don't think so.
How the hell did you manage to open it without breaking that plastic box ? I just can't figure it out. Any advice ?
Guy on the right "so an oscilloscope is like a thing that does a thing....."
Wait, how did you get the stylus apart?
Put your finger on the pads and on the tip of the stylus and you get a low-ish pitch sound depending on how hard you press.
What is the phillips head size for the battery cover screw? Need to figure out how to open mine up to get it playing but I forgot I gave away my tools lol
good work, boys!
How did you remove stylus?
Help)
Seriously yes. I need to know this too!
The main body/pen for the stylus is not meant to be taken apart. The brass head is just pressure fit and slid into place. So if you use some pliers you can slowly twist and pull the head out. After that unsolder the wire and you can pull it back through the body/pen. My wire was completely shredded and I had to replace it to get mine playing again. Hope this helps.
Any idea what I could do?
The vibrato switch on my stylophone doesn't work anymore...no matter if it's in "on" or "off" position - its always deactivated.
Nothing happens when you change the position of the switch.
Not sure - either the switch component failed, or something is preventing the slider from moving fully to the the 'on' position.
If it's an old school original, it's probably a dodgy capacitor. I have a 1970s one that doesn't vibrato, but I haven't gotten as far as replacing the caps yet.
"These are like the instruments"
They are octaves all the same instrument just higher tones
Nvm i just dumb
So I bought the same one but my #7 won’t make a sound can you help pls :(
Were you able to fix the problem? Just bought a new one with #8 not working
It was never used by Queen or The Beatles.
Da dove acquisti
The Stylophone that we have here is generation #2. The first generation did not have the switch on the front edge that changed the voice. First Gen. was made in the very late 60s. Gen #2 was made in the early 70s. I used to have a gen #1. And it sucked. I have to laugh at the comment about " is it analog or digital?" It was made in the 70s. What the hell do you think? I think I might know a thing or two about these things. When I was a young man, phone calls were made with a rotary phone. Cell phones were a thing in 'Star Trek. I watched the world change from analog to digital. I watched the world go to hell. At the end of the video, you say we can do new tech, we can do old tech. You have no idea about how the old tech worked. The old stuff has no resemblance to what we have now. Dynosores and automobiles.
I think this one is a recent re-release. It is digital using a micro-controller, not analog like the ones from the 60’s-70’s.
OK so you guys are not good at this... here's why
1) it's not resistive
It's resistive on the old one not the modern ones. this one it's just a dry contact with a microcontroller making the tone. that's fine but you are incorrect because you can't have a mid point by bridging two contacts with the stylus which is misleading.
2) you don't know how to actually use the oscilloscope.
yes you need the ground. otherwise it's floating.