A team from Electroagenda has developed a 1-bit synthesiser that uses a 555 timer chip to produce different notes, in a 1970s-style electronics project.
The 4017 decade counter chip drives the synthesiser, feeding its output to a set of voltage dividers that control another 555 oscillator to generate the desired notes.
While the demo video shows the potential of the simple circuitry, comments point out that a 4017 only has 10 outputs, rather than the 12 steps in the video, which limits its musicality.
Commenters also point out that 12 steps offer more common musical timings, such as 3/4, 4/4 and 6/8 time signatures, whereas 10 steps are less versatile.
