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Breadboarding Modular Synthesizers Part II

Breadboarding Modular Synthesizers Part II

Completion of Part I (Breadboarding Modular Synthesizers Workshop) or equivalent experience is required. No previous hardware or circuits are needed, and all materials are provided for this workshop.

In Part II of the DIY Breadboarding Modular Synthesizers Workshop, you’ll build on the techniques and concepts explored in Part I, learning new ways to synthesize, shape, and sequence sounds using integrated circuits and discrete components. While the workshop expands on Part I, you won’t need your original synthesizer or circuits to participate.

Over the course of two days, we’ll explore new approaches to sequencing, moving beyond binary counting to create more varied melodic and rhythmic patterns. You’ll learn to integrate different counting circuits into a multiplexer sequencer, use logic gates to generate new patterns, and experiment with manual and automated filtering to shape the timbre of your sounds.

By the end of the workshop, you’ll have built new, playable circuits capable of generating more complex synth melodies and sequencing patterns in real time, with the option to integrate them into your synthesizer from Part I.

Diversity Scholarships are available. Apply by October 26, 2026 for a scholarship.

Course Logistics

Dates:
Monday, November 9 & Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Times:
6 – 9 PM PT

Location:
Gray Area / Grand Theater
2665 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Cost:
$250

Experience Level:
Intermediate to Advanced (Part I or equivalent experience required)

Scholarships:
Diversity Scholarships are available.
Apply by October 26, 2026 for a scholarship.

Workshop Outline

Day 1
  • Beyond binary: exploring alternative counting circuits
  • Integrating different counters into the multiplexer sequencer
  • Troubleshooting, circuit explanations, and Q&A
Day 2
  • Varying sequencer patterns with logic gates
  • Shaping timbre through manual and automated filtering
  • Troubleshooting, circuit explanations, and Q&A

Prerequisites

Completion of Part I (Breadboarding Modular Synthesizers Workshop) or equivalent experience is required. Contact the instructor with any questions about prerequisites.

Additional Information

What to Bring

No previous hardware or materials are required. While this workshop builds on concepts from Part I, you’ll be constructing new circuits from scratch, so you do not need to bring your original synthesizer or breadboard setup.

What’s Provided

All electronic components and materials needed to build the new circuits are provided for this workshop.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

  • Build new breadboard synthesizer circuits using integrated circuits and discrete components
  • Explore alternative counting circuits and their applications in sequencing
  • Integrate new counters into a multiplexer sequencer to generate more complex patterns
  • Use logic gates to vary melodic and rhythmic sequencing patterns
  • Shape the timbre of synthesized sounds through RC filtering
  • Experiment with manual and automated filtering techniques
  • Develop new, playable circuits that extend the concepts explored in Part I and can be integrated into an existing modular synthesizer

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Instructor(s)

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.