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DIY Mechanical Metronome

Creating your own mechanical metronome requires some knowledge of how to build a circuit board and attach the appropriate elements to the breadboard. The breadboard is the basis for the circuits and holds the items in place. It will allow electricity to travel over the components and activate the speaker, which will be located at the end of the breadboard. With a trip to the hardware store, you can create your own mechanical metronome.

Things You'll Need

  • Breadboard
  • 555 timer integrated circuit
  • Ohm resister
  • 16 volt capacitor
  • 9 volt battery
  • 4 to 8 ohms speaker
  • Ohms potentiometer
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the breadboard on the table with the holes facing up.

    • 2

      Place the 9 volt battery at the top of the breadboard. Connect the wires from the breadboard to the 9 volt battery. The wires connect to an adapter that attaches to the 9 volt battery.

    • 3

      Place the 555 timer integrated circuit toward the front end of the breadboard in front of the battery. Leave about 2 inches on the edge of the breadboard free.

    • 4

      Place two 1K ohm resistors on the right and left side of the breadboard between the 555 timer integrated circuit and the end opposite the 9 volt battery. Make sure the resistors are lined up in a straight horizontal line across the breadboard.

    • 5

      Attach the speaker to the end that is opposite the 9 volt battery. Guide the two wires across the breadboard in a straight line and connect them to the two 1K ohm resistors by tying the metal wires to the resistors.

    • 6

      Place one 16 volt capacitor between the speaker and the 555 timer integrated circuit. Simply push the prongs into the breadboard. Place another between the second 1K ohm resister and the left side of the breadboard. The second resistor needs to be in line with the potentiometer in the next step.

    • 7

      Connect the ohms potentiometer to middle of the breadboard on the edge near the 9 volt battery.

    • 8

      Connect the 9 volt to the breadboard and the unit will start beeping. Adjust the resistance on the ohm potentiometer to speed up or slow down the metronome. You can increase the resistance by changing the position of the potentiometer.

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