PCBs and FR4 front panel (only) for a piezo element amplifier synth module. This module is in LMNC's Kosmo format (20 cm high) and is just 2.5 cm wide.

The original version of this module was a Kosmo format adaptation of the Music Thing Modular Mikrophonie. This new version is functionally the same but with a new circuit design.

A piezo element attached behind the front panel feeds into an amplifier circuit. Any vibrations picked up by the piezo will result in sound at the output. You can scratch or tap on the front panel, thump on the case it is mounted in, and so on. The two screws used to mount the PCB to the panel can also be used to attach springs you can twang, etc. There is a large area on the panel with raised texture for scratching.

There also is an external piezo input jack. You can use this for a piezo attached to an external object — a gong? a metal plate? Whatever! — or for an instrument with a piezo pickup.

The panel is made with lead free HASL finish for your safety. I still do not recommend licking the panel to see how it sounds, but you do you. The panel is reversible, giving you a choice of scratch area at the top and jacks at the bottom or vice versa.

The new amplifier, based on circuits by G.-W. Raes, is specifically designed to work with a piezo input and offers better frequency response and soft clipping. In my breadboard tests I verified it produced clearer, less harsh results than the original design.

The user needs to source parts and assemble them. (Photo of my own assembled module for illustrative purposes only.) Easy through-hole construction.

Be sure to see the Github repository (linked below) for BOM, build notes, and other information.