Creative Hackers Turn Discarded Vapes into Musical Synthesizers
Spent vape cartridges are a blight on the environment, filling up landfills and contributing to electronic waste. But a group of ingenious makers in New York City have come up with an innovative solution - turning these discarded vapes into musical synthesizers. Dubbed the "Vape Synth," this DIY device can be crafted from a spent Elf Bar nicotine vaporizer by hacking it into a digital instrument.
The project's creator, Kari Love, explained that the idea came about when a student asked her for a way to create a miniature fog machine using a vape. Although the student never returned with their request, Love was left with an empty device on her desk. She then teamed up with fellow makers David Rios and Shuang Cai to turn this discarded item into something new.
The Vape Synth uses the original batteries, charging circuit, and case of the vape, but adds a speaker and controls to create a makeshift musical instrument. The device works by sucking on the mouthpiece while drawing breath in, triggering an oscillator circuit that generates audio signals.
While the Vape Synth is not a conventional instrument and its sound quality can be described as "screechy" or chaotic, its makers deliberately aimed for this effect. According to Love, "We started from a very silly place... We have to use the low pressure sensor, which means to play it, you must suck."
The team's goal is not only to create an innovative musical instrument but also to divert some of the electronic waste that ends up in landfills and contribute to sustainable practices. By sharing DIY instructions online, they encourage others to find their own ways to repurpose e-waste.
Their initiative has sparked interest among music enthusiasts, makers, and environmentalists alike, inspiring a new wave of creative hacking and repurposing projects.
Spent vape cartridges are a blight on the environment, filling up landfills and contributing to electronic waste. But a group of ingenious makers in New York City have come up with an innovative solution - turning these discarded vapes into musical synthesizers. Dubbed the "Vape Synth," this DIY device can be crafted from a spent Elf Bar nicotine vaporizer by hacking it into a digital instrument.
The project's creator, Kari Love, explained that the idea came about when a student asked her for a way to create a miniature fog machine using a vape. Although the student never returned with their request, Love was left with an empty device on her desk. She then teamed up with fellow makers David Rios and Shuang Cai to turn this discarded item into something new.
The Vape Synth uses the original batteries, charging circuit, and case of the vape, but adds a speaker and controls to create a makeshift musical instrument. The device works by sucking on the mouthpiece while drawing breath in, triggering an oscillator circuit that generates audio signals.
While the Vape Synth is not a conventional instrument and its sound quality can be described as "screechy" or chaotic, its makers deliberately aimed for this effect. According to Love, "We started from a very silly place... We have to use the low pressure sensor, which means to play it, you must suck."
The team's goal is not only to create an innovative musical instrument but also to divert some of the electronic waste that ends up in landfills and contribute to sustainable practices. By sharing DIY instructions online, they encourage others to find their own ways to repurpose e-waste.
Their initiative has sparked interest among music enthusiasts, makers, and environmentalists alike, inspiring a new wave of creative hacking and repurposing projects.
i mean who turns old vapes into instruments? they literally hacked an elf bar nicotine vaporizer and turned it into this thing called the "Vape Synth" 
it sucks on the mouthpiece to make sounds idk about the sound quality tho 
but its def eco friendly like we dont need more plastic and electronic waste in landfills 
anyway i'm all about that creative hacking life 
now im wondering what other weird and wonderful things u guys can make out of old stuff
. I'm totally down for more sustainable projects like this - who knows what other innovative stuff we'll come up with when we start thinking outside the box (or in this case, the vape cartridge). 
They're not only solving an e-waste problem but also pushing the boundaries of what we consider trash as a material for art. It's sick how they took something that was meant to be thrown away and made it into something new and dope 
The Vape Synth might sound screechy, but I'm all about that DIY ethos and the fact that they're encouraging others to get creative with e-waste is the real win 
the screechy sound is like a middle finger to traditional instruments - "we're done with boring, thank you" 
the makers are like the ultimate DIY squad goals 
! It's awesome that these creators are turning something that would've otherwise ended up in the landfill into a musical instrument. I mean, it's not gonna win any awards for its sound quality, but hey, who needs conventional instruments when you can have a unique "screechy" sound? 
these guys are like heroes for the planet
they say the sound quality might be a bit screechy but idc thats part of its charm i guess what im saying is kudos to these makers for getting creative and trying to reduce e waste in a quirky way 
. It's like a call to arms for makers and environmentalists everywhere! We should all be giving props to Kari Love and her team for coming up with this creative solution 
.
They're saying they've already made over 100 units and shared the DIY plans online - I'm thinking we'll see more of these popping up soon 
. I'm all for creative solutions like this Vape Synth - it's a great example of upcycling and sustainable design