Our workshops (which are currently run out of A4 Sounds, St. Joseph's Parade, Dublin 7) are designed to give you hands-on experience building useful pieces of musical equipment while learning practical skills and electronic theory. We have workshops aimed at all types of electronic musicians and levels of interest in DIY. 

Upcoming workshops:

DUBLIN
REST OF IRELAND
TBC
ABROAD

Workshops we offer:

intro to audio electronics
This extensive 4hr workshop is intended to provide the student with all the required skills, knowledge and confidence to begin working on their own DIY Electronics projects at home or in the lab. 
What we cover in the workshop
After we have concluded our safety talk we begin the workshop by providing a basic introduction to electronics, introducing the concept of current flow, voltage and resistance. We summarise this with Ohm’s Law. Following this, the concepts of DC and AC current are explained.

Next we teach the students the correct way to solder. We begin by soldering wire and resistors to veroboard (stripboard) and soldering wires together. We also demonstrate how to desolder components from a circuit board, and the use of heat-shrink to insulate exposed metal elements within the circuit. We then follow this up by making an instrument cable. Students will then have the opportunity to use a multimeter to test for continuity in their cables. 

We continue the workshop by introducing the common electrical components encountered in DIY audio electronics. Their function and electrical characteristics are described, their schematic symbols and examples of their use in audio circuits are presented.

Next we introduce the breadboard and the concept of prototyping a circuit. The function and make up of the breadboard is explained and the students are tasked to build a small distortion amplifier from schematic.

Once the students have built the amplifier on breadboard we introduce them to veroboard and veroboard layouts. Veroboard layouts are a common way DIY audio circuits are presented, and are freely available online. A veroboard layout of the amplifier that was built on the breadboard is presented and the students are tasked to build it. Once built, the amplifier is placed into an enclosure.

Students take home everything they make.
who is the workshop intended for?
This workshop is aimed at musicians, artists and the curious who have no previous experience in DIY electronics and who wish to gain a comprehensive understanding of the basic skills and theory to being working on their own. We recommend this workshop for students aged 15+.
workshop schedule
- Introduction and safety talk 
- Learn to solder 
- Introduction to electronic components 
- Make an instrument cable 
- Examination of common electronic components
- Short break
- Introduction to using the breadboard 
- Examination of amplifier Schematic 
- Amplifier build on breadboard 
- Testing of breadboard amplifier
- Short break
- Introduction to veroboard layouts 
- Build amplifier on veroboard 
- Place amplifier in enclosure 
- Testing and troubleshooting
guitar pedal build

​In this 3.5hr workshop we take the student through the process of building a guitar pedal which they will take home using Maker.ie's B.I.Y. (Boutique It Yourself) PCBs and kits. Student's will get the chance to chose between Fuzz or Boost (Beginner) or Delay, Tremolo or Tubescreamer (Advanced).
Click here to find out all about our new B.I.Y. guitar pedal P.C.B.s and kits including workbooks, schematics and layouts.
light theremin build
The Theremin was one of the world's first electronic instruments and was invented by Leon Theremin in 1928. The player of a Theremin does not actually touch the instrument, but moves their hands in the space around it. In this 3hr workshop we walk students through build a Light sensitive Theremin synthesiser which users can manipulate the sound by waving their hands over (or alternatively, shining bright lights onto!).
what we cover in the workshop
After our safety talk, we begin the workshop by providing a comprehensive soldering lesson, where users will learn the correct and safe way to solder. We include how to solder to a circuit board as well as connecting wires together as well as how to safely remove components and wires from a circuit board.

Following this we begin the build starting with the circuit board, then moving onto the light sensitive resistors and other connections. Once everything is soldered together we place everything into a solid aluminium enclosure.
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As we go through the build we explain what each part of the circuit is for and how it affects the sound. We also suggest some possible modifications for the adventurous to try after the workshop is completed. We also introduce the students to the circuit’s schematic and explain how it all works together.
who is this workshop intended for
​This workshop is aimed at musicians, artists and the curious who have no previous experience in DIY electronics and who wish to gain a comprehensive understanding of the basic skills and theory to being working on their own. We recommend this workshop for students aged 15+.
workshop schedule
- Introduction and safety talk
- Introduction to soldering
- Building the light Theremin w/ discussions throughout
- Testing, troubleshooting and finishing up
eurorack modular synth
​This 3hr workshop is designed to give a practical introduction to the capabilities of modular synthesis and to give you enough confidence to begin working on building synth modules of your own, by completing the assembly of one of a choice of 3 Maker Eurorack modules which you will take home at the end.
What we cover in the workshop
​For the first part of the course we will briefly explain the concept of modular synthesis and different modular synthesis formats. We follow this up by demonstrating 3 different Maker modules in a modular synthesiser set-up. Each student then choose one of the 3 modules to build (LFO, VCA, LVLs) and we run through how to approach the build process, including a few pointers on how to solder safely and correctly. We provide follow detailed assembly guides for each module and the workshop facilitator is on hand to assist with problems and questions during the build.

After the soldering, each person tests and troubleshoots their build with help from the facilitator.
who is the workshop intended for?
​This workshop is aimed at musicians, engineering students, tech-based entrepreneurs, artists, hobbyists, or anyone with an interest in analogue electronics and/or the growing field of  modular synthesis. No previous programming or electronics experience is required to participate. This workshop is aimed at students aged 15+.
workshop schedule
- Introduction to Modular Synthesis
- Demo of modules
- Soldering and module building
- Testing & Troubleshooting