Hi! My name is Matthew and I am a electronics and software engineer, recording musician, and proprietor of Extralife Instruments. I enjoy all things D.I.Y. and have lived in San Francisco since 2011. On this website I share some of my projects. You can find some of my hardware, software, music, and videos below.
After many years of listening and contemplating it, I finally decided to dive in recreate Daft Punk’s classic acid house burner with my modular synth setup.
I’ve completed a DIY project modding the Korg Monotron for analog CV input. I have found some other descriptions of similar mods online, but so far as I know I’m the first to document the build on video or provide PCB layouts, so while monotron hacks may be old hat, I think this brings something new to the table.
I spent the month of August up in Sequim, WA, working on rebuilding Tally Ho, a century-old wooden racing yacht, with its owner Leo and a crew of other volunteers.
I built a new studio desk based on the Platform Desk by Output. It has a monitor shelf, rack space for audio gear, and a sliding keyboard tray, with all plywood construction. I drafted the cutout plans in QCAD and then produced a tutorial video.
Super Sixteen is an open-source hardware sequencer for the Eurorack synthesizer format. I’m developing it on the Arduino platform and documenting my progress in a free video series.
Extralife is my ongoing musical project, with a focus on improvisation and DIY. I post regular videos on my Youtube channel, including many single-session live recordings and original tracks.