THE BUTTON BOX

DESIGNED BY GRAHAM C WALSH • MANUFACTURED BY DEATH BY AUDIO

When the tools are simple, creativity takes over. The Button Box is a reminder that a simple idea can open the door to things that are exciting, unusual, and unexpected.

This minimal device is a sound conductor, awaiting human interaction to move ideas through new places in real time. It’s a gateway where sound becomes music, and how that happens is up to you.

The inspiration for The Button Box was born from the creative practice of its inventor, Graham Walsh. As a producer, multi-instrumentalist, and co-founding member of celebrated noise rock band Holy Fuck, Walsh’s process has long been driven by an excitement for discovering new sounds, and an openness to exploring unlikely ways of discovering them, often using equipment in ways other than what it was intended. He believes in the importance of embracing limitations and values imperfections and maintaining as much human feel in music, especially with the advent of modern musical tools aimed at making everything “perfect”.

When Walsh first started experimenting with sounds, his idea for The Button Box, came about as a means to draw musicality out of things that weren’t inherently meant to be musical. He built his first button box by wiring 2 audio jacks to an arcade button that only allowed sound to pass through when the button was pressed. The result immediately became an inviting conduit for sound experimentation, making any sound put through it “playable” with the press of a button. Having rhythmic control of any sound at his fingertips, unexpected moments and happy accidents flourished. The results were never planned, and felt alive and human. This philosophy is at the heart of The Button Box. In a world full of presets and automation, The Button Box requires actual hands-on interaction and play, celebrating unpredictability and imperfection. Ultimately, it reflects the human spirit at the center of music—where creativity comes from curiosity and experimentation.

Graham made his first button box prototype over 20 years ago, and has been discovering new things with it ever since. Now with the help of longtime friend Oliver Ackerman and the team at Death By Audio, a new, improved version based off Graham's prototype is now available in limited supply, for anyone to dive in and explore with.

TECH SPECS:

Power: 9v DC (Center Negative)

Gate Out: 5v

Uses a high-quality Sanwa brand arcade button to maximizes responsiveness, playability and durability, and also minimize any audio "clicks".