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YOU CAN BUILD A TESLA COIL THAT SHOOTS LIGHTNING AND PLAYS MUSIC

A solid-state Tesla coil that takes MIDI input and plays music through the electric arcs themselves — no speaker, just 30 cm sparks singing into the air.

by matt0852

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

WorkshopAudio

difficulty
●●●●●
time
several weekends
license
MIT
repo
repo ACTIVE9 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • Electronic parts — full list with part numbers in the repo BOM
  • Dev board / microcontroller — runs the project firmware

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1

COMPAREE VERDICT

This is a dual-resonant solid-state Tesla coil (DRSSTC) that modulates its spark rate to play music: you send it MIDI, and the arcs themselves become the instrument. The topology is well-documented and the repository includes working firmware, but this is an advanced power electronics build with genuine danger at every stage. You are switching 325 VDC through IGBTs at 242 kHz to drive a resonant tank that throws 30 cm arcs. One mistake in the gate drive circuit, one cold solder joint on the current transformer feedback, or one mistuned resonant frequency will destroy semiconductors or worse. The build guide is excellent and walks through primary turn count, capacitor bank sizing, and feedback loop tuning, but it assumes you already know how to read a resonant current waveform on a scope and debug a gate driver that is not behaving. If you have never built a high-voltage project before, this is not the place to start. The single thing most likely to go wrong: blowing the IGBTs during initial power-up because the interrupter timing or current limit is misconfigured. If you have the skills and the bench equipment, it is one of the most visceral builds you will ever complete — but it will not forgive carelessness.

NOT IN THE REPO

  • —Full Eagle schematic and board files for the driver, interrupter, and MIDI boards
  • —Arduino firmware for MIDI processing and interrupter control
  • —Detailed build guide with tuning procedure and component sourcing notes
  • —BOM split across three PCBs with DigiKey part numbers
  • —No enclosure design or mechanical drawings for the secondary coil former
  • —MIT license — free for any use including commercial

Can I build this?

Printnothing required
Buythree custom PCBs (driver, interrupter, MIDI interface), IGBT half-bridge modules, high-voltage capacitors for the MMC tank, magnet wire for primary and secondary coils, PVC or acrylic tube for the secondary former, current transformers, gate driver ICs, Arduino Nano, MIDI input hardware, and a 325 VDC power supply
Toolsoscilloscope, LCR meter or capacitance meter, multimeter, soldering station, drill press or lathe for coil former, wire strippers, heat gun, and ideally a variac for controlled power-up
Skillsadvanced — requires power electronics experience, ability to tune resonant circuits, familiarity with gate drive design, and comfort working around lethal voltages
Timeseveral weekends — PCB assembly is straightforward, but winding coils, tuning the resonant frequency, and debugging the feedback loop take significant iteration
Cost$$ — IGBTs and high-voltage capacitors dominate, figure €150-250 depending on sourcing and whether you already have a bench supply
SafetyLethal mains-derived DC voltage, high-frequency RF that can cause burns, UV from the arc, ozone production, and risk of exploding capacitors or IGBTs if the circuit is mistuned. Work in a well-ventilated space, keep one hand behind your back when probing live circuits, and never bypass the current limit interrupter. Not suitable for unsupervised operation or homes with children.

This build involves mains voltage — for adults comfortable with electrical work only.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

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Gallery

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nWpaaL6Mb5Y/maxresdefault.jpg
https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/77631844/147406119-414e0b2b-2fcf-4fe5-a980-b168c493c503.png
local://covtesla0721.jpg

Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Read the full build guide in the repository (start with the PDF documentation — it covers theory, tuning, and component selection before you order anything)
  2. 2.Order the three PCBs from the Eagle files(driver board, interrupter board, and MIDI interface — Gerbers are in the repository)
  3. 3.Source the BOM(DigiKey part numbers are provided for most components; high-voltage capacitors and IGBTs require careful selection)
  4. 4.Wind the secondary coil(1000 turns of magnet wire on a PVC former — the guide gives exact dimensions and turn count)

KNOWN ISSUES

  • The single most common mistake is blowing the IGBTs on first power-up because the interrupter current limit is set too high or the feedback CT is wired incorrectly — test the gate drive waveform with no resonant load first.
  • Tuning the primary capacitor bank to match the secondary resonant frequency is not optional — if you are off by more than a few percent, the current will run away and destroy the half-bridge. You need an LCR meter or a signal generator and scope to measure it.
  • The repository does not include a mechanical design for the secondary coil former — you will need to source or fabricate a PVC or acrylic tube of the correct diameter and wind the coil yourself, which takes patience and a steady hand.
  • High-voltage capacitors for the MMC tank are not generic electrolytics — they must be polypropylene film caps rated for resonant discharge duty, and they are expensive. Do not substitute lower-quality parts here.
  • The MIDI interrupter firmware assumes you are sending note-on/note-off messages; if you send continuous CC data or try to drive it from a DAW without configuring the output correctly, it will not respond as expected.
  • Ozone production from the arc is significant — run this in a well-ventilated space and do not operate it continuously for more than a few minutes at a time. The UV from the arc can also damage your eyes if you stare directly at it.

Can I build this if I have never worked with high voltage before?

No. This project switches 325 VDC through IGBTs at hundreds of kilohertz and produces arcs that can kill you. If you do not already have experience with power electronics and resonant converters, start with a simpler Tesla coil design or a non-resonant IGBT driver project first.

What is the difference between a DRSSTC and a spark-gap Tesla coil?

A DRSSTC uses solid-state switching (IGBTs) instead of a mechanical spark gap, which gives you precise control over the spark rate and allows you to modulate it for music. It is also quieter and more efficient, but significantly more complex to build and tune.

Do I need a specific MIDI controller?

No — any MIDI keyboard, sequencer, or DAW that sends standard note-on and note-off messages will work. The Arduino firmware listens on MIDI channel 1 by default and translates note pitch into interrupter pulse timing.

How loud is the music?

Surprisingly loud — the arcs themselves are the speaker, and the sound carries across a room. Higher notes are easier to hear than lower ones because the pulse rate is faster.

Can I run this off a battery?

Not practically. You need a regulated 325 VDC supply capable of delivering several amps of peak current. Most builders use a rectified and filtered mains supply with a variac for controlled ramp-up.

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Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

The arcs sing at 242 kHz and you control them over MIDI — what song would you program into it first?

CompareeTEAM1mo agoedited

Practical notes from our verification: the repository has complete schematics and a detailed build PDF, but no video walkthrough and no photos of the individual PCBs assembled. The secondary coil former dimensions are specified in the guide, but you will need to source or machine the tube yourself. The MIDI firmware is Arduino-based and straightforward, but tuning the resonant frequency and current limit is the make-or-break step — the guide covers it, but you need an oscilloscope and the patience to iterate. The MIT license is unrestricted. One weekend is optimistic; count on several if you are winding your own coils and debugging the first power-up.

matt0852

An electronics engineer who documented this DRSSTC build in detail after iterating through several driver and interrupter topologies. The repository is a complete reference design with schematic, BOM, and tuning notes intended for other builders to replicate.

GitHub

Star the project on GitHub

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