low-gain
Offline
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA

So are there any other people here interested in DIY modular/analog Synthesis?

I've been working on a few designs as of late, but i wanted to get a little utility project out of the way to help me with R&D...
I purchased (a rather high priced pcb for what it is) a 10step sequencer pcb (Voice of Saturn) from the curious inventor a while ago,
and up until now i haven't had the time to make it.. So i started getting the chassis together. It's not finished by no means, as i haven't wired it yet.
I still need to figure out if i'm going to paint the chassis, label it and clear coat, label and clear coat or just leave it as is and label it. I'm designing a 4 channel version of this on my own not using the voice of saturn pcb but I had this one laying around waiting to be assembled...

Anyways.. if there are a few of you out there i'd love to see some current/past projects... and or maybe start up some discussions about this stuff. smile


Finished PCB (old rev)


(Panel design)


(Machined the panel after work today)


(Mounted parts to check for errors)


Like i said. Cluster fuck. smile


Internal ground bussing and stuff. (Not my cleanest work, but again this is for my personal use only)


Finished Wiring the 10 step sections and mounted the PCB.


As you can see from the image... it's a total rats nest. And amazingly enough i can get the chassis closed. Now to figure out the errors in my wiring. >_< I think i'm missing a jumper or something simple. usually is a minor detail i miss. Installed the I/O jacks. I also added Ken Stone's Gate to trigger converter pcb in there for a dual channel Gate to Trigger converter . i normalled the Gate output to the input of the 1st gate->trig input. Runs off a simple 12V laptop supply (didn't need/want battery operation on this one).  Let the troubleshooting begin!

octavialsilver
Offline
FERNDALE, MI, USA

DO WANT

been wanting to build a step sequencer for a while now. one with a bit of midi support as well. tongue

Last edited by octavialsilver (Feb 8, 2010 11:41 pm)

Theta_Frost
Offline
Milwaukee, WI

If your looking for the ultimate in sequencers, Midibox SEQ is the way to go!  Getlofi has a dirt cheap 8 step sequencer PCB for sale as well, which I'm hot on building soon.  Also speaking of Midibox, the SID and FM both can perform CV out with an extra board.  I'm excited to try CV controlled vactrols and such on some bent projects with my to be finished FM!  Excited to hear about your project Low-Gain!

low-gain
Offline
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA

the midibox SEQ is cool, although a little extreme... as for Alex's sequencers..also cool. just not for me.  wink


I just need  this little sequencer for utility work for testing trigger stuff... i just hope i can get all the wires into the damn thing. it's a lot to pack into such a small space. and a total cluster fuck of wires.


Like i said. Cluster fuck. smile


Internal ground bussing and stuff. (Not my cleanest work, but again this is for my personal use only)

nitro2k01
Offline
Sweeeeeeden

Oh, that's a nasty heap of wires... If I had designed it, I would have used ribbon cables, and maybe daughterboards for each line of potentiometers.

low-gain
Offline
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA
nitro2k01 wrote:

Oh, that's a nasty heap of wires... If I had designed it, I would have used ribbon cables, and maybe daughterboards for each line of potentiometers.

'
you and me both. lol

droffset
Offline
nz

Hi I'm into the DIY thing also.  I started out with a 130-in-1 electronics kit almost 2 years ago and my eyes quickly grew larger than my budget, haha.

Here's my Wierd Sound Generator:

A NAND photo synth:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq3rPsZG8ZY

Here's part of my Lunetta CMOS synth that the good folks at Electro-Music taught me to make:
(Little-scale's Sea-Moss pages really helped me get started, thanks dude.)

And I have some recordings at Soundcloud.  http://soundcloud.com/droffset/
Some more on the flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/droffset/s … 285843612/

The current project is a big drum synth using PCBs from around the community.  Here's the project thread, I need to update it.  http://electro-music.com/forum/viewtopi … 200#283200

I'll stop, can go on all day about this stuff, heh.

Last edited by droffset (Feb 9, 2010 5:21 am)

low-gain
Offline
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA

NICE Droffset!!!! smile

Progress made this evening!

Finished Wiring the 10 step sections and mounted the PCB.

tomorrow i wire up the rest and mount the I/O Jacks.
It's going to run off 12Vdc Laptop Supply. I have to add a simple gate to trigger converter in it yet as well.. >_< so much shit to try and fit into that little bugger.

low-gain
Offline
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA

btw, i think i might use ken stones gate to trigger converter in this sequencer as well. to save myself some time. and i think i have one of his pcb's laying around.. otherwise i'll just bread board it i only need 1 channel of it for this one anyways.
I hope to make the final steps this evening to getting it done.   I am removing the reset jacks from the original design and making it a simple rotary switch. Also added a clock LED (not that it's needed w/ the step LED's but what ever. wink ). Hope to have it finished and i'll try to shoot some video of it controlling something silly like my vl-tone or sk-1 or something. haha

rumpelfilter
Offline
Italy

you guys really make me want to buy a new soldering iron!
Hmm... I've been considering the voice of saturn synth thing for some time now... anybody has got his hands on it?
Apart from that I know doepfer has released a DIY synth kit at NAMM... can't find the link right now, but if anybody wants to know I'll search for it.

low-gain
Offline
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA

http://www.doepfer.de/DIY_Synth.htm

If it's priced reasonably, i'll pick one up and build it. actually, I should contact them see if i can't pull some strings. teehee.

low-gain
Offline
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA
rumpelfilter wrote:

you guys really make me want to buy a new soldering iron!


Might i recommend a Hakko 936 wink they rock

BTS
Offline
Ohio
low-gain wrote:

http://www.doepfer.de/DIY_Synth.htm

If it's priced reasonably, i'll pick one up and build it. actually, I should contact them see if i can't pull some strings. teehee.

From the site:

Date of Delivery: ~ May 2010
Prices:
~ Euro 100.00 (without controls, sockets, switches, cables, power supply and case, without temperature control of the VCO)
~ Euro 120.00 (same as above, but with temperature control the VCO)

Or about $137 to $164 US dollars (at current exchange).  Again, that's without a case and other control components.  It seems cheaper than buying modules though.

low-gain
Offline
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA
BTS wrote:

Or about $137 to $164 US dollars (at current exchange).  Again, that's without a case and other control components.  It seems cheaper than buying modules though.

Too bad they:
a. assemble the module for you
b. charge 20euro extra for a tempco resistor..

I emailed them asking if i could help in any way.. we'll see what happens

low-gain
Offline
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA

btw... i just heard back from Doepfer. I guess it's going under some further PCB revisions and wont be available until April/May

arfink
Offline
Minneapolis

I WANT TO PLAY WITH THIS. BTW, we still have to hang out some time.