Grant Richter on East Coast vs West Coast

Fascinating post, makes me wounder. What if the West coast's designs won out?
From muffwiggler.com

It really starts with the concept of a patch. In the "East Coast" instruments (basically all synthesizer manufacturers except Wiard, Buchla and Serge) you have a subtractive synthesis patch entirely oriented towards the filter. This is your classic VCO-VCF-VCA connection with ADSR type envelopes..........

In the "West Coast" instruments, there are 3 possible synthesis modes. Additive, non-linear waveshaping and dynamic depth FM are the primary synthesis modes. "East Coast" subtractive synthesis is typically not DIRECTLY supported. It was not in the Buchla or Serge (no 24 dB/Oct. resonant filter). Good aproximations of subtractive synthesis can be patch on the Serge with cascaded filters. These instruments are oriented towards controlling with a multiple output sequencer or multiple output complex envelope generator instead of a black and white keyboard. They produce a larger and more importantly, different set of timbres than the simpler "East Coast" instruments. Read the rest over here.

Roland Juno-2044?

I have been giving a lot of thought on what to do to my Juno-106. It has 2 dead filter chips, and I would rather fix it myself then buy a clone filter chip. In doing some research I came across a post from via electro-music.
mooger5 was working on not a clone of a Juno Filter Chip but a whole new design. His designs were based on the famous LoPass filter on a chip, the SSM2044. Unfortunately the thread just died and after a sending a PM to mooger5 he pointed me to a thred over at Vintage Synth Explorer. After mooger fried a chip its been on the back burner.

I think his idea is a very cool. I have never owned a Juno-106 before so I am not relay attached to the sound of it, and the SSM2044's are easy to get off eBay at the moment. There are a lot of dead 106's out there at the moment, I think this would make a cool project to give them all new life.

I just pulled my filter chips and its all wired to a bread board. Just waiting for the chips to arrive. ; )

New C-Thru Controler AXIS 49

I always have wanted to play the Axis 64. But out here in Taiwan there is no way I am going to be able to check it out. I might have to raise the funds to get this. No word on price yet. Link

The Pythagorean Lambdoma Harmonic Keyboard

pic via eBay

I have no idea whats happening here.

"Players of these keyboards have experienced increased physical comfort and spiritual awareness within which they were able to learn answers to their questions including their life's purpose and how to become more spiritually aware." from lambdoma.com
audio is a little off


Reminds me of a C-thru axis controller on a 3 month Acid benge.

Up on eBay right now for $2,995.00 Link

Besides "its about the suzuki omni cord."

Thomas Henry's "Mankato"

Pic's via Magic Smoke


What I like about Thomas Hennry's designs is his innovation. He shares it all with the D.I.Y community and has helped us look ahead towards the future.
He has wrote a few book's on Synth design. link
Making Music with the 3080 OTA is one that really influences the modular DIY community right now.

The TH-201 is a Voltage control filter that uses the SSM-2164 chip. Whats cool about this project is the flexablity of this module.

• 6, 12, 18, and 24 dB outputs
• inverted 6, 12, 18, and 24 dB outputs
• 45 degrees of phase difference between each output
• 8-phase sine wave oscillator

You can find PCB's at Tom Servos site Magic Smoke. He also sells PCB's of other Hennry's designs.

fonitrOnik stereo PS3100 Resonators / x-fade-panner

photo from fonitrOnik via flicker.

















I have been following the posts over at electro-music.com about this very cool sounding module. Its the 3rd run of a modular DIY project's and all you can do is order the PCB. Unfortunately the run is now closed but maybe if you ask relay nice he may be able to slip you in.

fonitrOnilk also has a very cool site about his DIY modular.

Insaine x0xb0x mod kit

Picture from ladyada's tea party









Full details over at Matrixsynth.

Killer work from bcbox.

Roland BA6110

The BA6110 is a VCA on a chip that is very similar to the rare and expensive BA662A. Used in almost all older Roland synth's and most famously in the TB-303.

I got a dead batch from http://www.pacificsemi.com/ in picture.
Apparently the date code of 420 178 is a bad batch.

Subatomic Glue did a comparison between the two in a x0xb0x. Check it out

Roland Juno-106

Pict's of a 106 that I am going to refurbish.

My Band Album

Saw this on Facebook spreading like wild fire. Just follow the instructions. Its creepy how many Album covers I have seen so far.




My Band Album

1 - Go to "wikipedia." Hit “random... Read More... Read More”
or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to "Random quotations"
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”
or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use photoshop or similar to put it all together.

5 - Post it to FB with this text in the "caption" and TAG the friends you want to join in.

x0xb0x PCB's for sale 499.00

I am selling some stuffed x0xb0x's right now on eBay.

Link

NAMM Oddities 2009

Wired stuff. I check it out every year.
link

Roland's Dying Synth

The Juno-106's days are numbered. There was a design flaw that made a critical chip fail over time. The Juno-106 was made between 1984 and 86 with around 40,000 produced. Unfortunately most 106s I come across now have one or more faulty chips that make a voice hang or crackle. The chip was a custom chip that Roland manufactured called a 80017a.

The 80017a was a voltage controlled filter with with a VCA built on a chip. Because of demand for them, pulls go for $70us + on eBay. There is little info on this problem chip, except a basic schematic. (pictured)

What you have is 3 chips on a single chip, a IR3109 and 2 BA662's. This was the exact design that was used on the Juno 60 just in a different package.

There are two clones on the market to replace your dead chips.
D'naab's
Synth Restore

The clones are a little pricey and if you wanted to replace all six voices that would almost be the same price of a beat up 106 but at least you don't have to worry about replacing the chips as the cloned 80017a do not have the same flaw.

SSM2044

Pict from eBay. Here.

The SSM2044 was a popular filter on a chip that was used in everything from a Korg monopoly to a Fairlight. I am getting a couple for a modular project.

If you want to find out more about them check out.
electricdruid's site.

There are a ton of SSM2044 filter chips up on ebay at the moment and the prices keep going up. They stoped making them in the late 90's.

This guy is selling 4 for $13 bucks. I just scored a few. Check it out here.

MOTU Volta

When!!! ARE YOU COMING OUT.

sighs.....

Ton's of old Logic Envroments

I came across this site when I was looking for a logic environment for my Kawai K5000. There is a lot of stuff here. The only problem is a lot of it was done on Logic 5 and 4 which is not compatible with 8. Lucky for me I still have my 7 dongle.
Check it out- http://www.swiftkick.com/

KORG MiniKorg 700s

Picts via Ruten action here.

I have been eyeballing getting two 700s off of Ruten for the last month. I am hesitating because the VCO's were encased in epoxy. Kind of makes it hard to work on. They look like they are in bad shape. Too bad I already have way too many projects right now.

Hmmmm but it is tempting.

Kawai K5000R

Cool video of the K5000 synth. I got one of these right before I moved out to Taiwan. Haven't had a chance to relay play with it yet.

Taiwan's eBay

I just scored two of theses off of Ruten. One is working and the other is missing the front panel. My plan is to restore one and use the other for a DIY mono synth.

Ruten is the equivalent of Taiwan's Ebay. I live out here so I spend some time looking it over. I got the Roland RS-09 pictured for 1,000 NT which is like 34 bucks in US currency. I have also managed to get a broken Juno 106 for $100 bucks and a MKS-70 for $100 bucks too.

If you are going to check it out it helps to be able to read traditional Chinese.

Link

Resource for all your Synth DIY needs.

I have been spending way to much time here lately. Home to a very active bunch of enthusiasts that are coming up with the best in synth DIY.


The DIY meta link
http://electro-music.com/forum/topic-22255.html

Check out the rest here-
Link

Omni Cord Inspiration

Dr. Ronald Chevalier - Inspiring Oneself

Viral for a moive.
Link

The VCO-1: An Uncomplicated VCO That Truly Delivers

picture for http://mypeoplepc.com/members/scottnoanh/birthofasynth/id33.html

"An Uncomplicated VCO That Truly Delivers"
That's what Thomas Henrey calls his little creation the VC0-1.
The layout of this board is dead simple and
the parts are all easy to get.

er... Except the 2k 3300ppm thermistor.

This is a killer first protect for your first D.I.Y. Synth.

http://mypeoplepc.com/members/scottnoanh/birthofasynth/id33.html

They have a lot of parts

Picture of a dead Cem chip

Nice selection of stuff. Time to get your broken synth fixed or finish your DIY protect.

Check it out if you cant find it on Ebay-

http://www.vintageplanet.nl/

x0xb0x Stuffed PCB's

I got 4 x0xb0x's stuffed!

Metasonix Drum Machine?

Looks like METASONIX is developing a drum Machine.
Post on the midibox forum.
Link

I bet it will have tubes and sound evil.