Tag Archives: synthDIY

I’m a couple of days late posting this – I’ve been busy.

Sound Lab (Yes! Sound Lab progress!): Front panel was laminated (at the high, high cost of 30 cents). I’m hoping to get the front panel knobs and switches mounted this week/weekend. Considering adding at least a couple of patch points (filter input for sure, maybe more?)

mini-modular stuff: built the Beavis Audio Research version of the 567 modulator. Debating adding a second 1/4″ output to the CMOS box – that way two oscillator chains can be processed separately.

Misc: Got a couple of Thinwire->UTP ethernet converters similar in size to the fiber->UTP converters used in this Arduino effects pedal. Given that I have more Arduinos than I know what to do with, you can see where that’s headed…

Got some pots & knobs from Mendelson’s (with longer than normal shafts, so they may be better for the thick wood of the effects box…) Of course the pots are all D-shaft, and the knobs spline-shaft, so there’s a bit of a disconnect there, but it’s not a big deal. I needed more spline-shaft knobs anyway.

And if you’re in Cleveland and interested in this sort of stuff – Go to Bella Dubby this Friday. Should be almost entirely DIY electronic instruments(the only non-DIY one being the guitar in the Telecat Prowlers set). I may even bring my gear and try to crash it

Almost added a passive LPF to the cigarbox, but then I decided I think I’m going to try to keep it purely “digital” (i.e. all CMOS squarewave-y stuff). I also played the cigarbox on the air Wednesday, and showed it off at Playshop on Saturday. I also started to clean up the power management inside the box (no more internal alligator clips! an on/off switch on the outside of the box!)

I also started on a companion box to the cigarbox synth – my own take on the Beavis Audio Armageddon Processor. Also in a cigarbox. So far, the first module is the VCF section from the MFOS Weird Sound Generator (admittedly, not the best VCF on the planet, but the part count is small, it was this week’s Playshop project, and it fits on a Radio Shack 276-159 board.) I’ll probably be adding some of the Armageddon Processor’s modules as well (the 567 modulator for sure, and maybe the weird LM386->555 creation as well…)

Arduino Sequencer (version > 1.0) : Coming along nicely. Need to do a quick test or two, wire up the MIDI connection, and it should be usable.

Cigarbox modular: Moved my CD4093 oscillators made at playshop from the breadboard onto a PCB. Mounted it up in the cigarbox, so one module’s down on this one:

Sound Lab: Not too much progress. I need to get the front panel stuff squared away before I can do much more on it.

Arduino Sequencer V2 (or 1.5, or whatever): Did make some good progress here, as I got my little PCBs. I got the 4051 onto the board, and made the interconnections between it and the Arduino. Next step is to get the panel connected into the boards, and get the MIDI output connected as well.

Here’s a little bit of the CD4093 oscillators (mixed with a couple of CD40106 oscillators) made at Electronoize Playshop this week: