synthdiy

The EuroPi is a neat multi-functional eurorack module by Allen Synthesis, based on the Raspberry Pi Pico (and soon to be even better with Pico 2 support which should make it feel snappier !).

When I started sourcing parts to build one, I found that the OLED modules and buttons in the original design were a little more expensive for me to acquire in Australia, compared with the more common Ali Express versions. I also really wanted the design in KiCad. I reworked the EuroPi hardware to use these alternative OLED variants and cheaper tactile buttons. I also moved around some buttons and jacks to my own preferences (making it more like the uO_C Ornament and Crime layout).

This is the result - the screen is slightly offset to the left (which I'm guessing is why Rory Allen's original design may have used less common OLED modules), so I've tried to maintain symmetry by 'filling in' the asymmetrical part with the silkscreen on the panel. I think it works okay (it's not triggering any OCD in me anyway !).

Have built a Thomas Henry LM-VCO and in the middle of building an Eddy Bergman / YuSynth ADSR and a VCA. Hooked up to an AI Synthesis Stereo Matrix Mixer and Hexinverter Mutant Brain with an Alesis QX-49 keyboard and SR-18 drum machine.

What should I do with the last 10hp of my case?

Electronic music design legend Roger Linn talks about the process from scrappy DIY prototypes to commercial production of his 3-axis touch sensitive MIDI controller.

jepyang just posted these schematics ( https://github.com/jepyang/Mac-Salad ) - it's a neat looking combo of utilities with some interesting normalization. A vactol crossfader/panner, envelope follower, wave folder thing, rectifier, AND+OR analog logic, a slew type thing, some VCAs.

.. and new prototype hardware with 8 inputs and 8 outputs !

A project looking to use MIDI (2.0 !) over CAN bus within a modular system. Appears to be a nice foundation with some hardware and software designs - will be interesting to see if this goes anywhere.

... another thing added to the to-build wish list :)

(and the referenced North Coast article: https://northcoastsynthesis.com/news/the-truth-about-ferrite-beads-will-shock-you/ )

I've noticed that Befaco in particular uses ferrite beads in a lots of digital Eurorack modules, and I've always wondered if they had a good reason or if it was just superstition. I'd love to hear the experience of a module manufacturer on this issue ... something along the lines of "we added the ferrite beads since it failed FCC EMC compliance without them".

Maestro was a synth made in USSR that was designed by Vladimir Kuzmin of Polivoks fame. Maestro takes after Polivoks but adds digitally controlled oscillators and 4-voice polyphony. I learned a few things from studying its circuits.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.one/post/33331

This one is Ray Wilson's DIY synthesizer website.

I first saw him on youtube, screwing around with an echo rockit noise box. I was hypnotized.

I found his site and was hooked. I spent the next couple years making synthesizer modules at a manic pace.

The magical thing about Ray's site is is his teaching style. He gives the circuit schematics, but also explanations of how/why they work in language that is pretty easy to understand. He really approaches electronics from a practical standpoint rather than what you'd get in an intro class somewhere. This website was my introduction to electronics, and it can get you far when it comes to understanding analog design and signal processing.

You can really get a feel for Ray's personality from his writing on the site. He died in 2016, and I weirdly get a little choked up when I look at that echo rockit page. His website was a right-time-right-place thing for me, and it helped change the trajectory of my life in a very real way.

Anyways. Check out Music From Outer Space, and like Ray would say, Good learning...

I've made vactrols in various ways in the past - black electrical tape, heat shrink, other 3D printed enclosures. This is my latest attempt, to use with an NLC Dispersion Delay build (the design is directly inspired by the vactrols seen in photos in the NLC build docs). I like to sand off the end of the LED so it's flat and superglue it to the LDR, but I'm not sure this is really necessary.

There are other 3D printed vactrol enclosures out there (I've tried one or two), but most are bulker than this design, and this one comes with the OpenSCAD source so you can tweak the tolerances as required for your printer and parts.

Can anyone recommend some good #synthdiy podcasts, especially with interviews or discussions with makers ? I stumbled upon the MakerChat SynthDIY podcast recently and enjoyed this laidback chat with Benjie Jiao, now I'm wondering if there's some niche gems out there I've not discovered.