MATRIXSYNTH: Thursday, June 15, 2006

DW6000 Waveform Mods

Remember this post? Well the details on the mods are in via Chris Strellis. Title link takes you there.

This set includes the Amdek Handclapper and Boss PC-2, both previously posted, the Casio VL1, Noise mod for the PC-2, clap_schemo is a better scan of the boss/amdek handclapper schemo, synbal, synclap, and syntom2 are construction articles from e&mm (british synth mag from early -80´s) on how to make your own diy drumsynth modules.

Update: One more via Peter Ullrich via Synth Ollie: drumbox_layout_pack.zip.

"SynTom II and Cymbal II: PCB scanned from the Austrian magazine ITM Praktiker ("Drumbox")"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Synthesizer With Patch Bay

Yamaha SHS-10 circuit bent. Via Synthtopia.

Synths on the 'Bay

You might notice a new link at the top of the right column named "Synths on Ebay." I created it for two reasons. The obvious, if you click on it, find something you like and buy it, I get a cut of Ebay's cut and you get the warm fuzzies for supporting this site. Note neither you nor the seller pays anything extra, it comes out of Ebay's pocket. So if you find it useful, please, feel free to use it. There is a search box on top that you can use, so you are not limitted to my default search terms. BTW, if you have input on adding words or the design let me know. I was thinking of creating manufacturer links so you can quickly click and browse based on manufaturer, but I figured you can also just add it to the search box on top. Note that the search box contains the query terms I currently have set up, so you don't have to retype everything - just add the manufacturer or other term you want and remove anything you don't want. I need to see if I can make that search box longer, but currently that's how they have it set.

The second reason I created this was for my own convenience. You know I post pics and details from auctions that people send me and that I find interesting. To be honest with you, I've only been putting stuff up that people send me because I simply do not have the time to go searching on Ebay for content. However now I can just click on the link when I'm bored and see what's out there. BTW, feel free to continue sending stuff you find as I'm sure I will still miss stuff. I hate the thought of rare pics and details on the obscure stuff getting lost in limbo.

Check it out. Comments always welcome.

Buchla Multi-Dimensional Kinesthetic Input Port

Buchla Thunder take 2. Title link takes you there.

More on the orginal Thunder here, and a green one here.

Gotta love the Buchla naming convention.

Updates via the comments:

"It's the thunder and the lightning take 2, you forgot about the rings you put on and wae around the air to modulate stuff."

"Thunder is a MIDI instrument with a specialized software language called storm.. the software allows Thunder to do things the 222e cant... the 222e is CV/Pulse and can of course do things Thunder can't

the input interface look the same but i wouldn't call the 222e Thunder 2"

And Doktor Future praising Buchla? Can this really be him? : ) - see comments here and here.

"This is tremendous. I loves it. I am saving for it. Don told me it can be programmed to output any voltage, so it's not just the 1.2 volt/octave. This means you can use it for any modular, which is just super great.

It seems to be a merging of thunder and lightning, which is sooo fantastic.

I am actually saving for this. Totally worth it.

Oh, and it makes no sound on its own, so I won't bother asking for an mp3 ;)"

ARP 2600 Shots and Mods

In via Loscha. Title link takes you to shots pulled from this auction.

MODIFICATIONS:

"I had this modified by John Leimseider, Electronics Technician at the Cantos Music Foundation in Calgary. JL has had over 20 years experience with Arps and can be Googled

This one has had TL071 op amps installed to replace the old ones which reduced the noise and improved fidelity. This also reduced the DC offset which is like the background voltage which the audio signal rides on. The offset doesnt actually contribute to the wanted signal its just like static so reducing it is a good thing.

The Arp envelopes are known for having inconvenient lengths so I had switches installed that allow you to double the attack, decay and release times.

The power supply was replaced to allow both 240/115V operation, its currently set to 115V but can be changed by disconnecting one wire and soldering another, about 15mins work.

Also added was AC coupling which involved adding capacitors to the circuit again to reduce the the static (DC) components from the input signal to the amplifier.

Finally, John installed an external input for the electronic switch which lets you control the switch from something other than the clock for the sample and hold. This is great because 'you can plug in 2 oscillators to the inputs of the switch and then control it from the square out of an oscillator. When you do this with synched oscillators, you get some amazing new timbres'."

Whoops!

This one in via Javier Zubizarreta:

"Check what I found on the Waldorf site, on the PPG 2.V plugin page:

At right you have a screenshot section, if you click on "graph panel" you´ll see something weird in the filter response... a crazy drawing and the words "Whoops"!!!!!! That´s not all... if you click on "Program" screenshot you´ll see "vcf - rand" where it should say "true PPG" and "XXX XXX" where it should say "out 3-4".

It seems the pics are from an early stage of development or something, strange they used the XXX which means other things... ;)"

ppg_wave_graph_window.jpg
ppg_wave_program_window.jpg"

A couple of updates via the comments:

"These are really early drafts of the GUI. There is still a bug in the straight line between the Modifiers section and two sections below.

The funny drawing etc. would fit perfectly with the sense of humor of the Waldorf folks, especially Wolfram Franke, who did the PPG 2.V

In Germany the XXX does not mean anything special, except a placeholder for 3 characters...

Georg."

"I remember seeing these screen shots just before the beta test I took part of started. And I was the one that noted the wrong design of lines on the front panel first. Mainly because I did not had the right host to use the beta version to test in the first two weeks of beta testing.
Anyway, this was my first beta test for a synth related product then.
And yes, the humor of the Waldorf team was always like this.

And I can asure you: tripple "x" is only a often used combination of letters as place holders here in Germany. Nothing more.

Till "Qwave" Kopper"

Yep, I miss those days on the Waldorf List. Here's another interesting bit of Matrixsynth trivia. When I received my Waldorf XTk, I was so thrilled I sent waldorf an email. They asked me if they could put it up on their user reviews site. I was so thrilled I of course accepted. The review sat there as the main user review for the Waldorf XTk for nearly a year. Good times indeed.