"Just A Minute!"

Published on Apr 21, 2016 John L Rice

MODULES:
Moon Modular - 501D, 501M, 506, 511D, 526
Club Of The Knobs - C946
Modcan - 72B

EFFECTS:
TC Electronic - Hall Of Fame, Flashback, HOF mini
Dunlop/MXR - Octave Fuzz
Electro Harmonix - Ravish Sitar
Strymon - BigSky

LINE MIXERS:
Mackie - 802-VLZ3
Samson - SM-10

Circuit Classics - Bringing Forrest Mims Vintage Designs to Life

Circuit Classics from Crowd Supply on Vimeo.

Circuit Classics is a project currently seeking funding on Crowd Supply.  The goal is to bring a number of Forrest Mims' early DIY projects to life as prefabbed circuit boards.  What's particularly interesting is that the original descriptions and illustrations will be etched onto the circuit boards.  They will also come with stands as you can see in the video above, effectively making them pieces of art in tribute to the original designs.  And of course, they will also be a great introduction to DIY.

Exquisite printed circuit boards that bring to life Forrest Mims' vintage designs from "Getting Started in Electronics.

Forrest M. Mims III is a trusted name in the electronics world for good reason: his charming and engaging texts have drawn millions of people into the world of electronics for the first time. I am bringing some of those hand-drawn circuits projects to life by creating an exquisitely designed series of finely crafted and highly detailed boards. These are the Circuit Classics. They make a great gift for a first-time learner, an expert tinkerer, or even just as a fun conversation piece for your desk.

This initial release includes three of Forrest’s circuit designs in kit form: the Dual-LED Flasher, the Stepped Tone Generator, and the Bargraph Voltage Indicator. Each kit includes:

Printed Circuit Board (PCB): Includes the circuit itself, the circuit’s schematic, and a description of the circuit, all in Forrest’s iconic hand-drawn style, traced directly from his books. (Prototypes are OSHPark purple, but the final production run will be blue.)
Through-hole Components: All the components you need to build a working circuit. Easy to place and solder on the PCB thanks to clear footprints and large, friendly solder pads.
Display Stand: made of high-quality blond ash wood, each stand is crafted to let you proudly display your work."

On the Stepped Tone Generator:

"This circuit gained a life of its own, jumping from the pages of the 555 Timer IC Circuits Engineer’s Mini-Notebook and out into the world as the storied Atari Punk Console. Well-known for enabling the creation of sounds just like classic Atari console games from the 1980s, it provides a fun audio-centric project, as well as an interesting introduction to digital circuitry, feedback, and oscillators."

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VOLTLIFE: feedback tamed; feedback mutated

Published on Apr 21, 2016 voltlife

"Patching a compressor to prevent clipping in Tyme Sefari II's feedback loop, then using it to bring in different sorts of wildness."

1981 SEQUENTIAL CIRCUITS PROPHET T-8 SN 000

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"For sale is this early 1980s Sequential Circuits T8 synthesizer. This example, serial number 230, is in fully serviced studio ready condition. It works perfectly, and sounds fantastic. It's in very excellent cosmetic shape though it does display wear and several imperfections (photographed below). A similar example just sold for $6000 + shipping, so bid now and get a great deal!

The T8 has a very fat Prophet-5-like tone. This synth adds many illustrious new features (for its time) such as full MIDI implementation, 76 full size weighted keys with velocity and aftertouch, split/layer double/unison keyboard modes, and a simple but useful real-time sequencer. The new keyboard features many dynamics enhancements, ie: aftertouch can affect pitch, level, filter or the LFO. It was Sequential's finest analog synthesizer. Digital control of analog sound with an extremely flexible, intuitive and beautiful design - right down to the wood panels!"

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Minimoog Model D 1973 , synthesizer legendary

Published on Apr 21, 2016 CLASSIC VINTAGE

Tymkrs Protosynth Midi Released

Some of you might remember the Tymkrs Protosynth breadboard videos posted back in 2012 here and here. The final version has just been released with MIDI.

via Tindie (via the comments of this post and via @JohnS_AZ):

"This is a powerful MIDI prototyping platform that converts incoming MIDI events into electrical signals that make experimentation easy!

A few years ago we built a synthesizer prototyping tool called Protosynth. The project was such a big hit that people requested the ability to buy their own, so we designed a powerful MIDI controlled version!

Over the last few years, we have refined Protosynth Midi to be powerful, flexible, and easy to use.
Protosynth Midi are built in limited quantities by hand here at the Tymkrs Wrkshp. Every unit is assembled, tested, and given a unique serial number. The beautiful handmade hardwood cases with traditional joinery hold your circuit at an angle so you can tinker in comfort and style!

Protosynth Midi allows you to quickly prototype whatever you dream up on built-in breadboards, then play your creation from any MIDI controller. Protosynth Midi enables you to experiment at your desk without the epic mess.

Protosynth MIDI is far more than only a MIDI to CV unit. For each of the two MIDI channels (you can pick which channels) it includes a Note Port and a Control Port. The Note Ports allow you to chain modules out to 128 notes worth of outputs. The Control Ports allow you to chain modules out to 128 control change values (each one 0-127 and with Analog Shift modules you can turn all of those control change values into analog voltages). What could you do with 256 digital outputs, 256 analog voltages, 2 control voltages, 2 gates, and 2 triggers? Would you control them from a DAW, from a MIDI controller?

To make getting started easier, we have developed a collection of compatible modules for many common tasks. 555VCO, AND8, MIX8, Analog Shift, Shift Me, Amplify Me, VU Meter, Hear Me, NPN8, TTL8, Under Me, and Over Me. With a selection of these, you can get started with modular synthesis without ever turning on your soldering iron.

And when you are ready to go from the breadboard to something finished, we have the Protosynth Midi Lite. Protosynth Midi Lite packs all of the power of Protosynth Midi into a small PCB perfect for building into your own project.

Protosynth Midi effortlessly handles the complicated aspects of MIDI control, silently monitoring incoming MIDI, translating it into voltages and pulses that simple circuits can understand. It also allows you to route analog signals simply in and out of the back of the unit through four high quality standard TRS ¼” jacks.

Protosynth Midi is not limited to audio, however! You can use it to control all kinds of circuits. Here at Tymkrs we’ve used a Protosynth Midi to control servos, lights, camera shutters, circuit bent electronic toys, electromechanical chimes, even an old NTSC test pattern generator. Protosynth Midi takes care of the boring stuff, and frees you up to focus on being creative.

If you are building a synthesizer, animating robots from your digital audio workstation timeline, hacking an old Casio or Furby, or designing your own MIDI controlled guitar effects pedal … we hope you will find Protosynth Midi as fun and as useful as we do.

Features

Power supply
5 Pin DIN MIDI Input
4 ¼” Audio Input or Output TRS Jacks
Monitors two MIDI Channels
5 standard solderless breadboards
3.3vdc, 5vdc, and Ground connections for breadboard
For each channel:

Control Voltage
Trigger
Gate
Note Port
Control Port
Please check out http://tymkrs.com/products/protosynth-midi.html for more information. Be sure to read the datasheet, all of the more advanced features are covered in detail there.

Kit Parts

Protosynth MIDI in a custom case
7.5V @ 1A wall wart power supply"

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REALISTIC CONCERTMATE 200 ELECTRONIC SYNTHESIZER KEYBOARD CALCULATOR

Is that a Casio VL-tone? - music by ThePollyRhythmz!

Uploaded on Mar 8, 2010 The PollyRhythmz!

"Is that a Casio VL-tone? - music by ThePollyRhythmz!"

SN 8225953 via this auction

Some one grab this one before I do. I was tempted but I already have a Casio VL-Tone. This is the Realistic branded version.

Note the video above is from 2010 and not the one listed for sale.

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The Physics of the Weird and Wonderful Theremin

Published on Apr 21, 2016 SciShow

Cool to see the theremin on SciShow!

"Electronic music is older than you may think. Enter the theremin - a device that turns your body into part of a capacitor, and allows you to play music without even touching an instrument!

Special thanks to Jay Bruns of nojayart.com for lending us his theremin, and Mike Emmons for setting up our meeting.

Hosted by: Hank Green"

Club of the Knobs Model 15 Moog Clone

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"This a clone of the original Moog Model 15 and has been painstakingly made by COTK to look and sound like the original. COTK only made 50 of these, so they are pretty rare. The C907a Fixed Filter Bank was modified by COTK with inductors making it more true to the original model 15(modification was an extra cost.) Comes with the US power cord and 12 Synthesizer.com patch cables in various lengths to get you patching quickly on arrival."

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Synthesizers.com Dotcom ME8s Portable Sequencer Q960

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"Synthesizers.com Dotcom ME8s Portable Sequencer - Q960 in powered portable case that matches the style of the Moog Model 15. The Q960 is Synthesizers.com clone of the original Moog 960. Comes with 6 Synthesizers.com patch cables in various lengths, the US power supply, a 1/4" to S-trig cable and some manuals and pamphlets."

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