<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">Thanks Tim, those are lots of interesting ideas! As I said in my other message, my main focus will be patch points. But you put out some interesting ideas. (Just like on Michael’s web page.) I agree that sequencing and effects would not be very useful if it is part of a larger setup.<div><br></div><div>Time to revisit this project. :-)<br><div><div><br></div><div>Ben</div><div><br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfMessage"><div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div>On 22 Mar 2025, at 21:30, Tim Parkhurst <tim.parkhurst@gmail.com> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div><div dir="ltr"><div>The Avatar is cool, primarily because of the extra room inside the case and the extra panel space. Suggested mods, in approximate order of difficulty:</div><div><br></div><div>1. Additional VCF audio mixer inputs. Dedicated inputs allowing you to mix both the saw and the pulse from each VCO (rather than having to choose saw OR pulse) is a nice expansion to the range of timbres available in the Avatar. </div><div>2. Dedicated FM inputs to each VCO and the VCF, wired to allow cross-modulation (VCO 1 to VCO 2, and VCO 1 to VCF at least). This allows you to do audio-rate FM without having to use the S/H Mixer. </div><div>3. Additional LFOs. Dedicate one LFO to vibrato, and give it a 'mod wheel' pot on the panel that feeds both VCOs. On top of that, having another LFO for PWM or filter sweeps, and a third to clock the S/H, and you're opening up a huge range of sounds that a stock Odyssey or Avatar can't create.</div><div>4. Sub-octaves for each VCO (with a dedicated VCF mixer inputs). </div><div>5. Distortion or wave folder. Can be very effective if used post-VCF. </div><div>6. Other waveform processing for one or both VCOs (saw phase shift, additional PWM, wave folders, etc.) </div><div>7. Additional VCF. Ideally with switching to choose one both VCFs, and for series/parallel with existing VCF. Now you're talking a fair amount of work. At this point, it's a lot easier to just set up patch points to allow connecting an external modular VCF. </div><div>8. Patch points. An obvious choice, but might be a good idea to buffer any added outputs.</div><div><br></div><div>I think things like sequencing and effects (reverb, chorus, etc.) are so easy to achieve with external gear that it's not worth adding that to the Avatar. If I was going to put that much effort into one, I'd rather have a third VCO / LFO, an envelope follower, or a real ring mod (like the 2600).</div><div><br></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr">Tim (or just leave it stock) Servo<br>---<br>"Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein<br><br><br><br></div></div></div></div></div><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sat, Mar 22, 2025 at 10:43 AM Ben Stuyts <<a href="mailto:ben@stuyts.nl">ben@stuyts.nl</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div>Hi MC,<div><br></div><div>I have a stock (working) Avatar here. Can you tell me more about the mods you are doing?</div><div><br></div><div>Ben<br id="m_7164709751324466213lineBreakAtBeginningOfMessage"><div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div>On 22 Mar 2025, at 16:22, Michael E Caloroso <<a href="mailto:mec.forumreader@gmail.com" target="_blank">mec.forumreader@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><br><div><div dir="ltr">Run, don't walk, run very far away.<div><br></div><div>No idea who Jim Chandler is, but those mods are poorly done and no mention in the auction if schematics for the mods are included. On top of that, I see bad corrosion on the jacks which is a good indicator that this has seen some road abuse. Add all that to a product with a history of labor intensive restorations - replacing tantalum caps, slidepots, ripping out the useless guitar interface, fixing the PSU with the same fault as ARP Omni, other potential problems.</div><div><br></div><div>Did I mention that I bought an Avatar that I am currently restoring and converting into an Odyssey module with MIDI retrofit?</div><div><br></div><div>Other red flags "bought from estate" "don't know how to test it" are known euphemisms for "it is very broken, we don't want to put the $$$ into fixing it, so we're passing the buck onto you".</div><div><br></div><div>Run very far away,</div><div>MC</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, Mar 21, 2025 at 11:38 PM Todd Sines via Synth-diy <<a href="mailto:synth-diy@synth-diy.org" target="_blank">synth-diy@synth-diy.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr">Space is a premium in our place and wondering if I should let go of my ARP avatar — and then I saw this.</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Anyone know Jim Chandler? This was done in 1982.</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">ARP Avatar Custom Modified Guitar Synthesizer 1982<br><a href="https://reverb.com/item/25863293-arp-avatar-custom-modified-guitar-synthesizer-1982?utm_source=rev-ios-app&utm_medium=ios-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=25863293" target="_blank">https://reverb.com/item/25863293-arp-avatar-custom-modified-guitar-synthesizer-1982?utm_source=rev-ios-app&utm_medium=ios-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=25863293</a></div><br id="m_7164709751324466213m_-2826390719773534902lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Todd</span></div><div><div dir="auto"><div dir="auto"><div><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><a href="http://scale.la/" target="_blank"><img></a><br>Todd Sines, director, <a href="mailto:sines@scale.la" target="_blank">sines@scale.la</a><br><strong>+ SCALE</strong><br><a href="tel:+1.646.258.5214" dir="ltr" style="text-decoration-color:rgba(128,128,128,0.38)" target="_blank">+1.646.258.5214</a> mobile<br><a href="tel:+1.646.543.3329" dir="ltr" style="text-decoration-color:rgba(128,128,128,0.38)" target="_blank">+1.646.543.3329</a> studio<br><a href="http://scale.la/" target="_blank">http://scale.la</a> | <a href="http://toddsines.com/" target="_blank">http://toddsines.com</a></span></div></div></div></div></div><br id="m_7164709751324466213m_-2826390719773534902lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Todd<br></span><div><div><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><img><br>Todd Sines, director, <a href="mailto:sines@scale.la" target="_blank">sines@scale.la</a><br><strong>+ SCALE</strong><br><a dir="ltr" href="tel:+1.646.258.5214" target="_blank">+1.646.258.5214</a> mobile<br><a dir="ltr" href="tel:+1.646.543.3329" target="_blank">+1.646.543.3329</a> studio<br><a href="http://scale.la/" target="_blank">http://scale.la</a> | <a href="http://toddsines.com/" target="_blank">http://toddsines.com<br></a><a href="http://facebook.com/toddsines" target="_blank">http://facebook.com/toddsines</a></span></div><div><a href="http://instagram.com/sines" style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)" target="_blank"><font>http://instagram.com/sines</font></a></div><div><font style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><a href="http://soundcloud.com/sines" style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)" target="_blank">http://soundcloud.com/sines</a></font></div></div></div></div>________________________________________________________<br>
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