<div dir="auto"><div dir="auto"><div dir="auto">Oh that's a very good lesson. I was just wondering what to do with an old monosynth I built years ago, and consider taking it apart. After hearing your regrets I might not...</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">It' the one on the top picture (it was never a commercial product, only the eurorack modules were):</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><a href="https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2015/12/28/new-dutch-synthesizer-boutique-river-creative-technology/">https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2015/12/28/new-dutch-synthesizer-boutique-river-creative-technology/</a></div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">I remember building it, not feeling very convinced about my own skills in electronics, and deciding to stay safe by using Oakley sound modules for the main audio path and building the supporting functions from PCBs etched in my shared student-house kitchen. There's a gigantic ratsnest of wires inside to connect all modules and the entire patch panel. The keyboard is the cheapest I could find.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">I still feel grateful to Tony from Oakley for all the support in learning synth DIY. Over the last years I've been working on redesigning a new 'Ocean' with my own circuits from the ground up. Planning to share the designs when they're sufficiently debugged and sounding good.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Best,</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Rutger</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">Op vr 7 aug 2026, 20:33 schreef Chris McDowell via Synth-diy <<a href="mailto:synth-diy@synth-diy.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">synth-diy@synth-diy.org</a>>:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Same here Roman, I took 'em all apart for no good reason. <br>
<br>
First and second polysynths though: <br>
<br>
<br>
Cheers,<br>
Chris <br>
<br>
> On Aug 7, 2026, at 11:50 AM, Roman Sowa via Synth-diy <<a href="mailto:synth-diy@synth-diy.org" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">synth-diy@synth-diy.org</a>> wrote:<br>
> Too bad I can't show you my first synth. Or 2nd either.<br>
> I destroyed them, not thinking it's something an older me would love to have. :(<br>
> <br>
> Roman<br>
> <br>
> W dniu 2026-08-07 o 16:17, Benjamin Tremblay pisze:<br>
>> Ummm I’m not going to describe my first synths. I was 16.<br>
>> Benjamin Tremblay<br>
>>>> On Aug 7, 2026, at 10:06 AM, Jacob Watters via Synth-diy <<a href="mailto:synth-diy@synth-diy.org" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">synth-diy@synth-diy.org</a>> wrote:<br>
>>> <br>
>>> For my first synth, I literally just stuck an old EQ front panel into it and reused all the pots in my own circuits. It's not pretty, but it got the job done.<br>
>>> <a href="https://www.jacobwatters.com/images/synth/synth1.jpg" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.jacobwatters.com/images/synth/synth1.jpg</a> <<a href="https://www.jacobwatters.com/images/synth/synth1.jpg" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.jacobwatters.com/images/synth/synth1.jpg</a>><br>
>>> *Jacob Watters*<br>
>>> JacobWatters.com <<a href="http://jacobwatters.com/" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">http://jacobwatters.com/</a>><br>
>>>> On Fri, Aug 7, 2026 at 7:37 AM Roman Sowa via Synth-diy <<a href="mailto:synth-diy@synth-diy.org" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">synth-diy@synth-diy.org</a> <mailto:<a href="mailto:synth-diy@synth-diy.org" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">synth-diy@synth-diy.org</a>>> wrote:<br>
>>> My first DIY modules had marking printed on paper, sprayed with<br>
>>> transparent acrylic paint and glued to (mostly) aluminium panels.<br>
>>> Still looks good today, reaching about 25 years.<br>
>>> <a href="http://sowa.synth.net/modular/index.html" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">http://sowa.synth.net/modular/index.html</a><br>
>>> <<a href="http://sowa.synth.net/modular/index.html" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">http://sowa.synth.net/modular/index.html</a>><br>
>>> And my polysynth made a decade earlier didn't have any markings at<br>
>>> all!<br>
>>> Just beautfull color spray painted all over the steel plate panel. It<br>
>>> didn't actually need any marking, because all controll was done by<br>
>>> up/down & left/right arrows with 1x40 LCD. Kind of like the synth<br>
>>> vibe<br>
>>> was in early 90's<br>
>>> Roman<br>
>>> W dniu 2026-08-06 o 22:33, Oren Leavitt via Synth-diy pisze:<br>
>>> ><br>
>>> ><br>
>>> > On 8/6/26 11:47 AM, Mike Bryant wrote:<br>
>>> >> Actually comparing a lot of modern DIY stuff with 1960s/70s<br>
>>> electronics,<br>
>>> >> I think I know which looks a lot more 'homemade' 😄<br>
>>> ><br>
>>> > When I built my first modular synth, I made front panels from<br>
>>> sheets of<br>
>>> > Masonite. I spray painted them white, applied labeling, dial<br>
>>> ticks, and<br>
>>> > other art with a fine ink pen with the aid of rulers or stencils.<br>
>>> > Applied a top coat of Krylon to seal it all in. Came out pretty<br>
>>> nice.<br>
>>> ><br>
>>> > One of several pictures of it on my Flickr:<br>
>>> > <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2stGyzF" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">https://flic.kr/p/2stGyzF</a> <<a href="https://flic.kr/p/2stGyzF" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">https://flic.kr/p/2stGyzF</a>><br>
>>> >><br>
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
>>> >> *From:* Synth-diy <<a href="mailto:synth-diy-bounces@synth-diy.org" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">synth-diy-bounces@synth-diy.org</a><br>
>>> <mailto:<a href="mailto:synth-diy-bounces@synth-diy.org" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">synth-diy-bounces@synth-diy.org</a>>> on behalf of John<br>
>>> >> via Synth-diy <<a href="mailto:synth-diy@synth-diy.org" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">synth-diy@synth-diy.org</a><br>
>>> <mailto:<a href="mailto:synth-diy@synth-diy.org" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">synth-diy@synth-diy.org</a>>><br>
>>> >> *Sent:* 06 August 2026 17:07<br>
>>> >> *To:* SDIY List <<a href="mailto:synth-diy@synth-diy.org" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">synth-diy@synth-diy.org</a><br>
>>> <mailto:<a href="mailto:synth-diy@synth-diy.org" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">synth-diy@synth-diy.org</a>>><br>
>>> >> *Subject:* Re: [sdiy] Great DIY polysynths<br>
>>> >> On Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:20:09 +0000<br>
>>> >> "Chromatest J. Pantsmaker via Synth-diy"<br>
>>> <<a href="mailto:synth-diy@synth-diy.org" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">synth-diy@synth-diy.org</a> <mailto:<a href="mailto:synth-diy@synth-diy.org" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">synth-diy@synth-diy.org</a>>><br>
>>> >> wrote:<br>
>>> >><br>
>>> >>> Your complaint is that the labels are on printed material<br>
>>> instead of<br>
>>> >>> silk screen? Really?<br>
>>> >><br>
>>> >> "This DIY synthesizer being discussed on the synth-DIY mailing list<br>
>>> >> looks distinctly DIY, what's up with that!?"<br>
>>> >> ________________________________________________________<br>
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</blockquote></div></div>