More DIY crap...

[gstopp at fibermux.com]

     JDM wrote:
     
     >
     >Gene wrote:
     >
     >> In the same way much of synthesizer technology is running away from 
     >> us. So in order to keep up I think it may be good for hobbyists to 
     >> pursue back-breaking digital implementations of fairly mundane 
     >> functions. Knowledge is power.
     >
     >Where do you draw the line w/ DIY?  My philosophy is to buy what I 
     >can, and build what I can't buy.  If someone wrote "I'm hand-wrapping 
     >my own power supply transformers", wouldn't you feel compelled to 
     >tell them they could buy a transformer for US$10?
     >
     
     Custom IC's, programmed parts, SOIC's, PLCC's, embedded code, and 
     surface mount stuff in general means that most modern electronic music 
     products are beyond the capabilites of our beloved test benches. So my 
     thought is that those who don't know how these things work already 
     will never get the chance to figure it out themselves by burning their 
     fingers. Virtual understanding will never match that which is learned 
     by doing. (Here's a jab for the hackers --->) The best programmers are 
     the ones who started in hardware. One will never understand the power 
     of electricity until it courses through one's body.
     
     Ooops sorry gettin' a little pretentious there.... :-)
     
     So it's good to encourage people to get burned. Blowing up chips is good 
     for the soul. It's also good to do an occaisional sanity check (good job 
     JDM - we tend to forget what we believe in unless we are motivated to tell 
     somebody once in a while).
     
     For some people the philosphy is "build what I can, buy what I can't 
     build". As for what I would tell somebody who is trying to hand-wrap 
     their own power transformers, it depends on whether their goal is to 
     build a power supply quickly or learn about power magnetics. The 
     former is naive; the latter is sophisticated.
     
     - Gene
     gstopp at fibermux.com
     
     
     
     
     
     
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: crap Synth idea-DIY
Author:  "J.D. McEachin" <jdm at synthcom.com> at ccrelayout 
Date:    2/20/96 6:06 AM
     
My point is this: you really, really need a CPU to implement a polyphonic 
keyboard.  If you have a CPU, why not slap a MIDI interface on it and 
just read the output of a MIDI keyboard, and chuck the whole keyboard 
decoding part of your project?
     
On Mon, 26 Feb 1996, Haible_Juergen#Tel2743 wrote:
     
> Just to "proove" that my MS-20 filter is a "waste of time" as well: 
> 
> Total time invested into the module: 25.5 hours.
     
Juergen, you need to spend more time with Ian.  He could teach you how to 
build a module or two in just an evening.  Maybe you could teach him how 
to not blow up so many chips!