ASM-1/VCS-3 with patch memory?

[Tim Walters]

I'm planning to build a dual ASM-1 system soon (the check's in the mail,
Gene!). Since I'm planning to use it in a live situation, it occurred to me
that patch memory would be nice to have.  At first, my thoughts ran toward
digital switching systems, etc., but then I realized there's a simpler way:
if I had a pin matrix, like that on a VCS-3, I could create a "preset"
just by attaching pins to a card, the same size as the pin matrix, so that
they would line up exactly with the appropriate holes.  (I hope this is
clear...)  One card could be easily swapped for another onstage.  The knobs
would still have to be tweaked, but that's a lot easier than repatching
completely.

So... is there any commercial source for pin matrices?  What about those
thingies that EE students use to build circuits on?  Maybe I could raid
several Electronic Battleship games.

Theoretically, I could build one from stereo 1/8" jacks, using mono plugs
to short ring to tip.  But a little arithmetic showed me that to be able to
patch any output to any input, I would need a 72x26 grid (plus a few for
things I haven't thought of yet, like those ring modulators I want to add).
This might be a bit too much to deal with one jack at a time.

Any ideas?  (At least those of you fortunate enough to own VCS-3s now know
how to implement such a system, if you hadn't already thought of it...)


-----------------------------
"Ever wonder what it sounds like *inside* that trash can icon on your
desktop?  Tim Walters knows."  -Jim Aikin, _Keyboard_

Tim Walters  --  walters at digidesign.com  --  http://www.slip.net/~coredump