trancendant 2000

[Anders Sponton]

ABowyerLowe at mindscape.com wrote:
> 
> >has anybody tried to build the trancendant 2000? are there any errors in
> the >schematics? how does it sound? thanks
> 
> Well, I haven't tried to build one, but I do own a T2000 and also have the
> schematics.
> 
> The schematics seem to be pretty clear (at least to an electronics
> no-little like me) and use easily available discrete components. I'm not
> really qualified to comment on how easy building a T2000 would be or
> whether there are any errors in the schems, but maybe Rob Hukin, a fellow
> AH member who's poked around in my unit can comment. Rob?
> 
> For those who don't know, the Transcendent 2000 was designed by Tim Orr, of
> EMS fame, in the early 70's and produced as a kit by PowerTran in
> conjunction with an electronics magazine (can't remember which - hell, my
> T2000 was built before I was born).
> 
> As to sound, I find the T2000 very capable of all types of analog patch.
> Although it has just one oscillator, it can sound very 'phat', with PWM
> (also available on the triangle<->sawtooth waveform) helping to thicken
> things up. Noise and an external audio input can also be mixed with the
> oscillator before hitting the filter.
> 
> The filter has both lowpass and bandpass modes, and will self oscillate
> with a scream. Unfortunately, on my model self-oscillation brings the
> synths volume up about 5db and I've blown one mixer channel with resonant
> sub-bass - be careful. The filter can track the keyboard, or be fixed.
> 
> One free-running lfo is available, but doesn't quite reach audio
> frequencies - damn. It does have various waveforms (triangle, square, and
> sample-n-hold), though, which can be individually routed in various amounts
> to the oscillator via a row of knobs. The filter can be modulated by either
> the lfo's triangle waveform, or a sample-n-hold waveform (clocked by the
> lfo speed).
> 
> An AR/AD envelope (switchable) is used for filter enveloping, and can
> positively or negatively affect the filter cutoff frequency.
> 
> A full ADSR envelope is then used for VCA modulation and a switch can
> retrigger the envelope at the lfo speed - quite a cool effect. The ADSR can
> also be used to modulate the oscillator pitch, and may be disconnected from
> the VCA for either simple gating or a continously open VCA (good for
> filtering external audio).
> 
> Portamento is of the variable time type.
> 
> CV and gate (negative voltage, but easily modified) and filter cutoff
> inputs are provided - rockin'!
> 
> Personally, I love the sound of my T2000. Analog percussion, solid basses,
> sub-bass, melancholy strings, weirdo effects are all possible with this
> machine. Try plugging the headphone output into the keyboard or filter CV
> inputs, he he he...
> 
> There are better synths out there but, hey, I got my T2000 for nothing...
> 
> A more coherent description of the T2000 is on my website, plus a patch
> sheet that will give you some idea of the control surface - 22 knobs plus
> some switches.
> 
> Any questions?
> 
> Cheers,
> ynohtnA.
> --
> Anthony Bowyer-Lowe. The Essence Of Anthony.
>                      http://www.amudarya.demon.co.uk/You can find the article at 
http://www.tellus.vallentuna.se/gymninfo/personal/anders/t2000.zip
Anders, Sweden