'Hybrid' Synthesisers

[List, Christopher]

I believe Waldorf is still manufacturing and selling the original uWave
(not the uWave II, or XT!!). 
As I have mentioned before this is a great synth and great synth for
modding. Part of the reason is the simplicity of the separation between
the digital and analog boards. You've got a 68000 uProc and it's support
circuitry on one board, and on the other board, 8 DACs with sample &
hold (one for each voice) and 8 CEM3389's (or CEM3387's on the newer
models) that take care of the filter, panning and volume for each voice
- all controlled by **voltages** that are multiplexed out of the DACs.

I would start here rather than with the PPG - if for no other reason
than you can still by them brand new! That and the flexibility of the
design makes it great for messing around with. I keep meaning to pick
this project up again - but haven't gotten around to it. For a while I
had a breadboard with a couple of trimmers  and a quad op-amp on it
wired into my uWave that allowed it to work as a basic MIDI to CV
converter with gate, pitch and vel outputs...

- CList


> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Dr S Grainger [SMTP:steveg at bss10a.staffs.ac.uk]
> Sent:	Thursday, October 29, 1998 12:17 PM
> To:	synth-diy at mailhost.bpa.nl
> Subject:	'Hybrid' Synthesisers
> 
> Dear All,
> 
> 	Having 'lost my virginity' with the previous posting I'd like
> 	to start some discussion (if appropriate to the list) on
> 'hybrid'
> 	synths. By this I mean some form of digital oscillator(s) +
> 	analogue filtering/processing (a la PPG)
> 
> 	There has been much previous discussion on DCOs and wave
> 	tables in general but no serious design issues (particularly
> 	for pure digitally-controlled wavetable oscillators - Doh !
> 	I can hear keyboards being tapped already with 'flamed
> 	replies').
> 
> 	 For example, has anyone cloned/redesigned/improved the PPG
> 	'wavetable computer' boards from the Wave 2.2/3 ?
> 
> 	I know the list is primarily analogue but there is still much
> 	popularity with the old PPG, SCI etc designs.
> 
> 	Just getting on the asbestos suit !!!!!
> 
> 	Regards
> 
> 	Steve Grainger
> 	(Mainly constructed from analogue parts)