FYI: new Elektor Formant book

[WeAreAs1 at aol.com]

Hello listers,

Here is a quick (and sloppy) German to English translation of the book's 
description and table of contents, courtesy of Alta Vista's Babelfish 
translation web site:


--------------------------------------
FORMANT-Pro

by Hans-Joachim Helmstedt
240 Pages, numerous drawings Kartoniert
format 25.5 x 18.5 cm
DM 59.00,  sFr 53.50, oeS 431
ISBN 3-89576-099-4 

Text 

The Synthesizer has its fixed workstation in the electronic sound production 
for decades. In the middle of 60's developed R.A. Moog a modular Synthesizer 
system, which was modular structured accordingly   the state of the art  . 
The increasing digitization displaced analog technique   also in the sound 
production. But it returns for a long time a trend; best example are the 
again strongly asked amplifiers in tube technique. For some years the call 
becomes louder after new, old analog technique also during the sound 
production. Now, here is the response: FORMANT pro is called the new system 
and is based on the FORMANT Synthesizer brought out by the Elektor publishing 
house in the 70's. 

The system is modular and be based on an accumulation of VCOs, VCFs, VCAs, 
envelope generators, ring modulators, mixers, LFOs, noise generators and 
other modules. They all can with cable connection, which so-called Patches is 
connected, in almost any way among themselves. Those come out typically " 
warm-fat " tone qualities, which are possible with the similar sound 
synthesis only. 

With this Synthesizer manual the in music interested electronics engineer 
like in electronics experienced musician a status factory is present, which 
is to be found so rare. 

Contents
--------------------------
introduction  5 

chapter 1
power supply and housing 9 

chapter 2
keyboard and INTERFACE 19 
CMOS SWITCHING (fig. 2,2) 22 
the addressing circuit (fig. 2,3) 23 
the INTERFACE (fig. 2,4) 23 
the structure 26 

chapter 3
VCOs 33 musical criteria 33 
the circuits of the waveshape converter in detail. 38 
building and alignment guidance 41 

Chapter 4
mixers; Multiple one; Bus ACCESS and CV SOURCE 47 
the mixer 47 

chapter 5
multi-mode VCF 53 
the VCF 54 

chapter 6
Moog cascade of 61 

chapter 7
dual multi-mode 67 

chapter 8
exponential VCA 75 
the Exponentiator 77 
the VCA 78 
the alignment 80 

Chapter 9
Dual linear VCA 83 

chapter 10
the ADSR envelope generator 87 

chapter 11
LFO of 93 

chapter 12
Noise 97 

chapter 13
Oktavdivider 101 

chapter 14
ring modulator 105 

chapter 15
dual V-CInverter 111 

chapter 16
dual VC Waveformprocessor 115 

chapter 17
External input Envelope Follower 119 

chapter 18
modulation sequencers 125 

Chapter 19
3-Spur 16-Step-Sequenzer 131 

chapter 20
output module 145 

chapter 21
outline and structure of the total system 149 

chapter 22
operating instruction, Patchbeispiele, conclusion and Tips for extension 153 

source note  159 

appendix
1.  front plates for the individual modules 161 
2.  the circuit boards of the individual modules 183 

glossary