Hi from a newbie

[Rory McDonald]

Hi Tim:
I have built several of the FATMan synths and a lot of PAiA gear, and while
not a newbie
to electronics, I am not a designer either-just a builder so far.

There are a few good reasons to start with a FatMan:
a)cost is reasonable
b)If you can solder and follow directions, you will be in good shape.
If something goes wrong and you need help, there is plenty around
from the list and from PAiA.
c)The Fatman has built in MIDI/CV, so you can control it with any Midi
keyboard.
d)It sounds good!
e)There are a number of interesting modifications for the Fatman-some are
very easy to do,
while others are more challenging.
f)It is a good unit to get your feet wet with (so to speak)

If you have never done ANY soldering, then I suggest you do a little of that
first.
Maybe get a simple electronics kit at an electronics store to practice on.
Something cheap.

You dont need a lot of fancy equipment to put together a Fatman, but check
out the 
page on PAiA's website about it.
As for MOTM, while I still dont have one, they are considered very high
quality.
The MOTMs are for building a Modular system, which can be more complicated
to learn to use.
I would save MOTM for later, when you have some experience building a bit.

John Blacet's boards, while not synths in themselves, are pretty easy to do
too and
his instructions (not all of them are kits) are clear.

I am sure the other guys on the list will have additional comments for you.
Regards
Rory McDonald

-----Original Message-----
From: Tim Swetonic [mailto:tswetonic at real.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2000 9:56 PM
To: synth-diy at node12b53.a2000.nl
Subject: Hi from a newbie


Hi, I just joined this list. I love analog synths, and I'm interested in 
learning how to build one. I don't have any electronics knowledge (yep, 
really a newbie!). I've checked out the MOTM kits, and the FatMan from 
paia. Can anyone suggest some projects to start out with that aren't *too* 
intense? Is the FatMan doable for a newbie? Or should I try something much 
smaller?

Thanks,

Tim