[sdiy] PAiA vocoder

[J. Larry Hendry]

I have not done this mod to mine either.  I looked at it a couple of years
ago. I have added the Scott Lee modification though.  I have two
observations along these lines.

1 - If I did this, I might be more inclined to add front panel level
controls for each band.  However, one of the benefits of the Scott Lee
modification (at the PAiA site) is more even amounts of modulation in each
band.

2 - I have had great success with a plain 15 band graphic EQ between the mic
and the vocoder.  This lets me even out modulation and roll off the low end
which really muddies up a vocoder IMO.

I think the best thing John could do for the vocoder is re-do the PCB
incorporating the Lee modification, adding the option for individual band
control and making it SMALLER.  It is one honking big PCB for what is on it.
:)

Larry Hendry

----- Original Message -----
From: GothGeek Sysadmin <xyzzy at sysabend.org>
Sofar I've built the Vocoder, the Fatman, and the Theramax.

The kits are well documented.  PAIA is very responsive if you have a problem
yadda yadda and all the stuff people have said before.

Now, the Vocoder...  Its an older kit design.  Craig Anderton did it.  The
board was an older design, I had trouble with a few pads lifting while
doing mods on it.  It comes with a paper with some suggested mods that
I *highly* recommend, basically you stuff some buffers in that minimize
bleedover between bands.  The flywires are extremely messy.  Assemble the
kit and you have a working tolerable vocoder.  Add the buffer mod and you
have a working quite reasonable vocoder, there is a mod on Hyperreal :
http://machines.hyperreal.org/manufacturers/Paia/Vocoder/mods/paia.vocoder.m
od.txt

I havent tried the mod, but some poking with a scope and I think there's
quite
a bit of truth to what its supposed to do.