[sdiy] Super cheap synthisizers

[Batz Goodfortune]

Y-ellow Ernest 'n' all.

At 09:04 AM 6/16/02 -0700, Ernest Meyer wrote:
>I was thinking more of building a PCI card with higher-quality filters than
>the OPL3s ....

In case you missed it. OPL3s don't have filters.

What I was suggesting is that you use an entire OPL3 as a single oscillator 
for a voice channel.  Then it's up to you what filters you put on the end 
of it if any.

  and it's own mixer and
>analog out.

This would be a given. I would also suggest an effects send or 3 on each 
voice channel. Even if you do not include any on board effects processing 
yourself.

>The same design could then work in current generation computers,
>or alternatively be used in an old cheap one.

Old cheap ones don't have PCI.

But why would you need such enormous power in a box that's just a synth?

>  The thing I liked about those
>old PCs was, they didn't need fans :)

Indeed. And if you had an ISA T-adaptor, you could put it all on one board 
and lay it over. You wouldn't get it all in a 1U rack but A 2U would fit 
nicely :)

>I think the The SNR is the problem. Lots of noise feedthrough on the ground
>lines from the digital circuits.

Good isolation and board design and this is not that much of a problem. And 
certainly not as much a problem these days as it use to be.

Finally, If you really MUST make it PCI then you can be my hero. So long as 
the interface you design and the code to drive it is made available so I 
can plunder it. :)

Be absolutely Icebox.

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