[sdiy] Starting a synth project

[Rude 66]

smart words indeed.. i asked a 'wiser one' than myself to build me a power
supply, and it cost me around 25 euro.. first, it's one thing to mess with
15v, but another to mess with 230 direct. on top of that, if i screw up,
most of the boards i try to power, could turn to toast. and that's just not
worth it.
as long as i know i'm still a relative newbie and not totally comforatble
with these things, a power supply is where i draw the line of diy for me..

r./


----- Original Message -----
From: "Gene Stopp" <gene at ixiacom.com>
To: <synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>
Sent: Monday, December 27, 2004 8:24 PM
Subject: RE: [sdiy] Starting a synth project


> Harry speaks much wisdom. I remember learning synth modules by
concentrating
> on the modules themselves and taking the power supply for granted. After a
> while you get a feel for things like when a 1/2 watt resistor should be
used
> instead of 1/4 watt, or when and where to place bypass caps, things like
> that. Power supply design goes much better once you have "the feel".
>
> And a quick glance at eBay shows, let's see... aha! TWO Power One +/-15 @
5
> amp supplies for $19.99 for both with no reserve and zero bids, one day to
> go on a seven day auction. Not bad! Those are going to be big and heavy,
but
> at five amps per rail you could power about a hundred modules. And have a
> spare.
>
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=58288&item=3862129158
> &rd=1
>
>
> - Gene
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
> [mailto:owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl]On Behalf Of harrybissell
> Sent: Monday, December 27, 2004 2:04 PM
> To: tlax at hellfish.org
> Cc: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
> Subject: Re: [sdiy] Starting a synth project
>
>
> Hello Tero...
>
> to tell you the truth, a lot of people post "starting a synth project" and
> many
> times
> they come to the same conclusion as you.  I would advise that your first
> project
> NOT be a power supply. In fact I'd recommend you BUY a small, commecial
> linear
> power supply such as a PowerOne, or one of the many other manufacturers.
>
> Brand new they would cost about $45 (US) but surplus they could be as low
as
> $10.
>
> You need to trust your power supply.  I use an 800mA +/-15 supply from
> PowerOne on
> the bench and have never fried it. They have pretty sophisticated
> overcurrent
> protection
> and will survive a lot of mistakes.
>
> For a first project, I'd recommend a simple VCO, or LFO... followed by a
> VCF. This
> way you
> get to hear some results right away.
>
> Power supplies are cheaper to buy than to build...and they are not much
fun.
> If your
> power
> supply does not work, or fails suddenly... it can trash all the rest of
your
> work !
>
> H^) harry
>
> tlax at hellfish.org wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > I've been thinking of starting a synth project. I thought it might be
> convenient
> > to start from the power supply and surfed for them on the net. But one
> thing was
> > almost never answered, what kind of transformers do people use in these?
> >
> > I've been thinking of something like this:
> > http://www.ori.org/~aaronc/synth/PowerSupply_V1.pdf
> > but with the 120V -> 2x24V transformer changed to a one with the
european
> 230V
> > -> 2x24V, but with 13VA, 22VA or more or even less than 13VA?
Farnell.com
> has a
> > lot of these to choose from. :P
> >
> > Or maybe a better power supply schematics are lying on the net, but I
just
> > haven't runned into them. Might even buy a commercial one if I find a
good
> one
> > inside the europe and could move to the nice part of project like VCO.
:)
> >
> > --
> > Tero Laxström <tlax at hellfish.org>
>