[sdiy] hello, I'm back.

[Scott Gravenhorst]

Did you look at the waveforms on a scope?  "hideous-sounding VCO" is not
what is expected, nor is that what I get from either one I have.  It's a
sawtooth, pretty much like any other sawtooth.  The filter is a common
SVF design, used in other synths.  I'd be interested in an audio clip
demonstrating this sound.  After hearing it, I can tell you whether it's
normal or not.  Both of mine sound very musically pleasing.  

I think more standard complaints about the FatMan are that it's not
patchable and not expo, however, the patchable issue can be easily
remedied.  

For a "Pros and Cons" page for the FatMan, please see:

http://home1.gte.net/res0658s/fatman/FatManProsAndCons.html



Metrophage <c0r3dump23 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>--- john mahoney <jmahoney at gate.net> wrote:
>> A common answer to "What synth should I build?" is the PAiA FatMan,
>
>I have a Paia FatMan synth... I don't really recommend it. I was
>playing a few parties a couple of years ago and two kids there were
>improvising with a Yamaha "groovebox", a portable CD player, and some
>effects. Talking with one of the guys, he told me that what he wanted
>to play was a small semi-modular synth. I told him that I noticed a
>FatMan amongst their gear, and asked for opinions about it. The d00d
>told me that he was a horrible solderer, made lots of mistakes, and
>that the MIDI did not work- it could only drone.
>
>A few parties later he offered the synth to me, I offered to fix it for
>him, but he suggested I keep it, which I thought was quite nics. I
>fixed the rats-nest wiring, resoldered a few cold joints, clipped off
>extra wire, cleaned the PCB, redid and organized the panel wiring. Same
>deal when I started the unit, no MIDI. Audio signals worked fine, the
>digital chips all had voltage and appeared to be doing their thing. So
>I focused on the MIDI section; I replaced the 6n138 opto-isolator and
>then it worked just fine.
>
>What I don't like about it is that for some reason I just really
>disliked the VCO sound. Reminded me of a hideous-sounding VCO I tried
>to make with a 566 function generator ic, no character. I don't
>remember much else about it, as it is at my parents house now. If you
>want to try a Paia kit I recommend the Theremax, which is a
>well-thought out circuit, and sounds great.
>
>Then again, with its simplicity, there might be things one can do to
>make a FatMan more fun. Some of Scotts mods sound quite fascinating in
>the abstract.
>
>
>	
>		
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-- Scott Gravenhorst | LegoManiac / Lego Trains / RIS 1.5
-- Linux Rex         | RedWebMail by RedStarWare
-- FatMan: home1.gte.net/res0658s/FatMan/
-- NonFatMan: home1.gte.net/res0658s/electronics/
-- Autodidactic Master of Arcane and Hidden Knowledge.