[sdiy] hello, I'm back.

[Brad Apodaca]

The Soundlab synth seems cool. Do you have to buy a MIDI/CV kit to install 
into it or does Ray make such a thing? Also, i've read that the Fatman is 
not so good at percussive/blip/bleep type sound. Is the Soundlab any better. 
I want to be able to make all parts of a song from one source. Is it 
possible to build a 16 step sequencer into the Soundlab synth? Could it sync 
to incoming MIDI clock? It would be so cool to have a suitcase with a synth 
on one side and a sequencer on the other. I guess I have to have dreams and 
goals right?
Brad


Welcome back, Brad. (popsicko, LOL!)

A common answer to "What synth should I build?" is the PAiA FatMan, but its
linear VCOs make it somewhat incompatible with most other analog synths. It
does have MIDI, though, is cheap, and there are some modifications available
online. Scott Gravenhorst is our resident FatMan expert.

Some of us (me, Rude66, others...) are building Ray Wilson's Sound Lab
Mini-Synth. This has "expo" oscillators, thus it's easier to interface with
other gear. No MIDI, so you'd want to build a MIDI-to-CV converter, too. I'm
not done with mine, so I can't comment personally. Rude66 is almost
finished -- in fact, he was just telling me about a cardboard front panel
mockup he was using. (Sorry, Ruud, I had to say it! :-) So maybe he'll post
some impressions within a day or 2.

Ray sells very nice PC boards, but you are on your own for parts. Go to
www.musicfromouterspace.com for more info. Note, the SLMS does not have
temperature compensation in the VCOs, so I have no idea what the tuning
stability will be like. I think you can add tempcos, though.

I hope this adds to your confusion -- I mean, I hope this helps!
--
john


----- Original Message -----
From: "Brad Apodaca" <popsicko at hotmail.com>
To: <synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2004 9:53 PM
Subject: [sdiy] hello, I'm back.


>Well after a bit a kit mishap, lack of time, and financial difficulties,
I'm
>back! Whoo Hoo! Ready to get going and get learning. I ordered a PAIA  kit
>from the Craig Anderton book, should be here in a few days. I figure I'll
>put that together on a breadboard first, to test my signal flow chops, and
>then try it for real. I'll probably make a couple of FX with increasing
>difficulty before moving on to bigger and better things. Here it comes,
>you've seen it before, deep down you feared it cuz' you know soo much it's
>hard not to answer. What synth should I build? Ahhhhhh! Nooooo! The
dreaded
>newbie question. I've been listening to a bunch of late 70's early 80's
>stuff, mainly Kraftwerk, Mute records and Numan. My goal is pretty simple,
I
>think. I want  to make an entire song using one synth. Drums, leads, bass,
>you name it. I want MIDI so i can hook it up the computer. A couple of
>filter types, maybe some ringmod. Not too many bell and whistles though. I
>want to be forced to be creative, if that makes sense, by having some
>limitations. Any suggestions, so I can start saving up? A kit would be
cool,
>but I would be willing to find the parts too. I don't have the "mad
skillz"
>to make PCB yet.
>Thanks
>Brad
>



>From: "john mahoney" <jmahoney at gate.net>
>To: <synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>
>Subject: Re: [sdiy] hello, I'm back.
>Date: Wed, 12 May 2004 22:22:59 -0400
>
>Welcome back, Brad. (popsicko, LOL!)
>
>A common answer to "What synth should I build?" is the PAiA 
FatMan, but its
>linear VCOs make it somewhat incompatible with most other analog synths. 
It
>does have MIDI, though, is cheap, and there are some modifications 
available
>online. Scott Gravenhorst is our resident FatMan expert.
>
>Some of us (me, Rude66, others...) are building Ray Wilson's Sound Lab
>Mini-Synth. This has "expo" oscillators, thus it's easier to 
interface with
>other gear. No MIDI, so you'd want to build a MIDI-to-CV converter, too. 
I'm
>not done with mine, so I can't comment personally. Rude66 is almost
>finished -- in fact, he was just telling me about a cardboard front 
panel
>mockup he was using. (Sorry, Ruud, I had to say it! :-) So maybe he'll 
post
>some impressions within a day or 2.
>
>Ray sells very nice PC boards, but you are on your own for parts. Go to
>www.musicfromouterspace.com for more info. Note, the SLMS does not have
>temperature compensation in the VCOs, so I have no idea what the tuning
>stability will be like. I think you can add tempcos, though.
>
>I hope this adds to your confusion -- I mean, I hope this helps!
>--
>john
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Brad Apodaca" <popsicko at hotmail.com>
>To: <synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>
>Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2004 9:53 PM
>Subject: [sdiy] hello, I'm back.
>
>
> > Well after a bit a kit mishap, lack of time, and financial 
difficulties,
>I'm
> > back! Whoo Hoo! Ready to get going and get learning. I ordered a 
PAIA  kit
> > from the Craig Anderton book, should be here in a few days. I 
figure I'll
> > put that together on a breadboard first, to test my signal flow 
chops, and
> > then try it for real. I'll probably make a couple of FX with 
increasing
> > difficulty before moving on to bigger and better things. Here it 
comes,
> > you've seen it before, deep down you feared it cuz' you know soo 
much it's
> > hard not to answer. What synth should I build? Ahhhhhh! Nooooo! 
The
>dreaded
> > newbie question. I've been listening to a bunch of late 70's early 
80's
> > stuff, mainly Kraftwerk, Mute records and Numan. My goal is pretty 
simple,
>I
> > think. I want  to make an entire song using one synth. Drums, 
leads, bass,
> > you name it. I want MIDI so i can hook it up the computer. A 
couple of
> > filter types, maybe some ringmod. Not too many bell and whistles 
though. I
> > want to be forced to be creative, if that makes sense, by having 
some
> > limitations. Any suggestions, so I can start saving up? A kit 
would be
>cool,
> > but I would be willing to find the parts too. I don't have the 
"mad
>skillz"
> > to make PCB yet.
> > Thanks
> > Brad
> >
>

_________________________________________________________________
MSN Toolbar provides one-click access to Hotmail from any Web page – FREE 
download! http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200413ave/direct/01/