[sdiy] Should GaTech go bananas?

[Aaron Lanterman]

Hi gang,

I'm about to put in an order to Paul for some MOTM stuff for my students 
to build in my Spring synth theory & design class (after some thinking, I 
decided this time around to go with one manufacurer for consistency. 
Enough people have signed up that I'm sure the department would let me 
offer it again, and I'll have some funding for educational stuff kicking 
in this summer to buy synth stuff next year, so maybe next year I'll do 
Blacet.) One of the first HW assignments will be - split up into teams, # 
teams = number of modules, # persons per team depends on complexity of 
module, build the module, make it work.

I haven't decided exactly where to go from there, but for the final 
project, I want it to be something like: design a module from scratch 
(i.e. start with the idea of, say, making a Sallen-Key out of SSM2164s, 
and then go from there...), build it, make it work. I might do something 
in between in the middle of the semester, where they build something from 
a schematic, say from like Rene's or Ian's sites or something... just go 
get pactice with prototyping before they try their own original design.

Maybe have them design a full module from scratch would be too much for 
one semester - I'm also not sure how to prevent people from dishonestly 
plagarizing a schematic on the net and claiming it's theirs. Maybe it will 
instead be something like "take a schematic on the net, change the design 
around, see what effect that has..."

Anyway... the people who run our ECE4006 senior design labs have agreed to 
let my synth class use their facilities, so I spent some time touring them 
the other day.

There's bananas everywhere. Rows and rows of banana connectors hanging on 
the walls, all the test equipment has banana jacks, etc... (and I have 
been fascinated with Serge's designs lately, and it's all bananas). I also 
like the way bananas plug in and unplug quickly and easily, and the fact 
that you have automatic multiples.

...so I was thinking, when we build the MOTM modules, should we 
"bananaize" them? I will then have a ready made stack of patch cords - and 
if someone wanted to plug the output of the Moog filter into an 
oscillascope, they're right there. Are there any "gotchas" in doing that?

I'm sure Paul has some thoughts on this, but I wanted to hear about 
experiences from the rest of the list too. I've occasionally seen 
"bananaized MOTM" modules for sale...

In case you're curious, here's the system I currently have speced out:

101 noise/SH
190 uVCA (2 VCA/ring)
300 ultra VCO
310 uVCO
490 uVCF (moog) (I plan do a whole lecture on the Moog ladder filter)
420 VCF (ms-20) (several lectures will be on using OTAs to replace
resistors and the resulting filter topologies)
390 uLFO (2 LFO)
700 2:1 VC router
800 ADSR
830 dual-mode mixer (I like the idea of a design that's good at both DC 
and audio - I want to talk about those issues in class, it's something 
Buchla emphasizes, about being hard to do both well)
950 power supply

And I'm almost done building Paul's version of the Yamaha GX-1 filter (I 
just have the front panel wiring yet to do.)

I need a second EG of some sort, but I want some diversity of modules... 
would rather get some other "twist" on ADSR.

While I'm asking about bananas - has anyone "bananaized" their Blacet 
modules?

Class starts Jan 9. I'm excited but at the same time so not ready to 
start!

- Aaron

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Dr. Aaron Lanterman, Asst. Prof.       Voice:  404-385-2548
School of Electrical and Comp. Eng.    Fax:    404-894-8363
Georgia Institute of Technology        E-mail: lanterma at ece.gatech.edu
Mail Code 0250                         Web:    users.ece.gatech.edu/~lanterma
Atlanta, GA 30332                      Office: GCATT 334B