[sdiy] Has anyone ever cloned a, or made a, string machine?

[David Moylan]

Your biggest problem with doing it in the classic way is finding 
top-octave generator chips.  Most string machines used the same core 
generators as organs which are the top octave generators and which are 
scarce and expensive.

For a first iteration approximation you could run an organ through a 
chorus pedal.

For a second iteration you could run an organ through three chorus 
pedals in parallel.

For a third iteration you have to make up a lot of circuitry to do 
waveshaping for each key and maybe attack/release adjustments.

For the best approximation get $200 bucks together and find an Arp Omni 
2.  You'll get classic seventies fake strings that you've heard all over 
the place.  You'll also get a mono bass section and filter/ADSR/LFO to boot.

I always wished I could find a smaller version of the Omni without the 
Arp bucktooth styling.  I think they had to make it that big to fit all 
the circuitry though.

Good luck.

Dave Moylan

Rykhaard D.A.M.I.A.N. wrote:
> I thought of this tonight at work - finding a service manual for a
> String Machine, and cloning it.  Then my brain wandered off into the
> areas of simple design.
> 
> I'm open to ideas or any suggestions. :)  I've been keeping my eye
> open for a String Machine for over a year now - and no cheaper ones
> have come about.  Wonder if it'd be easy enough to build the
> electronics for one.  :)
> 
> Anyone? :D  URLs / etc. / anything? :)
>