[sdiy] Alltime best ring modulator circuit... ever?

[harrybissell at wowway.com]

Wein-Bridge oscillators take a long time to stabilize after you
change frequency. Watch out for that...

H^) harry


On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:23:05 -0500, anthony wrote
> You know it's funny: the diode ring modulator I built I was going to 
> put in a box with a Wien-bridge light-bulb compensated sinewave gen. 
> I was going to make it voltage controlled by using two Vactrol (or 
> one, center-tapped?).
> 
> If the voltage controlled part of it compromised it, I'd make it 
> manual, but I think voltage control of a Wien-bridge oscillator 
> should be easy.
> 
> I wanted two identical sinwave oscillators and an input that could 
> either be a carrier or a modulator and one sinewave could frequency 
> modulate the other. I thought that'd make a pretty sweet modulator. 
> But maybe I'll save the pristine Wien-bridge oscillator for an AD633 
> modulator and use an XR2206 or 2 for my diode-ring modulator.
> 
> And I'd rather fiddle and tweak a Wien-bridge oscillator than use a 
> digital sine source.
> 
> AA
> 
> > The Blacet Klangwerk is the best Ringmod I have at the moment.
> >
> > It is based on the AD633.
> >
> > The internal 8038 local oscillator has a THD of ~5%, which is the 
> > weakness of the module.
> >
> > To really appreciate the clarity, use an digital external sine source  of 
> > the lowest possible THD (24 bits will get you 0.001% THD).
> >
> > You end up with a Ringmod useable for the finest "musique concrete".
> >
> > Acoustic piano is especially beautiful when processed by an ultra- 
> > fidelity Ringmod.
> >
> > Ham radio sites have free "function generator" software which can  turn 
> > your laptop into a high quality sine source.
> >
> > On Feb 18, 2008, at 10:58 AM, anthony wrote:
> >
> >> I was wondering what people think is the best ring modulator  circuit, 
> >> both for use in a modular synth and maybe as an effect for  other 
> >> instruments like guitar.
> >>
> >> I suppose different circuits have their merits, but I was wondering 
> >> things like: are the circuits with MC1495 or MC1496 or even the  MC1595, 
> >> MC1596 better than something built from an OTA? And is  there a big 
> >> difference in results between the MC1495 & MC1496? I  think the latter is 
> >> more readilly available and they seem like  nearly interchangeable parts, 
> >> but the former seems to be more  sought after. And I wonder if this is 
> >> just because there were some  classic early circuits that used the early 
> >> chip and people haven't  thought to use the latter chip?
> >>
> >> And how about AD633 ring modulator circuits?
> >>
> >> And since I'm using the old term for what is generally called a 
> >> four-quadrant multiplier, I should ask about the grandaddy of them  all: 
> >> the simple Ge (or schottky?) diode ring/2-phase-splitter  transformer 
> >> combo. Ken Stone makes a case for this and even sells a  popular 
> >> ready-built circuit (that is always on my Christmas list  but I never 
> >> get...). He speaks of the raw, gritty power of these  units that just 
> >> don't seem to obtain with other ring modulator  units. I personally like 
> >> this circuit. I have built one using  classic Hewlett Packard Ge diodes 
> >> that I matched and 2 transformers  (600Ohm:600Ohm CT roughly) that I got 
> >> from 2 identical telephones  (crude tests on my scope showed a relatively 
> >> high impedence on both  sides), but I have yet to test it. I had wanted 
> >> it to work like a  tremolo sometimes, but responses from an earlier post 
> >> said that  that wouldn't really be possible because I couldn't get a 
> >> really  low LFO frequency through that transformers.
> >>
> >> OK! So I think the general answer to which circuit is best would  be: it 
> >> depends on your application. But I do want to know the  relative merits 
> >> of the MC1495, MC1496 & the AD633 and others I've  forgotten or just 
> >> didn't bother to think of.
> >> And THEN I would like some opinions on the alltime best ring  modulator 
> >> circuit ever. (Hence the subject of this message...)
> >>
> >>
> >> cheers,
> >> Anthony
> >>
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> >
> >
> >
> 
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Harry Bissell & Nora Abdullah 4eva