[sdiy] PE Minisonic synthesizer scans

[cheater cheater]

Hi Steven,
what is the website? Maybe I can extract some contact information from
the server records for you..

BTW, I have found a very interesting page about the minisonic:
http://pcbunn.cithep.caltech.edu/jjb/Synthesizers/Minisonic2/default.htm

Look at those interference patterns!

http://pcbunn.cithep.caltech.edu/jjb/Synthesizers/Minisonic2/DougVCF1_3.gif

Original description: "Range 'C'. Sweep 1Khz - 100Khz.  Input signal
150mV p-p triangle.  Mid-range resonant frequency.  High 'Q'.  Note
interference pattern and peaks caused by changing harmonic
relationships at different points of resonance.  The sound is
marvellous.  Output 100mV/div"

It's the first time I've seen this sort of effect. Where does it come
from exactly? Does it happen for all resonant filters? Does the
oscilloscope need to have any specific characteristics for this to
show up?

Cheers,
D.

On Mon, May 31, 2010 at 14:07, Steven Cook <stevenpaulcook at tiscali.co.uk> wrote:
> Hi Tim,
>
> Cheers for this - I've not seen these articles in years. I built a PE
> Minisonic when the magazines were published back in '74/5 which took a full
> year's worth of £1 a week pocket money. A pattern maker friend of my Dad
> made a beautiful hardwood case for it with a black plastic covered wooden
> front panel, which was about 1/2 inch thick so had to be milled out around
> all the pot holes. I used black knobs with silver tops to get a more 'Moogy'
> look, white Letraset for all the control legends and 'Letraline' (I think it
> was called) to divide the panel sections up. It had a mains PSU built on a
> PCB (dangerous for a 13 year old), everything else was Veroboard. I bought a
> PCB from some sort of 'Stylophone' organ project from another magazine and
> cut off the keyboard bit to use in the Minisonic. When it was finally all
> working, the VCOs drifted so badly with temperature changes that they would
> go up half an octave from breathing on the board! I still remember my
> excitement at hearing a VCF for the first time and spending about two weeks
> just fiddling with different settings - I've felt a bit bored with filters
> ever since then...
>
> About a year and a half later my 15 year old brain decided that it would be
> a brilliant idea to dismantle the Minisonic and use the parts for other
> projects. How could I have been so stupid!? All that's left of it now are a
> few 741s, an SG3402N, a pair of 35ohm speakers and a noise diode.
>
> Sorry, started to ramble a bit there. It's that nostalgia factor.
>
> While I'm here, does anyone know if G.D. Shaw (Minisonic designer) is still
> around? His website was still up the last time I looked but it must be the
> only site I've ever seen with no contact email address and I'd like to send
> him a message.
>
> Steve Cook.
> http://www.spcplugins.com/
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Tim Stinchcombe" <tim102 at tstinchcombe.freeserve.co.uk>
> Sent: Friday, May 28, 2010 7:49 PM
> To: "'analog heaven'" <analogue at hyperreal.org>;
> <synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>
> Subject: [sdiy] PE Minisonic synthesizer scans
>
>> Hi list(s),
>>
>> Very recently it was suggested to me that nowhere on the web were
>> there scans of the Practical Electronics 'Minisonic' synthesizer, from
>> 1974/5 (as opposed to the 'Minisonic 2' which *are* to be found in several
>> places), so if true, I have just rectified this:
>>
>> http://www.timstinchcombe.co.uk/synth/pe_mini/pe_mini.html
>>
>> Enjoy!
>>
>> Tim
>> __________________________________________________________
>> Tim Stinchcombe
>>
>> Cheltenham, Glos, UK
>> email: tim102 at tstinchcombe.freeserve.co.uk
>> www.timstinchcombe.co.uk
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
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