[sdiy] PAiA Gnome repair

[Ben Stuyts]

Correct, I checked my copy of the Ward book. It describes circuits from the Gnome and the 2700 series.

Ben


> On 5 Aug 2022, at 23:31, S Ridley via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org> wrote:
> 
> The book was probably Electronic Music Circuit Guidebook by Brice Ward.  Easily available - at insane prices. 
> 
> This is another state-of-the-ark article from that era with Gnome content:
> 
> www.schematicsforfree.com/files/Audio/Circuits/Musician/Keyboards%20and%20Accessories/Synthesizers/Simple-Syn,%20The%20Music%20Machine.pdf <http://www.schematicsforfree.com/files/Audio/Circuits/Musician/Keyboards%20and%20Accessories/Synthesizers/Simple-Syn,%20The%20Music%20Machine.pdf>
> 
> You can laugh at it now, but as a teenager I learned soooo much from this.
> 
> Steve
> 
> 
> On Fri, 5 Aug 2022 at 02:53, Benjamin Tremblay via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org <mailto:synth-diy at synth-diy.org>> wrote:
> I feel much the same way Tim. The Gnome isn’t much of a tool, nor much of a fun toy, but it’s a token of learning. I recall a paperback book I had in the 80’s that broke down the functional parts of the gnome better than the original Simonton article. (Anyone know the title/author) Integrator plus comparator plus diodes and knobs equals a latching AD envelope generator, and it’s not much different from a triangle oscillator. 
> After I read that chapter I remembered the gnome and I bought an LM3900 at Radio Shack and built the modules on a strip board. Then I moved onto trying to build a better-sounding filter. I got as far as building a state variable filter, not voltage controlled but tunable using a stereo pot. Ultimately I built a crude Moog filter and Moog 900 style VCA. Then I did nothing until my mid 30s. 
> 
> 
> Benjamin Tremblay
> 
>> On Aug 4, 2022, at 8:43 PM, Tim Parkhurst <tim.parkhurst at gmail.com <mailto:tim.parkhurst at gmail.com>> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> I recently found my old PAiA Gnome in a moving box and thought about restoring it, maybe even adding a simple analog sequencer. It was the first synth I ever owned, and I learned a lot about electronics and synths by endlessly poring over the Gnome manual (and all the other manuals that could be ordered very cheaply from PAiA at the time). Putting the Gnome together also taught me how to solder. You can literally see the solder joints go from kinda sketchy to reasonable as I progressed through the build. I also remember that my Gnome had an odd quirk where, if I ran the batteries down a bit, the EG when set to repeat could oscillate at audio frequencies and bleed through enough to sound like a second VCO. I think it even tracked the ribbon. This only happened when the battery voltage dropped to a little below +/-8 volts (normally runs on two 9V cells).
>> I was pleasantly surprised when I fired it up and found that it still basically works (though the EG is dead and there may be other problems). Still, I hooked it up to some good powered speakers and gave it a listen. Needless to say, I have now decided to place the Gnome in a decorative “shadow box” and hang it on the wall as a piece of art and a tribute to the beginning of my synth obsession. I love PAiA for what they do, and I love the Gnome for what it taught me, but it sounds like a mosquito with asthma after a 5K run. “Thin” doesn’t even begin to describe it. A used Monotron is a much better sounding instrument if you really want a small, portable, and super cheap synth. I love the Gnome, and it will always be a special little box for me, but I just can’t bring myself to put any time into it for musical use.
>> 
>> 
>> Tim (and not the De Havilland type of mosquito) Servo
>> ---
>> "Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Thu, Aug 4, 2022 at 8:13 AM Benjamin Tremblay via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org <mailto:synth-diy at synth-diy.org>> wrote:
>> Hello, 
>> I looked through the sdiy archives and found some old threads on the Gnome’s conductive strip. 
>> I was able to obtain a Gnome and want to restore it as a gift for my brother. Well actually I tore his Gnome apart (he thought he botched the assembly and it was junk) and as I tore it apart I discovered it was functional. So more of an atonement than a gift. The conductive strip is mostly gone on this one. 
>> 
>> Long story, anyway I happen to have some Adafruit conductive vinyl.
>> 
>> I’m going to try some things out without doing any harm to the Gnome, but does anyone have any thoughts? I don’t mind adding an opamp to scale the ramp if it’s not the same as the original. 
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> 
>> Ben
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