[sdiy] Great DIY polysynths

Roman Sowa modular at go2.pl
Fri Aug 7 18:42:58 CEST 2026


Too bad I can't show you my first synth. Or 2nd either.
I destroyed them, not thinking it's something an older me would love to 
have. :(

Roman

W dniu 2026-08-07 o 16:17, Benjamin Tremblay pisze:
> Ummm I’m not going to describe my first synths. I was 16.
> 
> Benjamin Tremblay
> 
>> On Aug 7, 2026, at 10:06 AM, Jacob Watters via Synth-diy 
>> <synth-diy at synth-diy.org> wrote:
>>
>> 
>> For my first synth, I literally just stuck an old EQ front panel into 
>> it and reused all the pots in my own circuits. It's not pretty, but it 
>> got the job done.
>>
>> https://www.jacobwatters.com/images/synth/synth1.jpg 
>> <https://www.jacobwatters.com/images/synth/synth1.jpg>
>>
>>
>> *Jacob Watters*
>> JacobWatters.com <http://jacobwatters.com/>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Aug 7, 2026 at 7:37 AM Roman Sowa via Synth-diy 
>> <synth-diy at synth-diy.org <mailto:synth-diy at synth-diy.org>> wrote:
>>
>>     My first DIY modules had marking printed on paper, sprayed with
>>     transparent acrylic paint and glued to (mostly) aluminium panels.
>>     Still looks good today, reaching about 25 years.
>>
>>     http://sowa.synth.net/modular/index.html
>>     <http://sowa.synth.net/modular/index.html>
>>
>>     And my polysynth made a decade earlier didn't have any markings at
>>     all!
>>     Just beautfull color spray painted all over the steel plate panel. It
>>     didn't actually need any marking, because all controll was done by
>>     up/down & left/right arrows with 1x40 LCD. Kind of like the synth
>>     vibe
>>     was in early 90's
>>
>>     Roman
>>
>>     W dniu 2026-08-06 o 22:33, Oren Leavitt via Synth-diy pisze:
>>     >
>>     >
>>     > On 8/6/26 11:47 AM, Mike Bryant wrote:
>>     >> Actually comparing a lot of modern DIY stuff with 1960s/70s
>>     electronics,
>>     >> I think I know which looks a lot more 'homemade' 😄
>>     >
>>     > When I built my first modular synth, I made front panels from
>>     sheets of
>>     > Masonite. I spray painted them white, applied labeling, dial
>>     ticks, and
>>     > other art with a fine ink pen with the aid of rulers or stencils.
>>     > Applied a top coat of Krylon to seal it all in. Came out pretty
>>     nice.
>>     >
>>     > One of several pictures of it on my Flickr:
>>     > https://flic.kr/p/2stGyzF <https://flic.kr/p/2stGyzF>
>>     >>
>>     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>     >> *From:* Synth-diy <synth-diy-bounces at synth-diy.org
>>     <mailto:synth-diy-bounces at synth-diy.org>> on behalf of John
>>     >> via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org
>>     <mailto:synth-diy at synth-diy.org>>
>>     >> *Sent:* 06 August 2026 17:07
>>     >> *To:* SDIY List <synth-diy at synth-diy.org
>>     <mailto:synth-diy at synth-diy.org>>
>>     >> *Subject:* Re: [sdiy] Great DIY polysynths
>>     >> On Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:20:09 +0000
>>     >> "Chromatest J. Pantsmaker via Synth-diy"
>>     <synth-diy at synth-diy.org <mailto:synth-diy at synth-diy.org>>
>>     >> wrote:
>>     >>
>>     >>> Your complaint is that the labels are on printed material
>>     instead of
>>     >>> silk screen? Really?
>>     >>
>>     >> "This DIY synthesizer being discussed on the synth-DIY mailing list
>>     >> looks distinctly DIY, what's up with that!?"
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