I took a course on VLSI design (essentially building stuff into chips at the
silicon level) in university although it primarily delt with MOSFETs.
Anyway just using that to state that this information is somewhat educated.
A resistor/transistor or whatever that is made on an IC (smt or throughole)
can be made to stricter tolerances than it's discrete counterpart at a much
less cost. Therefore I would assume that it is possible to have more
accurate components whose values fluctuate less in an IC and in particular
in an SMT. However, this is not to say that you couldn't make "bad"
components in an IC. For most applications having stricter tolerances is
better and for that reason you may think the sound is lacking character.
The info presented above is that of someone that has basic knowledge of
designing MOSFET circuits at silicon level from university and nothing more.
So take it with whatever you choose.
>From: "Mike Marsh" <michaelmarsh@...>
>To: motm@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [motm] Re: Possible strange question about SMT
>Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2005 16:16:22 -0000
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>
>Hey Larry -
>
>I don't know about SMT either, but I do know that at least the Evolver
>is a partly digital synth. It can have a particular sound that is
>less 'analog/organic' than something with a more conventional design.
>That's not to say that the Evolver can't sound 'analog/organic', it
>can. I don't know about the Andromeda, I have no exprerience with it.
> Also these are both polyphonic synths and sometimes poly analog
>sounds different from mono analog.
>
>As to the physics: I flunked physics but remember enough about
>electrons to know that they are very small; the difference in size
>from 'regular' components and SMT must be ∗HUGE∗ to an electron...
>
>:)
>
>Mike
>
>--- In motm@yahoogroups.com, Larry David <ldavid777@s...> wrote:
> > >
> > >> d) The MOTM-810 VC EG is a 'semi-kit'. I will make the pc board SMT,
> > >> with ∗just∗
> > >> the SMT parts stuffed. You
> > >> will still solder the pots, jacks, wires, etc. There are just too
> > >> many parts to
> > >> be practical (~90 resistors, 16 diodes, 18 transistors).
> > >> Also, SMT will keep the price ∗lower∗ because I can stuff them
>all at
> > >> once in 1
> > >
> > > Hmm, cheaper. I like cheaper. Not only does the price go down, but
> > > you're
> > > not spending time you could be designing new modules and expanding
>your
> > > business in through-hole tedium, which is better for everyone in the
> > > long
> > > run.
> > >
> >
> > I have no opinion about SMT in general so this is not a critical post -
> > just a question. I have wondered for some time if the physics of
> > smaller parts - like SMT parts - and I guess transistors especially,
> > causes them to respond differently in VCOs, VCFs, etc, than the older,
> > larger parts. Perhaps this is just psychological, but my OB-8 sounds
> > more organic (more variation in timbre as you play different notes -
> > like an acoustic instrument) than say the Andromeda I played a few
> > times or the Polyevolver I played with at the store. Is there a
> > correlation between the larger, single resistors and transistors used
> > in the earliest analog synths and their "superior" sound (I realize
> > this is subjective, but many seem to notice it) as compared to modern
> > analog synths that use SMT components? (I know the OB uses Curtis
> > chips so it falls somewhere between say Moog modular and Andromeda).
> > MOTM is by ∗far∗ the best sounding current production synth (analog or
> > digital) I've heard (well, my Voyager is a close second, but nothing
> > else comes close, imho). Is this just because of the excellent ckt
> > designs or do the components affect the sound? I.e. if Alesis or
> > someone were to take Paul's designs and mass produce them - putting the
> > whole PCB on a single SMT chip (as much as that would be possible) -
> > would they sound any different?
> >
> > Larry David (not wanting to stir up anti-SMT trouble :)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
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