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Subject: MIDI->CV & MOTM-410

From: "J. Larry Hendry" <jlarryh@...>
Date: 2000-02-10

> From: Frank Vanaman <fvanaman@...>
> Recently there was a comment about the PAiA MIDI2CV convertor being, er,
> well, about as good as one might expect for the price. (Larry H, I
> think?)

Yes, that was me. Actually, the volt/octave version is not too bad. For a
mono synth line, it is good enough. The circuit board is about as good as
I have seen from PAiA. Some of the discussion (over my head) on synth-DIY
has been critical of some of the circuit design. But, I built it and it
works. I have some issues with the V/Hz version. The only required
modification (in my opinion) is replacement of the trim pot for V/Oct
calibration. The kit has one of those VERY cheap 3/4 turn board mounted
trimmers. I replaced it with a nice 10 turn pot that is tweakable from the
front of the cabinet. Of course, there are plenty of other
"opportunities" for improvements. But, all-in-all, I think it was worth
what it cost me. The rack mount kit is cool if you want two. Just be
aware that it seems to be 8 bit resolution, which seems to be OK for mono
lines, but I might be hesitant to use it in a poly situation. However, the
output is more accurate that the resistor divider network in my MicroMoog.

BTW, I have been playing with my 410 at length tonight. This type of
filter is not something I am real familiar with. However, I do have an
understanding of how the controls function. The question I have surrounds
the 3 frequency controls. I find myself migrating toward the lower end of
the range continually to get those best sweeping actions. I would be very
interested to hear how others are using and adjusting this module.

Larry Hendry