Clone wars - Yusynth Minimoog Filter comparison
2011-03-01 by drryle
Hi all, A demo video of the modules... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scyHnxs_KQ0 As a recent project, I built two of the Yves Usson designed Minimoog transistor ladder filter modules from the Bridechamber kits. http://yusynth.net/Modular/EN/MOOGVCF/index.html http://bridechamber.com/Yu_Transistor_Filter.html One was a full Bridechamber component and PCB kit with 2210 transistor array chips, and a panel purchased from someone that had already done a silk screen job on a dotcom 2U blank. The second build was done with just the PCB from Deyo. I rounded up the components myself. I decided to use the original Usson (and maybe R. Moog?) method of matching transistor pairs for the ladder. The method I chose was one Ian Fritz outlined in a relatively popular article. I apologize for no link but it can be found in the common search engines. It made the matching task quite a bit easier. The panel was a 2U dotcom blank which I engraved with a milling machine. The font didn't come out as legible as I had hoped but it is suitable for my use. The video linked above is musically inert but has a few things of possible note for this forum. One is the module to the right of the filters. It is a Random Gates module from Yves and again, a bridechamber kit except for the 1U space MU panel which is from Big Blue Wave. Clearly the best panel job of all three by far. There is a bad LED in slot #4 so no output occurs there. I need to get another LED from Scott I guess. The second thing to note is the build quality. I have been building only for a short time after having taken a break from EM for a few decades so here is a good chance to get a real laugh at my expense. My craftsmanship will have to improve. I realize this is elementary to most here but I trust you will afford me a bit of pride in these easy builds. My goal here was to (re)learn some tiny bits about components involved in the basic filter designs like the Moog filter. Thanks to Yves, Scott and Ian (among many) I am gaining ground in this area. I had many "Ah-Ha!" moments when trying to grasp the component characteristics and even supply filtering fundementals. Great fun. I am very happy to be around at a time when both the work of the pioneering masters like Moog are highly regarded and the current crop of designers/engineers are liberal enough with their own knowledge to help the less educated like myself learn a bit by DIY projects like these. A great time to be involved in modular electronic music synthesis equipment.