MOTM

My personal feeling is that I like to look at schematics and maybe learn
something from them. Since much of this type of module is programming inside
one big chip, there isn't much chance that the design will be stolen, but
still, we amateurs may learn something small from the supporting analog
circuitry. Plus it just gives us an appreciation for the whole process that
we're so deeply immersed into---we're a niche audience that is building our
own synthesizers part-by-part, and one just hates to have these "black
holes" in the system where 'who knows what's gong on in there?'.

I have spent many hundreds of hours staring at Paul's and John's schematics,
plus some others. I've learned a lot, and have all these ideas for other
circuits that I would like to create, but I haven't 'knocked off' any of the
circuits or started my own company yet [;)]. I just like to look at them and
dream. That's half the fun of this synthesizer, for me.

Second, many of us like to do little mods. Again, in a module where the
lion's share of the weirdness is happening in a programmed chip, that wont
be where the mods will happen. But maybe small mods can be made, again, to
the analog support circuitry. A switch here, an extra LED there, boost the
output over there... It's fun to just stare at schematics and wonder what
could be done with a little imagination.

Finally, thirty years from now when something smokes, it's nice to think
that one does have a snowball's chance of opening up the schematics and
figuring out what to do. Better than just tossing a beloved device into the
trash, which I have had to do on occasion with audio equipment where the
company is LONG gone.

So I guess my question is... if a lot of the "work" is being done in a big,
mysterious chip whose function can't be stolen, then what's the harm?



-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Karavidas [mailto:tony@...] 

...

I've worked for several pro audio and consumer audio companies, and if the
company is small and does't have a repair network, then all defective
products must come back to the factory for repair anyway and in that case,
what's the point in releasing schematics?

I personally like to have them for things so I can fix them, but when there
is custom programmable logic involved, I can't do repairs on that anyway.

...