MOTM

I'd compare the sound with the old chips versus the newer chips.  If 
the older chips sound better leave them in, otherwise replace them.  
If you really want to fix it up, I'd have a close look at the lytics 
(or tantalums) as well.

Certainly there may be some reason to leave it alone.  In my 
experience the older Minimoogs sounded far superior to the newer 
ones for example, but that was a design change I think.

I've got an older mixing console that I'm debating whether to sell 
or keep.  I'll probably take one channel strip, update the 
components and compare.  I suspect the sound will improve and I 
would expect the same with your Buchla.

The Buchla I used to mess with back in the 70s was very noisy as 
well and I hated the mini phone plugs and banana connectors.  I 
never could understand why the audio and control voltage signals 
couldn't be interchanged.  I never liked that screwy keyboard 
either.  I never got to see the guts of it as it belonged to a 
friend of mine and he wouldn't let me open it up :(

Paul Haneberg writes:
>>The Buchla I used to mess with back in the 70s was very noisy.<<

Perhaps there is a market for my Tempest Approved synth enclosures afterall. 
Keep those sneaky Soviet spies from picking up stray synth noise on their 
receivers and decoding your synth patches. Available from Bahn.

-Elhardt