MOTM

Why not make my first post to the MOTM list a ripe opportunity for some
public humiliation?

I successfully built MOTM-110, -120 and even -300, but I couldn't get the
easiest one (MOTM-800) to work - all the gate input apparatus was dead and
the input transistor (Q1) wouldn't turn on. I called Paul for help, mostly
to verify that I'd need to replace the transistor (Q1) and diode (D1) at
the input, and he helped clue me in on some diagnostics, as well as asking
all the stupid, obvious questions that have to be asked first (are all the
chips oriented properly? do you have the proper wires soldered to the
proper jack terminals? - duh!).

DUH! is right. I went back to the circuit board to remove D1, just to see
what would happen - it still didn't work. Then I looked below D1 at the 3
wires coming from the circuit board to the gate jack ... no! I couldn't
possibly have been that stupid! I was. Ground (grey) and output (white)
wires were soldered INTO THE WRONG HOLES. Rather than muck with the
circuit board, I just swapped the two wires on the jack terminals and
presto! One 100% working MOTM-800 ADSR EG!

Boy do I feel stupid (sorry for taking up your time, Paul!). But hearing
those modules work together sure made me feel good!

-Doug
ceres@...

I'm sorry, but you'll have to do much better than that to claim the title of
"stoopidest MOTM builder alive". Why we've got guys here who like to break
off switch barrels and even panel studs - right, Curly?

Just kidding, nyuk, nyuk!

Moe

>
> From: Doug Pearson <ceres@...>
>
> Why not make my first post to the MOTM list a ripe opportunity for some
> public humiliation?

No you're not. I finished my sub-octave multiplexer on Wednesday afternoon.
I mounted it in a rack, next to my power supply, and hooked a HP function
generator into the A input. I didn't know how hot the HP was going to be, so
I turned everything off first, pulled all the volume and input pots down,
etc. Slowly I brought up the levels, heard the sine wave from the function
generator through the output of the 120, then switched the mode for A to
square. Nothing. Damn. I didn't *want* to have to troubleshoot it. I was so
careful when I built it! What could have gone wrong??? I tried an SH-101
into the A input. Same thing. Sent the signal as an aux send from my mixer.
Nothing--I could only hear something when mode was set to "norm."

What could be wrong?

(excuse my french)

TURN ON THE POWER, DIPSHIT!

Much better. Worked perfectly.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Doug Pearson [mailto:ceres@...]
> Sent: Friday, June 11, 1999 2:59 PM
> To: MOTM listserv
> Subject: [motm] I am the stoopidest MOTM builder alive
>
>
> From: Doug Pearson <ceres@...>
>
> Why not make my first post to the MOTM list a ripe opportunity for some
> public humiliation?
>
> I successfully built MOTM-110, -120 and even -300, but I couldn't get the
> easiest one (MOTM-800) to work - all the gate input apparatus was dead and
> the input transistor (Q1) wouldn't turn on. I called Paul for
> help, mostly
> to verify that I'd need to replace the transistor (Q1) and diode (D1) at
> the input, and he helped clue me in on some diagnostics, as well as asking
> all the stupid, obvious questions that have to be asked first (are all the
> chips oriented properly? do you have the proper wires soldered to the
> proper jack terminals? - duh!).
>
> DUH! is right. I went back to the circuit board to remove D1, just to see
> what would happen - it still didn't work. Then I looked below D1 at the 3
> wires coming from the circuit board to the gate jack ... no! I couldn't
> possibly have been that stupid! I was. Ground (grey) and output (white)
> wires were soldered INTO THE WRONG HOLES. Rather than muck with the
> circuit board, I just swapped the two wires on the jack terminals and
> presto! One 100% working MOTM-800 ADSR EG!
>
> Boy do I feel stupid (sorry for taking up your time, Paul!). But hearing
> those modules work together sure made me feel good!
>
> -Doug
> ceres@...
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Have you entered ONElist's "Grow to Give" program?
> http://www.onelist.com
> Deadline is June 19. Join now to win $5000 for your charity of choice.
>

You owe me 18 cents + 43 cents postage for the replacement parts I mailed.
<just kidding>!!

I feel bad I didn't ask you this on the phone.

Keep the spares for later!!

Paul S.

-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Pearson <ceres@...>
To: MOTM listserv <motm@onelist.com>
Date: Friday, June 11, 1999 2:05 PM
Subject: [motm] I am the stoopidest MOTM builder alive

>From: Doug Pearson <ceres@...>
>
>Why not make my first post to the MOTM list a ripe opportunity for some
>public humiliation?
>
>I successfully built MOTM-110, -120 and even -300, but I couldn't get the
>easiest one (MOTM-800) to work - all the gate input apparatus was dead and
>the input transistor (Q1) wouldn't turn on. I called Paul for help, mostly
>to verify that I'd need to replace the transistor (Q1) and diode (D1) at
>the input, and he helped clue me in on some diagnostics, as well as asking
>all the stupid, obvious questions that have to be asked first (are all the
>chips oriented properly? do you have the proper wires soldered to the
>proper jack terminals? - duh!).
>
>DUH! is right. I went back to the circuit board to remove D1, just to see
>what would happen - it still didn't work. Then I looked below D1 at the 3
>wires coming from the circuit board to the gate jack ... no! I couldn't
>possibly have been that stupid! I was. Ground (grey) and output (white)
>wires were soldered INTO THE WRONG HOLES. Rather than muck with the
>circuit board, I just swapped the two wires on the jack terminals and
>presto! One 100% working MOTM-800 ADSR EG!
>
>Boy do I feel stupid (sorry for taking up your time, Paul!). But hearing
>those modules work together sure made me feel good!
>
> -Doug
> ceres@...
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Have you entered ONElist's "Grow to Give" program?
>http://www.onelist.com
>Deadline is June 19. Join now to win $5000 for your charity of choice.
>

As you can see, we've all made our share of mistakes. I put an IC in
backwards but caught it in time ( before power was applied ). No need to
beat yourself up over it. The good news is if you follow Paul's excellent
instructions you have the coolest synth modules available and they all work
superbly. I did'nt have to troubleshoot any of the six I've built. (keeping
fingers crossed).
Jim
BTW Welcome to the list.

>From: "Paul Schreiber" <synth1@...>
>Reply-To: motm@onelist.com
>To: <motm@onelist.com>
>Subject: Re: [motm] I am the stoopidest MOTM builder alive
>Date: Fri, 11 Jun 1999 14:39:29 -0500
>
>From: "Paul Schreiber" <synth1@...>
>
>You owe me 18 cents + 43 cents postage for the replacement parts I mailed.
><just kidding>!!
>
>I feel bad I didn't ask you this on the phone.
>
>Keep the spares for later!!
>
>Paul S.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Doug Pearson <ceres@...>
>To: MOTM listserv <motm@onelist.com>
>Date: Friday, June 11, 1999 2:05 PM
>Subject: [motm] I am the stoopidest MOTM builder alive
>
>
> >From: Doug Pearson <ceres@...>
> >
> >Why not make my first post to the MOTM list a ripe opportunity for some
> >public humiliation?
> >
> >I successfully built MOTM-110, -120 and even -300, but I couldn't get the
> >easiest one (MOTM-800) to work - all the gate input apparatus was dead
>and
> >the input transistor (Q1) wouldn't turn on. I called Paul for help,
>mostly
> >to verify that I'd need to replace the transistor (Q1) and diode (D1) at
> >the input, and he helped clue me in on some diagnostics, as well as
>asking
> >all the stupid, obvious questions that have to be asked first (are all
>the
> >chips oriented properly? do you have the proper wires soldered to the
> >proper jack terminals? - duh!).
> >
> >DUH! is right. I went back to the circuit board to remove D1, just to
>see
> >what would happen - it still didn't work. Then I looked below D1 at the
>3
> >wires coming from the circuit board to the gate jack ... no! I couldn't
> >possibly have been that stupid! I was. Ground (grey) and output (white)
> >wires were soldered INTO THE WRONG HOLES. Rather than muck with the
> >circuit board, I just swapped the two wires on the jack terminals and
> >presto! One 100% working MOTM-800 ADSR EG!
> >
> >Boy do I feel stupid (sorry for taking up your time, Paul!). But hearing
> >those modules work together sure made me feel good!
> >
> > -Doug
> > ceres@...
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >Have you entered ONElist's "Grow to Give" program?
> >http://www.onelist.com
> >Deadline is June 19. Join now to win $5000 for your charity of choice.
> >
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Looking for a new hobby? Want to make a new friend?
>http://www.onelist.com
>Come join one of over 165,000 e-mail communities at ONElist!

_______________________________________________________________
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Glad to know that most everyone else has a similar story ...

At 02:12 PM 6/11/99 -0500, "Dave Bradley" <daveb@...> wrote:

>I'm sorry, but you'll have to do much better than that to claim the title of
>"stoopidest MOTM builder alive". Why we've got guys here who like to break
>off switch barrels and even panel studs - right, Curly?

Damn, I guess I lose the contest ;^).
Although not the actual barrel, I did manage to break off a switch by
dropping my Ring Modulator on the sidewalk.

And, "Paul Schreiber" <synth1@...> wrote:

>You owe me 18 cents + 43 cents postage for the replacement parts I mailed.
><just kidding>!!

Which includes the replacement for the switch I broke! Thanks, Paul! (at
least it wasn't a matched transistor pair - whew!)

>I feel bad I didn't ask you this on the phone.

Don't worry about it - I probably would have said, "well OF COURSE I
attached the right wires to the right holes, what do you think I am,
stupid?" without bothering to look!

And, james holloway <jimh54@...> wrote:

>As you can see, we've all made our share of mistakes. I put an IC in
>backwards but caught it in time ( before power was applied ).

Me, too!

> The good news is if you follow Paul's excellent
>instructions you have the coolest synth modules available and they all work
>superbly.

Ain't that the truth! Part of the reason I brought this up was to show
that to screw things up, you REALLY have to do something STUPID. The
instructions are easily among the clearest and most detailed I've ever
received with a kit. And like I said, even an idiot like me could manage
to build a MOTM-300 and get it working on the first try - definitely a
credit to the quality of the kits and their instructions,

-Doug
ceres@...

Well, I guess I am next in line. No major screwups on any of my
modules...yet... I have almost broken off every connector off of every pot
though; I am afraid to touch any of them.

I am now taking bets on what my first major screw up will be... I suppose
it will involve smoke and flames and sparks and a black out in my local
power grid knowing my luck. Save the best till last. Ha!

Thanks for the awesome instructions Paul! And thanks for the coax
connections to the PCBs; that is my favorite part of the kits (yes, I am
strange). Followed closely by attaching all the knobs and jacks and
switches to the faceplate as soon as I get a new kit; this always gives me
inspiration and fortitude during soldering the tedious stuff.

--Todd

In a message dated 6/11/99 12:26:45 PM, ceres@... writes:

>From: Doug Pearson <ceres@...>
>
>Glad to know that most everyone else has a similar story ...
>

Hi Doug!

Welcome to the club! I had the unmitigated audacity to admit on the DIY list
that I connected my fist MOTM (110) module to the PSU BACKWARDS (kids, don't
try this at home). After finding the problem, I reversed the connections, and
everything worked fine! No problem with the CEM IC, nor any other. Paul makes
great stuff, and takes our stoopidity into account in the design phase.

At Synthesis Technologies you put the "U" in stupid!
John B.
Still looking for that catchy MOTM slogan.