Din Sync

YES WE CLAP!

2012-02-15T11:56:00.002-08:00

Well fedex finally got around to delivering the DDB prototype boards. Here's a built prototype in action, all that remains is finalising the front panel.

Fedex have done it again

2012-02-11T13:26:00.000-08:00

the DDB proto boards are stuck in the fedex void, bouncing from station to station, I've been calling them but it seems to fall on deaf ears. Hopefully they will take more notice on my next call.

Hopefully the DrumDokta batch three pcbs wont suffer this fate as they are due this coming week also.

Not much I can do until monday...

DDB or not DDB, that is the question

2012-01-17T05:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a question that relates to all DrumDokta owners and potential owners.

Would you prefer the originally planned DDB1 and DDB2 or instead a single 8HP DDB that looses the OR-Combiner but adds controls to the clap for decay and ptich?

I'm leaning towards a single breakout which has the best of both and the added controls.

DrumDokta batch two now shipping

2012-01-05T02:07:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update to say that batch two is now shipping, mails have started to be sent out so check those spam folders just in case it ended up there ;-)

Paul

How to make 10ms triggers for the DrumDokta

2011-11-28T06:31:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick tutorial video on how you can make 10ms triggers for use with the DrumDokta. I'm also using a 4ms RCD to sequence the DrumDokta.

There was a little mistake in there, I had the cymbal decay completely closed so you don't hear it. I only noticed that after uploading the video, a bit of a DOH! moment but I guess thats not really that important.

Another thing I noticed is the leds on the ADSR and accent trigger input look a little strange, I guess this is down to the framerate on my camera.

The Dokta is in

2011-11-26T04:09:00.001-08:00

The first of three batches of the DrumDokta is now shipping. The waiting list is full, however peoples priorites change so a shortlist has been started. So if you want to be added to the shortlist drop me a line on info@dinsync.info and you'll get an email should one become available in the future.

And yes, it comes with candy ;-)

DrumDokta PCBs are here!

2011-11-09T02:35:00.001-08:00

Finally the DrumDokta PCBs are here, and that means the build can finally begin. Great news!

DrumDokta front panels are in

2011-10-18T04:18:00.001-07:00

100 DrumDokta panels arrived today, the doorbell rang as I was in the shower of all things. I ran to the door dripping wet to be greeted by my usual parcel deliverer. "Shit, you caught me in the shower" I said. He chuckled and handed over the parcel.

Oh well, all worth it in the end, all that remains is the PCB delivery and the build can start proper.

DrumDokta DDB2 prototype update

2011-09-28T04:26:00.000-07:00

Well those jolly FedEx guys finally got around to finding my shipping, this has caused some delays in the project but things are still on track.

So here's a quick video of the built prototype in action.

Using Maths as a sequential switch for PP+Brains

2011-09-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

Ok here's how to make a sequential switch for your PP+Brains if you don't have a Doepfer A-151.

what you need is,

Make Noise Pressure Points + Brains (obviously).
Make Noise Maths.
A clock divider such as the 4MS RCD.
two VCA's with DC coupled in/outputs, such as the Doepfer A-132-1.
Something to make the noise, osc/vcf/vca etc.
A cv mixer or OR-Combiner.
a multiple or stack cables.

Here's how to wire up the patch.

Pressure Points/Brains
----------------------
First patch a clock/lfo to Brains CLK in.
Patch Pressure Points stage one gate to RCD clock input.
Patch Pressure Points ch2 cv out to VCA1 signal in.
Patch Pressure Points ch3 cv out to VCA2 signal in.

RCD (or equivalent clock divider)
---------------------------------
Patch division 1 (or multi the incoming clock) to maths ch1 TRIG
Patch division 2 to a multiple, and patch one signal to maths ch4 TRIG and another to maths ch1 BOTH

Maths
-----
patch ch1 OUT to VCA1 cv IN
patch EOR to maths ch4 BOTH
patch ch2 OUT to VCA2 cv IN

set the maths knobs to these settings
ch1 rise full ccw
ch1 fall full cw
cycle off
ch1 response linear
output ch1 attenuverter to taste (adjusting this will transpose the sequence)
set the maths knobs to these settings
ch2 rise full ccw
ch2 fall full cw
cycle off
ch2 response log
output ch2 attenuverter to taste (adjusting this will transpose the sequence)

VCAs
----

patch both VCA outputs to a CV mixer (or OR-Combiner) and connect the output of this to your vco/vcf/vca setup.

and thats it, have fun!

DrumDokta DDB2 breadboard prototype

2011-09-01T03:37:00.001-07:00

Here's a quick look at the DDB2 prototype, this will connect to the rear of a DrumDokta to provide hand claps.

sorry about the camera audio, i'll make a proper demonstation as soon as the prototype pcbs are in and built.

DrumDokta Breakout expansion #1 (DDB1)

2011-08-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick look at the first DrumDokta expansion prototype, tentatively named DDB1.

This will add five oscillator outputs, and a four stage OR combiner to the DrumDokta. A useful utility breakout that will enable you to make additional percussion while still playing the standard DrumDokta sounds.

Introducing the DrumDokta DRM-110

2011-08-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

So here is the next eurorack offering from DinSync.info, the DrumDokta DRM-110.

At it's core is a 1:1 clone of the old school Boss DR-110. The project started since I was often using more than 50% of my modular just to make drum sounds. Sure there are already drum modules on the market but most take up vast amounts of modular real estate and that's not to mention the price. There had to be a better way I thought.

Then a broken DR-110 came my way (thanks Erwin!) and I thought this could be a good candidate for a module. But alas of course with any 25 year old unit there's always the rare parts. After quite some searching I was able to obtain a decent quantity of them. Seven bread-boads worth of spaghetti later it was time to make some prototype PCBs, a few revisions of those and a test panel or two later and here it is.

The one pictured is the third revision prototype. The production model will have a silver anodized aluminum panel and the depth will be around 10mm less then in the pictures, so it’ll be skiff ready.

As with what seems to be the trend with my modules, this will most likely be a limited edition. The first units should be available for shipping in around two months time so if you want to be added to the waiting list drop me a line on info@dinsync.info to reserve your place on the list.

Anyway I’ll be releasing more videos in the near future showing the module a little more in depth and some of its features as well as posting more information about the forthcoming breakout modules for it.

Korg Mono/Poly Acid

2011-07-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

Just a bit of fun, the pattern was one of the acid tracks versions i did before (the first one i think) dumped into logic from the midibass II then driving the mono/poly from silent way.

The Mono/Poly sure gets wild after a while. Sorry about it being a bit dark, I need to get a better solution for lighting that side of the studio.

Using Korg SyncKontrol (iOS) as a modular clock

2011-07-12T04:44:00.000-07:00

Here's how to use the free iOS app SyncKontrol from Korg with your modular synth.

At the very least you will need to amplify the output and ideally use something like a Maths to control the pulsewidth of the clock, though it will work without one if amplified.

Here's a schematic for a DIY noninverting amplifier.

Download the Korg SyncKontrol for free here

Modular Techno Noodle

2011-07-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a short while since the last post so I figured I'd upload a little noodle. Everything is created within the eurorack modular and an RE-20 Space echo is also used.

I fast forwarded some of the early parts of the video when creating the percussion (as it takes a little while)

Modules used,

Dinsync OSC303 (x2)
Dinsync VCF303 (prototype)
Dinsync CCCP
Doepfer A-111-5
Doepfer A-117
Doepfer A-106-5
Doepfer A-106-1
Doepfer A-156
Makenoise Maths (x2)
Makenoise QMMG
4MS Rotating Clock Divider
MFB Dual ADSR
DIY Dual AD
DIY 8 step sequencer
DIY CGS real ring modulator
DIY cv amplifier
DIY OR combiner

and perhaps something I forgot to list.

"Acid Tracks" in 5 mins Redux

2011-05-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

After chatting last week with Dylab from http://acidboxblues.blogspot.com about getting Phuture's Acid Tracks transcribed properly he sent me this picture.

This one was transcribed by Shaggie, and it would seem he nailed it, so I thought it could be fun to do another Acid Tracks in 5 mins. (Ok it's not actually 5 mins, more like 4 and a half)

Anyway, what you hear is the TR-707. TR-727 and the TB-303. As per the original everything is drenched in reverb and I added a very slight tube distortion on the TB-303 since on the original recording it sounds a little driven.

Sure this jam is not 100% perfect but certainly very close, enjoy!

Buchla Bongos on Acid

2011-04-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

Just a bit of fun, here's the details.

DinSync.info TB-303 Special Edition
MPC1000 TR-707 kick
Bongo #1 Doepfer A-111-5 fm'd internally -> Makenoise QMMG Ch4,
Bongo #2 DinSync.info OSC303 fm'd by Makenoise Maths -> Makenoise QMMG Ch3
Hats Doepfer A-117 -> Doepfer A-106-5
Cowbells Doepfer A-117 -> Doepfer A-106-1
Additional drums Boss DR-110
FX Boss RE-20 Space Echo, Boss PH-3, Behringer VD400

Roland TB-303 DinSync.info Special Edition

2011-04-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

This has been a while in the making, I'll post up a video with some audio when I get a chance, meantime here's some 303 porn.

p.s. it's not for sale ;)

OSC303 sold out (again)

2011-04-12T00:16:00.000-07:00

Well the second and final run is finally over. That's really it now, time to move on to the next modules. The CCCP project is going on the back burner for now and work will soon begin on new modules (which I'm not going to mention just yet).

Will there ever be any more OSC303's made? unlikely, though I suppose we should never say never. At this point if you have one hold on to it. Of course it's no future classic but since there was only a relatively small amount made one would hope they will at least retain their value.

A big thanks to everyone who bought one, It was a real pleasure bringing them to you.

Paul

OSC303 batch two (final run) starting to ship

2011-03-19T03:35:00.001-07:00

The second and final batch of OSC303 is starting to ship, it'll be a few weeks until I've managed to get through the entire waiting list but feel free to drop me a line on info@dinsync.info if you wish to check if your ordering email has been sent out already.

This will be the final run of this module, once they are gone they are gone! there will probably still be a small amount left after the waiting list is completed so again drop me a line if you wish to be added.

Muffwiggler meeting in Copenhagen

2011-03-13T14:06:00.001-07:00

What a blast, a big thanks to everyone who came, it really was a lot of fun. Extra thanks must be given to Wetterberg for the organisation. Looking forward to the next one.

Ok so here's some videos and pictures from the event, I'd type more but I'm pretty tired now ;-)

The way home.

Batch two well under way

2011-03-05T00:56:00.001-08:00

Here's a pic of some of the second batch OSC303 modules in various stages, looks like a little army :-D

Won't be too much longer until the first units from this run are shipping.

The OSC303 second batch build has begun

2011-02-23T15:17:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update to say that the build for the second batch has begun, hopefully it's just a few short weeks until the first units start shipping. Right now I'm just waiting on a few bits from my suppliers.

As with last time, there is a waiting list due to the limited nature of this module. So if you want to be sure of getting one drop me an email on info@dinsync.info to be added to the list.

OSC303 SOLD OUT (well the first run is at least)

2011-02-09T07:37:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of the last OSC303 to be shipped from the first run.

It's not over though since I have managed to secure another batch of the rare components to do a modest second run of OSC303's before the CCCP version goes into production.

So if you want to be sure of getting hold of an OSC303 drop me an email on info@dinsync.info to get on the waiting list and let me know if you want an OSC303 or a CCCP.

The next batch will hopefully be ready to ship within a month.

A big thank you to everyone who already bought one.

Paul

Citric Acid OSC303 jam

2011-02-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

Just got this from Citric Acid who received his OSC303 in the mail today, really nice to see (and hear) and I figured i'd share it here.

OSC303 starting to ship

2011-01-30T14:11:00.001-08:00

The first units are now shipping, if you are on the waiting list and you didn't receive a notification email you should be getting one within a few days (if not already). If you think you should already have one perhaps check your spam folder or feel free to drop me a line to check if you made it to the top of the list yet.

It'll be a few days until I've completed the list and yes again there are still some places available so you know what to do if you want one of this batch ;-)

The burn in test for the modules before calibration.

and here's whats going out the door this week.

OSC303 build well under way

2011-01-29T13:57:00.001-08:00

As you can see I'm on schedule for the planned February release of OSC303. Since this module is limited edition it will begin shipping next week for those already on the waiting/reminder list, the demand for which has been quite high. Once the list is completed I'll announce it for general release.

There are still places left so as mentioned in the previous post, if you want to get on the list just drop me an email if you want to be sure of getting one of this batch.

Getting closer

2011-01-25T15:04:00.001-08:00

The panels have arrived finally, here's a little teaser pic of the final design. The CCCP one is a future module that wont be released just yet. Basically CCCP is OSC303 built with alternative parts, it sounds just as good but obviously it's not as authentic.

Since OSC303 is a 1:1 clone of the TB-303 oscillator getting the correct parts is difficult, so essentially it will be a limited edition. When supplys start to run low CCCP will phase it out.

If you want to get on the reminder list drop me an email on info@dinsync.info and you'll get an email when one is available.

If all goes well the first units should begin shipping next week!

Another x0xb0x makeover

2011-01-18T08:21:00.000-08:00

Another x0xb0x arrived on my workbench. The machine wasn't functioning and the client wanted it repaired and fitted into an aluminium enclosure. Here's what it looked like pre-op.

The CPU was shot and there was various small problems. The builder of this machine had neglected to put a socket in for the CPU. So it was time to cut out the old one and put the new one in with a socket. I also started to replace the flying leads since Substyler kindly enclosed a set with the case kit.

If you look closely at the bottom of the power PCB you'll notice a few of the component legs hadn't been trimmed flush. Since there's not much room in the alu case these had to be trimmed.

I fitted rest of the flying leads to the power PCB.

And fitted the sockets to the main board and connected it all up.

Then it was a matter of installing the case, here's the end result.

And here's a small video of the machine in action post-op, along with a little TR-909 on the side.

A quick look at things to come

2011-01-05T03:06:00.000-08:00

Now you probably saw this post where I did a small demonstration of OSC303 and VCF303. Anyway I just received this picture from Pro-Modular who are making the panels for OSC303 so I thought I'd share it with you.

There will be a few subtle revisions but for the most part this is what the first dinsync.info eurorack module will look like.

This should be shipping at the start of next month, more details and specifications soon.

Synovatron DIY Eurorack prototyping kit - Follow Up

2010-12-31T07:26:00.000-08:00

As promised here's the follow up video to the Synovatron DIY kit post.

I used the kit to make a simple polarizing CV mixer. To make this all you need is the Synovatron kit, seven 100k resistors, a dual opamp (tl072/tl082/lm358 etc) and an spst switch.

The inputs are unbuffered but you could simply add a couple more opamps to buffer them if you wish.

click the picture to download a PDF of the schematic.

Buy Synovatron DIY Kits on ebay

Visit the Synovatron blog

Ok so this is the last post of the year, hope you have a great 2011

Cheers

Paul

Watch this TB-303 video very carefully

2010-12-28T15:57:00.000-08:00

It's worth watching until the end, it'll make more sense then.

Synovatron DIY Eurorack prototyping kit

2010-12-28T03:42:00.000-08:00

Hope you are all having a nice holiday. Here's a quick overview of the DIY kit#1 I just received for evaluation from Tony at Synovatron.

All in all its a great little tool for those of you that like to DIY your modulars, I'll be doing a follow up video at some point so keep your eyes on the blog to see what I make with this kit.

Here's the details of what you get with the kit,

Eurorack Modular Synth Prototyping Kit 1

This is one of the new Eurorack standard modular synth prototyping kits for synth constructors and enthusiasts; these kits will enable you to make neat prototype or one-off projects that accomodate bracketed pots, PCB mounted jacks, switches and LEDS so that they can be easily mounted to a module front panel. The idea is that you build your designs on the prototyping boards supplied and get the front panel manufactured separately, either by yourself, or by a company such as Schaeffer (A Schaeffer template file can be provided that you can use directly or can modify as you require). The PCB header and ribbon cable assembly is compatible with Doepfer power bus connectors and supports CV, Gate and +5V connections too.

This kit comprises the following components:-

* 1 x DIY1 prototyping circuit board (104.3mm x 47mm x 1.6mm) with dedicated pot, bracket, header and capacitor locations, power rail bussing and a 0.1" matrix breadboarding area
* 5 x control pots (50k linear supplied as standard but 10k linear, 100k linear, 1M logarithmic or a mixture are available upon request - ask about availability)
* 5 x pot mounting brackets
* 2 x 100nF decoupling capacitors
* 2 x 16-pin headers

* 1 x DIY2 prototyping circuit board (100mm x 20.3mm x 1.6mm) with dedicated jack socket and/or toggle switch locations and a 0.1" matrix breadboarding area
* 5 x 3.5mm jack sockets

* 1 x DIY1 to DIY2 linking ribbon cable assembly (16-pin IDC socket to 16-pin IDC transition, 75mm long)
* 1 x standard ribbon cable assembly (200mm long)

Buy Synovatron DIY Kits on ebay

Visit the Synovatron blog

TB-303 Button programming reference

2010-12-27T04:45:00.000-08:00

Came across this rather nice page by tinyloops that might be of interest to some of you, its a reference to programming the TB-303, here's a quick quote from the site.

"This "quick button reference" is meant to be exhaustive. This reference only makes sense reading after you have read the manual, especially pages 49-63 which explain about the beauty of mixing different step modes into one track. This reference does not cover that. I'm trying to give some insight on what buttons to press to achieve something in the process of programming the sequencer. The approach is an effort to bring some logic in the combination of workflow and button arrangement."

you can visit the site here

happy tweeking

Roland TB-303 Repairs and Midi kit fitting

2010-12-27T04:35:00.000-08:00

This rather sick TB-303 landed on the workbench.

The internals were in pretty bad shape,

the control knobs were shot and the client also wanted a midi kit fited.

New control pots installed,

and a Sequentix MIDIBass 303 Mark II was fitted.

x0xb0x make over

2010-12-09T02:07:00.000-08:00

Cast your mind back seven months and you may remember this post about some x0xb0x front panels by Substyler based on my "TB-x0x" custom x0xb0x.

Well now Substyler from x0xsh0p has made them into case kits which you can now purchase. The client for this job that arrived on my workbench bought one of these kits and asked that I fit it for him.

And so here we are with a couple of pictures of the unit before

Looking at the assembly instructions it was quite straight forward, some desoldering and drilling. Everything was going well until i noticed this,

The cable from the micro-controller to the I/O board was too short. The J7 cable was too short also so both had to be replaced, while not hard it does take quite a while to do.

After that was completed it was time to assemble the kit and drill out the selector knobs a little (these need to be done if the x0xb0x has the original greyhill encoders).

And so we have the finished unit.

Looks really nice don't you think? It's also nice to see that Substyler has taken my design to the next level. The kit was packaged together very nicely and the instructions were clear and concise.

Here's a video of the unit in action.

TR-606 Repairs

2010-11-28T09:38:00.000-08:00

This unit arrived in very poor shape. The case was loose, it would power on but it was impossible to write programs in.

This machine had originally been modified and worked on by a well known circuit bender in the USA, I'll mention no names. They had added individual outputs and a replacement switchboard and frankly done a terrible job of it.

The client had sent the machine back to them several times without any success and eventually decided to send it here.

After disassembling the unit it was apparent how bad a job had been done. Connectors held on by glue? this was not a good sign.

The inside of the case had a lot of battery leakage also.

So it was time for a bath,

and some loving care to restore the unit back to it's former glory. (well except for the purple LEDs of course)

Macbeth M3X Repairs

2010-11-22T09:23:00.000-08:00

Just a quick demonstration of a Macbeth M3X I just finished repairing.

Korg iMS-20 demo

2010-11-09T02:04:00.000-08:00

Well here's another iPad demo, again I know its not my normal thing but I thought this app would be interesting for you also. This was released today and is currently on sale at 50% of normal price.

What you get is a software MS-20, SQ-10, a drum machine and a mixer. I guess its comparable to the DS-10 on the Nintendo DS.

I've worked on many MS-20's but never owned one, I've literally only had the software for a few minutes before doing the demo, so it's really just a first look and I'm obviously a little lost with it.

One thing I did test (which I'm sure most of you would be interested in) is the filter. It self resonates as expected but it does sound a little stair cased. I suppose this is to be expected with software, though I honestly don't understand why there isn't some form of slew to combat this.

Still it's quite fun to mess around with and certainly one of those apps to play around with on long trips.

Moog Filtatron Demo

2010-10-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

I don't normally do iPad demos but i figured some of you might be interested in this app. It's the Moog Filtatron that was released yesterday.

In the demo I show using the internal oscillator and a couple of drum loops I recorded. There's also a line in option but you'd need something like the iRig to use that which I don't have.

It's a fun app but I'm not sure how much serious use it will get, still at $10 it's hardly a dent in the wallet.

Synth Drum Percussion

2010-10-12T14:29:00.001-07:00

The inspiration for this little jam came from the cool poly mode on the Mono/Poly. When it's set to poly mode and the arpeggiator is running each oscillator is triggered one after the other. Combine that with some x-mod and you can get some nice synth percussion.

I then added an SH-101 bass drum, an MC-202 snare (noise patched in from the SH-101) and additional percussion from the A-100 modular. The A-115-5 is used for the synth bell tones and I'm also using the A-106-1 with self oscillation for a few blips.

The modular was triggered from the TR-606, though this is only used for triggers and not any sounds. All the drums are synthesized.

All that was left was to add a bassline from the TB-303 and record a little jam.

I'm using touchOSC and osculator to control Logic.

Synth Repair Services

2010-09-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

Since I'm no longer part of Analog Sweden I'm offering my services for vintage synth repairs, if you had a repair done there over the past 20 months then you'll already know my work.

I'm offering very competitive rates and to get the ball rolling I will beat any competitors quote. So if you are in need of any kind of analog synth repair work drop me a line on info@dinsync.info and let me know what the problem is you are having. I'll get right back to you with my thoughts on what to do or how much it may cost to repair.

I've lots of experience with vintage gear, here's a list of just some of the machines I've worked on over the last 12 months

Arp 2600
Arp Odyssey MKI/MKII/MKIII
Jen SX-2000
Korg MS-10
Korg MS-20
Korg MS-50
Korg SQ-10
Korg 900ps
Korg Trident
Korg Polysix
Korg Monopoly
Moog Minimoog
Moog Memorymoog
Oberheim Four Voice/Eight Voice/SEM
Oberheim OBX
Oberheim OBXa
Roland Juno-106
Roland JX3P
Roland MC-202
Roland SH-101
Roland SH-2000
Roland System 100 - 101
Roland System 100 - 102
Roland TB-303
Roland TR-606
Roland TR-808
Roland TR-909
Roland VP-330
Sequential Circuits Pro One
Sequential Circuits Prophet 5
Sequential Circuits Prophet 2000
Sequential Circuits Prophet T8
Sequential Circuits Prophet VS
Yamaha CS-60
Yamaha CS-70

Roland SH-101 Modifications

2010-09-05T05:45:00.000-07:00

You can wire the LFO outputs direct from the rear of the LFO selection knob at these points. Wire the tip of the jack to the point in question and wire the sleeve of the jack to a convienient ground.

You can wire the oscillator outputs direct from the rear of the source mixer faders at these points. Wire the tip of the jack to the point in question and wire the sleeve of the jack to a convienient ground, with the VCF cutoff cv, add a 100k resistor in line to the tip of the jack. To wire up the triange output, simply wire the tip of the jack to pin 10 on the CEM3340 ic. (this is done exactly the same as it is for the MC202 vesrion of this mod, details here)

work in progress...

all done.

6th September UPDATE

I added this picture of my ground wire (red wire center of the pic.) As you can see theres a nice little ground symbol marked on the control board. I found this to be the best place to take ground from for this mod. Also your connection wires should be shielded wire, leave the ground floating at the pcb end (you'll see mine have some heat shrink tubing to insulate the shield from touching the board and connect the shield at the jack end, this will create nice little rf jackets for your "live" wires. If you don't use shielded wire you'll end up with some bleed through from the circuits.

DIY Eurorack Modules

2010-08-07T05:47:00.000-07:00

I hope you are having a nice summer holiday, anyway in my spare time I've made a few modules for my Eurorack. The inspiration for these came from a Quad Slew design from navs modular lab blog. In that article I came across a link to a DIY page by Doepfer which I hadn't seen before. There's plenty of simple projects there and so I set to work and ended up building a Quad Slew, a Dual Inverter, a CV Amplifier, an Audio Mixer and an expansion port for my A-137-2 Wave Multiplier II. And here's the result.

There's some discussion about the Quad Slew over on the Muff Wigglers Forum

Here's some pictures I took during the build.

The blind panels after drilling

All the hardware mounted (but not yet wired)

Wiring up the Mixer.

Side view of the Mixer, as you can see I glued the opamp to the back of a pot.

Wiring up the Quad Slew.

Wiring up the Dual Inverter / CV Amplifier.

Side view of the Dual Inverter / CV Amplifier, again the opamp is glued to a pot.

Here's what my modular looks like now with the new modules labeled and installed.

TR-606 and TR-808 pattern sheets

2010-07-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

After last weeks post DanG kindly made some more excellent pattern sheets. This time there's one for the TR-606 and two for the TR-808. The TR-808 ones are for 16 or 32 steps, so now you can backup all your patterns. Simply download the sheets and print them out.

TB-303 Pattern Sheet

2010-07-09T00:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a really nice pdf pattern sheet which I got from Dylab, you can download and print out. It has room for all your patch data so you can backup all your favorite basslines, very nice indeed.

Be sure to visit DyLab's blog for more TB-303 related topics.

The sheet was orignally designed by DanG who visits here and had this to add.

I designed those many years ago in Visio and gave them away to peff to distribute. I'm glad someone still finds them useful. :)

You can find the original posting along with a 4 pattern per page version at the bottom of peff's Synthesis Archive page here:

How to modify a Korg Monotron

2010-06-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

So here's how to modify Korg's new Monotron analog ribbon synthesizer. Perhaps this is the first document of Monotron mods in Europe since it still hasn't been released here.

It's actually a very easy machine to modify because for whatever reason Korg decided to label all the interesting points on the bottom side of the PCB. This may well have been for testing units at the factory/service centers. Perhaps though it could have been that the designers anticipated this little machine would be hacked, much like the Gakken which pretty obviously inspired this piece. Incidentally in the magazine that comes with the Gakken there's a picture of them showing it to Korg, that was in 2008, go figure.

Modification wise everything is simple enough except for the gate. Unfortunately the gate point affects the pitch somewhat. There's a few solutions, the first of which is to use a single pitch cv line into the gate socket. This will work but you wont be able to get really low notes which is less than useful.

After a little research I came across an idea to use a dtc114 transistor to trigger the gate (soldered at a different point). I tried this but didn't have much success. Also that method will result in the LFO not re-triggering which is bad since the LFO is the closest thing to an envelope on the machine.

By far the simplest solution is to use something like Silent Way by Expert Sleepers (see my previous video on this software) or Volta by Motu. After calibration there's no issues whatsoever and the monotron tracks over 5 octaves nicely.

Using an adjustable dc power supply is a good alternative to the batteries and is also useful in getting the Monotron to a decent tuning range, just don't dial in more than 3 volts. I built my power supply based on this schematic

If you intend to use both battery power and dc power you should include some diodes in your design.

And lets not forget the filter, the side of the packaging says "the legendary MS-20 filter" while this is true design wise it would probably be more accurate to say the MS-10 filter since it's only low pass and the MS-20 has low and high pass filters. How does the filter sound? actually very good! I've repaired some MS units and the Monotron really does have some DNA from the MS series, even down to the small noise hiss when the resonance is high but not yet self oscillating.

A couple of things I noticed about the filter input, if you drive the input signal too hard the resonance almost disappears, so be sure not to overdrive it too much if you want the full character of the filter. Also the input jack is stereo which means if you use a Y cable you can run two signals into the filter comfortably. I tested to see if the left side input leaked to the right input and it doesn't at all, which means it really is a true stereo input to the filter which is very nice.

As for the output, even though it's a mono output via a stereo jack the manual states that you shouldn't use a mono jack on the stereo output, so it's probably best to use a stereo jack plug but leaving the ring floating to get a mono signal into your daw/mixer. The output is a little noisy due to the fact that its really a headphone out and the output level is a little low so you will probably want to use a noise gate to remove the noise floor when it's not playing. (this is the same with the Gakken)

That's about it, here's the diagrams for modding, as you can see it's very simple indeed and should be no problem for anyone with soldering skills.

The Monotron should be available to buy in Europe from around the 30th of June for around 50-60 euros.

Gakken SX-150 Modifications

2010-06-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

Here's what's got to be one of the best bargain analog synthesizers out there. It's the Gakken SX-150, a stylophone styled analog that can be found on ebay for $40. The machine has to be assembled, but there's no soldering involved. It's just a matter of putting the PCB in the case and connecting the power line, pretty simple stuff really. It's very much a gimmick but since it really is a true analog it's fairly easy to modify it into something useful.

So here's what I added, for reference I'm looking at the board with the PCB text that reads "hechenggi" in the bottom left.

CV/Gate in:

This one is really simple since the cv is tied to the gate, so you only need to wire in a jack and wire the tip to the south side of R7 and the sleeve to ground.

LFO Inputs and Outputs:

Again very simple, you can tap the LFO outputs from the waveform selection switch, to add an LFO input you need to cut the trace between the waveform switch and the south side of R17. You can then add a toggle switch between these points and wire a jack to one side. You will have to add a resistor to ground for the floating side since as soon as the trace is open the tuning changes. With clever use of a two way toggle you can make it so that the internal LFO is disabled when the switch is up and the resistor is tied to ground only when the internal LFO is off.

Disable Pitch Env:

I did this purely for stability, since sometimes the pitch env is still active a little even when the knob was fully off. You need to cut the trace between the south side of R13 and the north pin of the pitch env pot. You can then wire your toggle between these points. Again you'll need a resistor to ground to keep the tuning correct when the pitch env is disabled. Make sure that the resistor to ground isn't connected when the Pitch Env is enabled or you'll loose most of the range on the Pitch Env pot. Exact resistor sizes for this mod and the previous one will vary depending on your power supply settings and control voltage so it's probably best to get a guitar tuner or something similar and try what sizes work best.

Resonance feedback knob:

Fairly simple, wire a 10k pot (as a variable resistor) to either side of R39. If you want to place the pot where I placed mine you will have to remove the power jack and move a capacitor. I extended the legs of the cap as you can see in the following pictures.

Cutoff range adjustment:

I placed a resistor between the north and west pins of the cutoff pot since as stock the cutoff knob only worked for the last 30% of travel. The resistor helped to fix this, again you'll have to experiment with sizes here (if you need to do this). Start with a large resistor and work down until you find a suitable size.

Adjustable power supply:

You can find details on how to make one here, I just made two in one. I would recommend using precision trim pots so you can fine tune the voltage (don't go over 6v though)

Here's the schematic which is a little simplified but could be useful.

DIY 8 Step Sequencer - Updated

2010-06-13T04:51:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd show you the new version of my DIY sequencer. In the last video I had it mounted in the modular on an old CD cover. This was taking up about 24HP so i decided to shrink it down to 16HP. I had to use two doepfer 8HP blind panels since unfortunately they don't sell 16HP ones.

I put the LED's into a nice new arrangement and added last step switches inpsired by the video response to the last video by Synthetik. I didn't have double throw switches, so I had to use single throw. So at the moment it doesn't work without the pitch knobs being at maximum. I'll add some double throw in the future to fix that and add the ability to remove the step from the sequence. I'll also add a clock trigger circuit so that I can drive it from the modular clock.

Of course I'll post a video with schematics for that once it's done, which will probably be the last work I do on this particular project.

All in all I think it looks a lot better now and is much more sturdy compared to the original CD case panel.

How to use tap mode on a Roland MC-202, TB-303 and TR-606

2010-05-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

Since I've had a few requests about tap mode I figured I'd make a video showing how to do this on the MC-202, TB-303 and TR-606. All in all it's quite simple to do as you can see. If you are wondering about the weird hand directions when I'm working on the 606 it's because of the camera tripod in the way ;-)

Motu Voltages and cable chart

2010-05-16T03:40:00.000-07:00

I came across this chart of voltages and cables which should prove useful to those people with MOTU interfaces that want to use silent way.

Using Silent Way

2010-05-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

I just bought these excellent plugins so I figured I'd make a quick demonstration of some of the features. The software includes many different plugins that are useful to anyone with modular gear and an audio interface that is DC coupled.

Full details of the software package are here

There's also a list of supported interfaces here.

The whole package is simply put, awesome. However one thing to consider is that while the plugins themselves don't have any latency they do use the audio outputs to create the control voltages. What this means is that the control voltage will be delayed by the size of your audio buffer. If you have a host that has plugin delay compensation then you can use the latency fixer tool available free at the Expert Sleepers website which allows you to delay any track by any amount you wish.

Using the latency fixer I was able to get comparable results with the voice controller to my hardware midi to cv interfaces. You can download a time limited demo of Silent Way here

All in all a great package and priced at $50 it's also excellent value.

New topics added.

2010-05-14T01:17:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the header above I've added the line "Also featuring eurorack modular synthesis and DIY projects." I figured that it could be nice to officially include that since from last weeks post I can see many of you are interested in modulars and DIY projects.

The old "MODS" tag has been replaced by "DIY" and a new tag "Modular" has been added.

So expect more of the same in the coming weeks.

DIY 8 Step Sequencer

2010-05-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

If you've done the MC-202 mods then this could be a nice addition to your setup. The sequencer is very cheap and easy to build, it's based on the "baby 10". I did a few modifications and plan on making more in the future along with a proper front panel for my modular (right now I used an old cd cover).

I think the total cost of the project is around £10-15 pounds, the main cost being the potentiometers. The mods I did to mine are a 4 step switch,a reset button and output attenuation (it was outputting 12 volts which is a bit hot for my gear). There's scope to add switches to disable steps or output the clock pulses, you could even add a mutli switch to set the last step or set ranges on the output. The scope is only limited by your imagination.

Here's the original article that was inspiration for this project.

And some useful links

electro-music
fonik
audiomidi

New TB-x0x panels based on my original design

2010-05-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

I'm sure some of you have already seen my custom TB-x0x overlay for my x0xb0x. I made a couple of these with the help of Jeff at Custom Synth. Here's a picture for those that haven't seen them.

The old panel

As you can see the design is based on the TB-303. Now while it looks very nice there's a few problems with it. First its an overlay, which means you have to stick it on your existing panel. Also the overlays weren't 100% perfect when it came to alignment, if you look closely you can see some of the original panel around some of the holes. Finally since its printed onto vinyl the text isn't as sharp as I'd like it to be.

The overall effect is nice, but it could be better. However there is now a silkscreened version thanks to x0xsh0p. Recently Substyler who runs x0xsh0p approached me and asked permission to reproduce my design. In the spirit of the x0xb0x (open source) I of course agreed and I also helped him out with a few photos of my TB-303 to make the logo a little more accurate. Once they were complete he very kindly sent me one free (thanks man!!) and I've just installed it. Here's a picture of the new panel.

The new panel

At first glance of the pictures they look almost the same, but with close inspection you'll see the new panel is silver anodized with a nice black silkscreen. It fits perfect and the text is sharp and clear. And with the new more accurate logos it really takes the old design to a new level. Substyler did a really great job on these and I hear there will also be black versions in the future. So if you are interested in getting one of these or perhaps some other x0xb0x related items drop by Substylers webshop. He has all sorts of x0x stuff in stock including everything you need to build your very own x0xb0x.

Transistorize the World!

How to program a Roland MC-202

2010-04-23T05:31:00.000-07:00

This time I'm showing you how to program a Roland MC-202. The tutorial only covers the most basic features but should be enough to get anyone struggling to a good start. In the future I'll do a follow up video showing some of the more advanced features.

Suggestions?

2010-04-22T23:59:00.000-07:00

If there's something you think I missed or if there's something you want to know more about then leave a comment to this post. I'll do my best to cover what you ask in future posts.

So far from the comments of previous postings I plan to do these videos in the future (not in any particular order)

Advanced track programming on the TB-303
Advanced track programming on the TR-606
Tap mode on the MC-202
Information on my hackintosh
Information on my modular
Follow up to the x0xb0x vs TB-303

So if you want to suggest soemthing else then this is the place to leave your suggestions ;-)

New High Quality versions of all the Service Manuals

2010-04-18T13:21:00.000-07:00

Gaetano from the x0xb0x forums kindly sent me high quality versions of all the service manuals.

You can download them here

SH-101
MC-202
TB-303
TR-606
TR-808
TR-909

These really are great quality, also the TB-303 includes two extra pages of errata which I hadn't seen before.

A quick jam on the Roland TB-303, TR-606, TR-808 and TR-909

2010-04-17T06:26:00.000-07:00

Just a bit of fun (we all need some fun sometimes huh). Here's a live jam featuring the Roland TB-303, TR-606. TR-808 and TR-909. Recorded in to Logic 9.

How to program a Roland TR-606

2010-04-09T04:41:00.000-07:00

This time I'm showing how simple programming a Roland TR-606 is. I show how to write patterns, edit them and set their length. I also show how to write them into tracks.

How to program tracks on a Roland TB-303

2010-04-03T04:25:00.000-07:00

I hope you are having a nice easter. I am, except for the slight cold I have. So appologies if I sound a bit snotty ;-) Anyway this has been requested a few times so here's how to program tracks on a TB-303. It's a relatively simple operation when you know how.

Making drum sounds with an SH-101 and MC-202

2010-03-26T07:34:00.000-07:00

Making drum sounds with an SH-101 and MC-202 with a little help of a TR-606. So I finally have my studio rebuilt and so I'm able once again to make videos. This time I'm showing how to use the SH-101 and MC-202 as percussion instruments. In the example I'm using a TR-606 to send triggers but you could use any trigger source to do this. If you don't have external triggers you could use the machines internal sequencers to trigger the sounds.

A Brief Intermission

2010-03-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

There's going to be a short pause with the videos, the reason for this is that my studio is in a transitional stage. I just built a hackintosh and my old audio interface isn't working with it. A new one has been ordered but it hasn't arrived yet. Hopefully it will arrive sometime next week.

I guess this is a chance for me to reflect on what I'm going to do with the blog in the future. I may add some content related to some of the other machines in my studio since there's only so much I can show on the x0x stuff. We shall see, of course the empasis will still be on the x0x stuff but I think it might not be a bad idea to broaden the horizons a little from time to time. I may well start by adding more stuff about the modular, since thats one of my other passions.

Anyway, things will be moving again very soon so stay tuned.

Adding proper CV/Gate inputs to a Roland MC-202

2010-03-06T02:22:00.001-08:00

For the final MC-202 modification in my little series, here's how to add proper cv/gate inputs. In the video I highlight the differences between the internal inputs (which are quantised by the cpu) and the modification.

This mod requires cutting traces, so a little extra care is needed. Be extra careful when working on the gate part since there's not much to solder to around the CPU. You'll have to scrape off some of the mask on the traces and wire direct to them. Take your time on this and be sure you have done it correctly before applying power to the machine.

A close up look at the Roland TR-808

2010-03-05T05:39:00.000-08:00

Here's a two part video looking at the TR-808 features and programming. This is one of my favorite machines, with its pure analog tones and deep bass drum boom.

How to add raw oscillator outputs to a Roland MC-202 and what you can do with them.

2010-02-27T07:30:00.000-08:00

This week I show how to add more oscillator outputs to your MC-202. These include, Square, Saw and Sub Osc. I also show the possibilites of this and the previous mods with and without an external modular.

A close up look at the Roland SH-101

2010-02-20T13:04:00.000-08:00

Here's a close up look at the Roland SH-101, it's features and how to program it's internal sequencer. I also show how I use it with my Roland TR-606 and Doepfer A100 modular synthesizer.

How to add CV outputs for LFO Sine/Triangle and Envelope Generator on a Roland MC-202

2010-02-20T06:09:00.000-08:00

This time I show how to add some more CV outputs to a Roland MC-202. It's relatively simple, all you need is three 3.5mm jacks and some shielded wire. Schematics are below.

A close up look at the TR-909

2010-02-19T16:25:00.000-08:00

Here's a two part video showing many of the features of the TR-909, including some information on the various serial number revisions. How to copy and paste patterns and also how to use it as a midi sequencer to trigger an external midi instrument. The diode mentioned that should be replaced in early versions is D701 which should be changed to a 5.6v zenner for stable operation. More details of this can be found in the service notes

The mystery deepens

2010-02-15T12:35:00.000-08:00

It's common knowledge that Roland used different transistors in the production run of TB-303's. But the general consensus was that the transistors in question were 2SC536 and 2SC945, but today I came across this image on the x0xb0x forums posted up by Ripe909 of Social Entropy fame. Here's what he said.

"Just to add to this, I have an original 303 with a different part used: C1685" ... "the solder joints look original and the same part is used throughout the machine."

This is very intriguing indeed.

Adding CV inputs to a Roland MC-202 and what you can do with them.

2010-02-14T09:27:00.000-08:00

Here's a follow up video to the one I posted last week. This time I'll show you how to add two CV inputs, one for VCF Frequency control and the other for PWM amount. You can use these with external modulation sources. If you don't have any modulation sources then don't worry, I also show how you can use the second channel in the MC-202 as a time synced LFO.

Here's the schematics for the mods.

Bath time

2010-02-14T03:53:00.000-08:00

So the modified TR-606 is on it's way to a new home, I ended up doing a straight swap for a working 606 and a non working one with some serious gating problems. Both units appear to have been victims of some slight battery leakage at some point, so it was time to give the working unit a bath.

The Definitive Roland TB-303 vs Adafruit x0xb0x shootout

2010-02-13T13:06:00.000-08:00

I hope you have your flame resistant suits on because here we have it, the definitive Roland TB-303 vs Adafruit x0xb0x shootout.

Is there a difference? yes.

Is it really noticable? no.

To be quite frank, if the x0xb0x is built well with the right components then the differences are subtle. In my ears it's something to do with the resonance, the 303 seems to be a little more squelchy and dare I say it a bit warmer, with a little more groove. The x0xb0x gets 99% of the way there and overall feels a little more stiff.

But don't take my word for it, check out the video, decide for yourself and leave a comment with your opinion. But don't forget, no two 303's sound exactly the same, so stands to reason my 303 will sound different to my x0xb0x.

Perhaps this will end the debate?

unlikely...

Let the flames begin.

TB-303 reference recordings for x0xb0x builders

2010-02-12T03:44:00.000-08:00

When I built my first x0xb0x I didn't have the tb-303, and what I really missed was a set of recordings I could use to reference my build.

So now that I have a 303 I thought it might be a nice idea to record some knob positions so that any future builders or current x0xb0x owners could use these as reference when tweaking the internals in order to get a more faithful sound.

So here you have it, a large collection of knob positions so you can reference to your hearts content. Some of the recordings are a little quiet. This was done on purpose, since I didn't want to adjust levels between non accented and accented sounds. So you get the full dymanic range from soft to loud. You can always normalise the files if you need them louder.

DOWNLOAD 73mb

Here's a chart showing the knob positions for the sets.

Each position has 4 notes to it and the notes are all C, thats the low C on the keypad without any transpose shifts.

Each set has 16 notes recorded. So on the chart position 1 relates to notes 1-4, position 2 to notes 5-8, position 3 to notes 9-12 and position 4 to notes 13-16.

For example:

position 1:
1st note: C unaccented saw
2nd note: C accented saw
3rd note: C unaccented square
4th note: C accented sqaure

position2:
5tht note: C unaccented saw
6th note: C accented saw
7th note: C unaccented square
8thnote: C accented sqaure

position3:
9th note: C unaccented saw
10th note: C accented saw
11th note: C unaccented square
12th note: C accented sqaure

position4:
13th note: C unaccented saw
14th note: C accented saw
15th note: C unaccented square
16th note: C accented sqaure

so the 12th note (position 3) heard in SET-A1 would be an accented square with these knob positions,

CUTOFF: 75%
RESONANCE: 0%
ENV MOD: 0%
DECAY: 0%
ACCENT: 0%

All the knob positions are aproximate (hey these are analog knobs not digital after all).

SET-A1.wav

position 1 25% 0% 0% 0% 0%
position 2 50% 0% 0% 0% 0%
position 3 75% 0% 0% 0% 0%
position 4 100% 0% 0% 0% 0%

SET-A2.wav

position 1 0% 25% 0% 0% 0%
position 2 0% 50% 0% 0% 0%
position 3 0% 75% 0% 0% 0%
position 4 0% 100% 0% 0% 0%

SET-A3.wav

position 1 0% 0% 25% 0% 0%
position 2 0% 0% 50% 0% 0%
position 3 0% 0% 75% 0% 0%
position 4 0% 0% 100% 0% 0%

SET-A4.wav

position 1 0% 0% 0% 25% 0%
position 2 0% 0% 0% 50% 0%
position 3 0% 0% 0% 75% 0%
position 4 0% 0% 0% 100% 0%

SET-A5.wav

position 1 0% 0% 0% 0% 25%
position 2 0% 0% 0% 0% 50%
position 3 0% 0% 0% 0% 75%
position 4 0% 0% 0% 0% 100%

SET-B1.wav

position 1 25% 25% 25% 25% 25%
position 2 50% 25% 25% 25% 25%
position 3 75% 25% 25% 25% 25%
position 4 100% 25% 25% 25% 25%

SET-B2.wav

position 1 25% 25% 25% 25% 25%
position 2 25% 50% 25% 25% 25%
position 3 25% 75% 25% 25% 25%
position 4 25% 100% 25% 25% 25%

SET-B3.wav

position 1 25% 25% 25% 25% 25%
position 2 25% 25% 50% 25% 25%
position 3 25% 25% 75% 25% 25%
position 4 25% 25% 100% 25% 25%

SET-B4.wav

position 1 25% 25% 25% 25% 25%
position 2 25% 25% 25% 50% 25%
position 3 25% 25% 25% 75% 25%
position 4 25% 25% 25% 100% 25%

SET-B5.wav

position 1 25% 25% 25% 25% 25%
position 2 25% 25% 25% 25% 50%
position 3 25% 25% 25% 25% 75%
position 4 25% 25% 25% 25% 100%

SET-C1.wav

position 1 25% 50% 50% 50% 50%
position 2 50% 50% 50% 50% 50%
position 3 75% 50% 50% 50% 50%
position 4 100% 50% 50% 50% 50%

SET-C2.wav

position 1 50% 25% 50% 50% 50%
position 2 50% 50% 50% 50% 50%
position 3 50% 75% 50% 50% 50%
position 4 50% 100% 50% 50% 50%

SET-C3.wav

position 1 50% 50% 25% 50% 50%
position 2 50% 50% 50% 50% 50%
position 3 50% 50% 75% 50% 50%
position 4 50% 50% 100% 50% 50%

SET-C4.wav

position 1 50% 50% 50% 25% 50%
position 2 50% 50% 50% 50% 50%
position 3 50% 50% 50% 75% 50%
position 4 50% 50% 50% 100% 50%

SET-C5.wav

position 1 50% 50% 50% 50% 25%
position 2 50% 50% 50% 50% 50%
position 3 50% 50% 50% 50% 75%
position 4 50% 50% 50% 50% 100%

SET-D1.wav

position 1 25% 75% 75% 75% 75%
position 2 50% 75% 75% 75% 75%
position 3 75% 75% 75% 75% 75%
position 4 100% 75% 75% 75% 75%

SET-D2.wav

position 1 75% 25% 75% 75% 75%
position 2 75% 50% 75% 75% 75%
position 3 75% 75% 75% 75% 75%
position 4 75% 100% 75% 75% 75%

SET-D3.wav

position 1 75% 75% 25% 75% 75%
position 2 75% 75% 50% 75% 75%
position 3 75% 75% 75% 75% 75%
position 4 75% 75% 100% 75% 75%

SET-D4.wav

position 1 75% 75% 75% 25% 75%
position 2 75% 75% 75% 50% 75%
position 3 75% 75% 75% 75% 75%
position 4 75% 75% 75% 100% 75%

SET-D5.wav

position 1 75% 75% 75% 75% 25%
position 2 75% 75% 75% 75% 50%
position 3 75% 75% 75% 75% 75%
position 4 75% 75% 75% 75% 100%

SET-E1.wav

position 1 25% 100% 100% 100% 100%
position 2 50% 100% 100% 100% 100%
position 3 75% 100% 100% 100% 100%
position 4 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

SET-E2.wav

position 1 100% 25% 100% 100% 100%
position 2 100% 50% 100% 100% 100%
position 3 100% 75% 100% 100% 100%
position 4 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

SET-E3.wav

position 1 100% 100% 25% 100% 100%
position 2 100% 100% 50% 100% 100%
position 3 100% 100% 75% 100% 100%
position 4 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

SET-E4.wav

position 1 100% 100% 100% 25% 100%
position 2 100% 100% 100% 50% 100%
position 3 100% 100% 100% 75% 100%
position 4 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

SET-E5.wav

position 1 100% 100% 100% 100% 25%
position 2 100% 100% 100% 100% 50%
position 3 100% 100% 100% 100% 75%
position 4 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

Invasion of the 606's

2010-02-10T13:16:00.000-08:00

Doing a mod for a friend, suddenly I'm surrounded by 606's, if only they were all 303's ;-)

Demonstration of my highly modifed Roland TR-606

2010-02-07T07:35:00.000-08:00

Here's a close up look at the mods I did for my Roland TR-606.

Roland MC-202 Triangle Output Modification

2010-02-06T12:25:00.000-08:00

How to tap into an extra waveform on the Roland MC-202 and what you can do with it once you've done so.

Comfortable?

2010-02-06T04:33:00.001-08:00

My cat Mitzi last weekend. She decided she wanted to use the 606 as a pillow.

How to copy and paste patterns on a Roland TB-303

2010-02-05T11:01:00.000-08:00

A tutorial video on how to copy and paste patterns on a Roland TB-303. This isn't a documented feature, rather its a "bug" of sorts

Roland TR-909 Service Manual

2010-02-05T04:29:00.001-08:00

Here's the service notes for the Roland TR-909. To download the pdf just click the image above. The scan quality of the pdf isn't the best, if someone has a better quality version please get in touch so I can post it up here.

Roland TR-808 Service Manual

2010-02-05T04:26:00.001-08:00

Here's the service notes for the Roland TR-808

Roland TR-606 Service Manual

2010-02-05T04:22:00.000-08:00

Here's the service notes for the Roland TR-606, this one is a really nice scanned version provided by Steven at Pilfer Music.

Roland TB-303 Service Manual

2010-02-05T04:21:00.000-08:00

Here's the service notes for the Roland TB-303. To download the pdf just click the image above. The scan quality of the pdf isn't the best, if someone has a better quality version please get in touch so I can post it up here.

Roland MC-202 Service Manual

2010-02-05T04:18:00.000-08:00

Here's the service notes for the Roland MC-202. To download the pdf just click the image above. The scan quality of the pdf isn't the best, if someone has a better quality version please get in touch so I can post it up here.

Roland SH-101 Service Manual

2010-02-05T04:16:00.000-08:00

Here's the service notes for the Roland SH-101. To download the pdf just click the image above.
edit: a new decent quality version has been added thanks to tmacbeth.

Rolands Random Adventures in D# Minor part 3

2010-02-05T02:24:00.001-08:00

Live acid written completely on the fly. Using an SH-101, MC-202, TB-303, TR-606 and TR-909. Just a bit of fun.

The MC-202 runs the show as Roland originally intended. The TR-606 is silent but controlling the SH-101 filter with triggers.

Sorry about the 303 being a tad too loud, i added a tube pre-amp and forgot to adjust the level, whoops :-O

Everything is random including the camera angle :-)

Rolands Random Adventures in D# Minor part 2

2010-02-05T02:23:00.003-08:00

Live acid written completely on the fly. Using an SH-101, MC-202, TB-303, TR-606 and TR-909. Just a bit of fun.

The MC-202 runs the show as Roland originally intended. The TR-606 is silent but controlling the SH-101 filter with triggers.

Everything is random including the camera angle :-)

Rolands Random Adventures in D# Minor part 1

2010-02-05T02:23:00.001-08:00

Live acid written completely on the fly. Using an SH-101, MC-202, TB-303, TR-606 and TR-909. Just a bit of fun.

The MC-202 runs the show as Roland originally intended. The TR-606 is silent but controlling the SH-101 filter with triggers.

Everything is random including the camera angle :-)

"Acid Tracks" in 5 mins

2010-02-04T15:00:00.003-08:00

A quick cover of Phuture's Acid Tracks. The original was around 120bpm and used a TR-707 . This quick cover is at 138bpm uses a highly modifed TR-606. I think my pattern is close but possibly missing an accent ;-)

Vintage Roland Acid Jam

2010-02-04T15:00:00.001-08:00

Nothing too serious at all, just some fun with the old ladies ;-)

Roland TB-303

2010-02-04T14:59:00.003-08:00

A quick demonstration of my Roland TB-303. Distortion is a Paia tube head fitted with Electro Harmonix 12AX7 tubes.

Roland TB-303... no not really, Adafruit x0xb0x 733, power supply tweaked and custom TB-x0x overlay

2010-02-04T14:59:00.001-08:00

A quick demo of one of my custom x0xb0x's. Distortion is a Paia Tubehead with Electro Harmonix 12Xa7 tubes.

Roland TR-808

2010-02-04T14:58:00.003-08:00

A quick demo of my Roland TR-808

Roland TR-909

2010-02-04T14:58:00.001-08:00

A quick demo of my Roland TR-909

Modified Roland MC-202

2010-02-04T14:57:00.003-08:00

Another quick demo of my modifed MC-202, here i just enter a pattern and bulld the patch from scratch. Also using my Doepfer A-100 system and my highly modifed TR-606. The Camera shots could have been better :-P

Roland MC-202 Semi Modular Mod

2010-02-04T14:57:00.001-08:00

A quick demonstration drone from my latest project. A semi modular modification for my Roland MC-202. The mod includes CV inputs for pitch/gate (bypassing the internal sequencer) VCF frequency and pulsewidth. CV outputs for LFO sine, LFO triangle and adsr ENV. Raw oscillator outputs for Square, Saw, Triangle, Sub mix (whatever the sub switch is set to) and all three Sub types. Audio input to VCF and VCA.

The drone patch is made by outputting the raw square and saw into a Doepfer A-106-1 Extreme filter, cv and gate outs from the MC-202 also trigger an A-111-5 Mini Synth module (A-100 Module version of Doepfers new desktop synth Dark Energy). Two LFO's (one inverted) are modulating the A-106-1 .The MC-202 LFO is modulating pulsewidth on the A-111-5. The A-106-1 outputs to the MC-202 VCF input, whch then goes into a stereo delay. I think thats all..i may have missed something ;-)

What's that sound?

2010-02-04T14:56:00.003-08:00

A TB-303 video with a difference, the beats were programmed in "tap" mode on the fly.

2Cv - What is Art (one hand one loop mix)

2010-02-04T14:56:00.001-08:00

Just a little acid jam with the boxes, sorry about the bad camera.

"No Way Back" in 5 mins

2010-02-04T14:55:00.003-08:00

Quick cover of Addonis's classic chicago house tune "No Way Back". Done with a x0xb0x and a Roland TR-808. I pushed the tempo up a little bit.

Sorry about the video/sound quality, i used my mobile phone.