More panel designs

Under 4weeks to go for Uni.
Stress extreme
Mountain of work to do extreme
health poor, infact doctor told me i either have bacterial tonsilitus or glandular tho im trying to fight it and pretend i'm in health

anyway, before everything go so critical i worked on some more designs, here they are

Utility LFO and Dual Woggle w/ Ringmod additions


these still have my photoshop componetns on top unlike the others.
i'm a little unsure of the woggle design yet. it goes against my functional density ideas. I've never liked the serge style of packing the whole panel full. So i might push it out to 4U and give the knobs some more interface structure.

Next up is my cgs vco, which i am trying to fit into a dual panel. Ive worked on it a little and am starting to think that i'll use the bridechamber waveshaping design as an inspiration. Make the unit 4 or 5 U wide but fit 2 vcos in with a waveshape joining switch matrix like on the Utility LFO and perhaps some nice FM joining mods like on the buchla 259 vco.

Also coming is my dual ps3100 resonator which i have had some interesting throughs of combining into a stereo ps3100 with vc panning that is independant control or switched to one of the resonator cv inputs. I'll go into this a litte more later.

With a short time to go until School is over I am really looking forward to getting my design templates down so i can start building my modular. I am really excited about this new design concept i am heading towards, most modules are dual, designing the interfaces first then implementing the circuits to fit, all into a cool format that is totally unique.


quick addition
dual CGS VCO
still to add the interaction switches like fm and sync and waveshape join

Galv Etching

SDIY is such a painful yet rewarding task. I am a bit of a gluton for punishment in anything that i percieve to be interesting, usually these types of ventures incorporate a level of technical skill that i don't have and have to learn, and somewhere through the process i find something within that i can tailor with my medoicre design skills. SDIY fits into this task perfectly. Initally i had very small idea of how electronics systems worked, today my knowledge is growing larger by the day almost to the point i think i could work as a backup tech at some little electronics shop, not bad for a year or two troubleshooting problems in my rig eh. Electronics has been a big wall to jump however i think it has been beneficial in other fascits of my life, prior to this my logical attention span was minimal, which is not very good when your university degress is effectively in maths haha. So now the inner hack-designer is working on trying to make all these new electornics toys look awesome. So now i have found another task to punish myself with, and this is galvanised etching.

Basically what im going to do is etch an alluminium sheet of specific size. The etchings will be off my synth module faceplate designs. Most etching processes involve an acid that break down any exposed surfaces. Wherever there is contact, as long as you have the appropriate acid for the metal, the acid will pull metal ions from the metal via the chemical interaction. Galv etching works in a similar fassion but with no acid. This is a good thing as i have been using ferric chloride to etch circuit boards and the first time i did it i made myself really sick for about 3 days. That shit it noxious, and not only is it dangerous, it turns everything yellow, and i mean everything. Royal pain in the ass. So with galv etching instead of an acid all we do is breakdown the ions with electronic charge. Easy. You place your plates in a water and sulphide mix, most commonly salt or a sulphide mix with a chemical relationship to your metal. You chuck the annode and cathode from a low powered PSU on either side and the charge of your sollution will have the same chemical breakdown process as with acid however only at the point of contact.
Genius. So im going to give this a go once i have finished my exams.

More info on glav etching here
http://www.greenart.info/galvetch/advan.htm
( i wasnt really specific on the details here so if you are reading thing and are keen, dont use my vague directions goto this source)

The cool thing about this is now i can use exotic metals for my faceplates and be able to have all the decals. Previously i was using rusty steel and it looked great however the only way i could mark it was with a sharpie and it just became to ghetto for me, and that is saying something.

So now while i wait for school to be finished im redesigning all of my faceplates. This is fun. Here are my first 2. Klee Sequencer and Buchla 281c.

More to come.
While re-mounting the Klee onto a new faceplate is going to be a taks and a half, i am glad i got to redesign the panel. After using it over the last few weeks i have realised that a few things on my last panel were a bit skewiff.

Oh yeah 20 more days till i present my thesis. Scary.

New Mix

Just threw some tunes together yesterday while drinking a whole lot of beer/ yay beer.
Rolls through some deep territory on the dub techno, detroit and chi flavours.

There are a few questionable parts but i think it flows pretty well and worth sharing.
I seem to always be able to nit pick through my mixes, but am too lazy to re-record anything.
Have you tried sitting there re-playing a set till it is perfect, it sucks. Never even bother is my moto.
Anyways, i like it, hope you will too.

Here is the list

Normon Nodge 3.0 MDR
T++ Space Pong Erosion
Add Noise Handwerk 3 Handwerk
James t Cotton Dont Even Try It (The Beat) Spectral
Redshape Steam Delsin
James T Cotton Got to let you know Spectral
Mike Dunn So Let it be House Clone
Tin Man Falling Acid Keys of Life
Quietpoint Caffeen Awakining Pastamusic
Aril Brikha Way Back (Groove la Chord shuffle mix) Fragile
Hieroglyphic Being Linux Klang
James T Cotton The Boxx Spectral


Link

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NWRULLST

Autechre Playlist

breaking my no posting rule already, nice! lasted a good 20 seconds. shows the level of restraint i have. haha

i listen to a LOT of autechre, i find that it helps me zone into a good studying evironment. I guess most of the artists i listen to these days is all about soothing the studying mode, ie Vladislav Delay, Tim Hecker, Fennesz, Murcof etc.etc.etc.etc. I find though with AE that i need to streamline as it can make me somewhat tense and while roaming univercity with AE on all the time in my ipod, sometimes i roll out of some tense AE moment only to converse with a lecturor and it just completely spaces me out or i get wild mood swings during the conversation. haha sounds ridiculous but it happens.

So i have been constructing a playlist of AE genius, trying to structure the sounds so they flow in a way there is a balance amoungst the chaos. Here it is so far:

If anyone actually reads this (sif), and wants to contribute to the list please do.

Surripere Autechre Draft 7.30
Psi-Onyx (Psix Million Dollar Myx Oscar Goldmans Bonus By Autechre) Beaumont Hannant Psi-Onyx
Second Peng Autechre Anvil Vapre EP
Laughing Quarter Autechre Envane EP
Clipper Autechre Tri Repetae
Cipater Autechre Chiastic Slide
Latent Quarter Autechre Envane EP
Rotar Autechre Tri Repetae
Acroyear2 Autechre LP5
6IE.CR Autechre Draft 7.30
Gantz Graf Autechre Gantz Graf EP
Tewe Autechre Chiastic Slide
Pen Expers Autechre Confield
Cichli Autechre Chiastic Slide
Sublimit Autechre Untilted
Theme of Sudden Roundabout Autechre Draft 7.30
Arch Carrier Autechre LP5

2 months till my degree is over

I wont be making any more posts over the next 2 months, need to focus on my thesis and some other class projects that seem to have been squashed into the last portion of the year. sigh. I was so organised with everything and had projects rolling from the beginning and yet fate decides that working at the 11th hour to finish everything is the only way to go. Guess it shows that you should never get too far ahead of yourself, as no matter what happens the end will be a stress and you could have partaken in some more entertaining procrastination activities like partying with my friends.

So two months, and by that time ill have all my 808 components and case, and also have the pcbs for 808's partner in crime (mb828, consisting of sds3 boards and TH mps and some other bits :) ) I just need to etch the midibox sequencer boards from the ucapps site.

I finished the xoxbox for my friend rich last week. They really so sound awesome. I think the only real difference between then is the xoxbox controls are a lot easier to tweak than the 303 and therefore you can really feel that it is different. I thought this on my first play, but then once recorded it is pretty much spot on 303cid. Good stuff. I can't wait to build mine. I put my name down for the bcbox IO mods too. hehe

The next modules to be completed are the Buchla clones - LPG and QFG. Then Yusynth VCOs, digisound IO and some processor boards that i am designing which are kinda like the fonik attenunverting but with some tweaks and additions. I am ditching the Rusted steel front plates, i am going sort myself out with an electro-etching kit and make either alluminium ones or brass. I think alluminium. So ill keep ordering this stuff over the next 2 months but strickly no building. hehe.

midibox 808

Well this is coming close to being built, finally.
Vlady found some killer cases for it that are going to work really well.

I might actually buy a couple of these cases for some upcoming projects. They look awesome

I'm going to have to ditch all my mod ideas unfortunately, this is a bummer. There is no space in the case. The case is so perfect for the 808 though and easy to get that it will be worth it.
I'm going to buy a screen once i get some and teach myself how to screen print. So what you see above is what is going to i'm going to get, well hopefully.

Backlog

I cleaned up my room today. It gave me a good chance to stocktake my components and also roll over the modules in the waiting list. Well to be honest i was conducting the stocktake first and then got bored and decided to clean my room. Haha. I was only doing a stocktake cos i was working on my Wavemult and blew a chip and couldn't find anything.... and so the cycle goes. Haha

So lets document what i have to waiting to Build.
Hopefully if i list it in the public domain, especially in a place where i will look it will remind me not to take on any more projects. I really shouldn't take on any more for the rest of the year. Or almost at all. I think once i build this coming lot it will be enough for a really versatile music machine. I may look towards building some drum machines and such.

So lets have a look what we have waiting.

Currently got 3 Lfos, 3 Arp 4072 vcfs and 3 Tube Vcas on the bench for my modular and also some friends of mine. Also on my bench is my CGS WaveMultiplier which i think needs a new LM324. Also sitting there is my CGS VCO waiting to be tuned and re-panneled. Last is my CGS Synthacon VCF which a new set of transistors, perhaps a whole new PCB. The Bunch of CGS modules i got way back last year really took a beating. I was, and i guess till am, a bit of hack at this game.

Also i forgot to add XOXBOX. This only needs some buttons, as my kit was missing some.

So BENCH LIST

3 MFOS LFOs
3 YuSynth 4072 VCFs
3 CGS Tube VCAs
1 CGS VCO
1 CGS WAVEMULT
1 CGS Steiner VCF

PCBS waiting.

--non-modular--
mb808
Burnit's Box'o'tricks
XOXBOX2 (building for a friend)

--modular--
m1. CGS DC MIXER x3 (half stuffed)
m2. CGS VCA
m3. FONIK PS3100 Triple Resonator x2
m4. JHailble Compact A Clone Phaser
m5. JHaible 20 Pole Tau Phaser
m6. JHaible Triple Chorus Solina Clone
m7. JHaible Frequency Shifter
m8. THenry QuadFunctionGenerator
m9. THentry Mankato VCF
m10. Banana Analogue VCS
( I might actually try reverse engineer this one and make another, it looks pretty simple)
m11. Buchla 281 QFG Clone x4
m12. Wogglebug
m13. Tellun Doomsday Machine
m14. Tellun NA
m15. Moosapotamus Flanger

So thats the modules im going to build that I have PCBS for already.
It isn't actually as big as i throught. I had mostly wanted this modular to be a effects processing and waveshaping machine. It was basically leaching the idea from my friend Pat who got me into this whole game. However now im thinking ill get some more inter-processing options and work on them first before i hit this backlog. The way i see it, some of these were limited runs so i jumped while i had the chance. I don't mind if im sitting here this time next year and all of them are not in my modular yet. Seems like this is going to be a fun passion that kicks in old years so i'm not in a mega rush to finish.

So my plan of attack is going to be something like this.

1. finsih these arpvcf/tube boxes
2. finalize the way to treat the rusted steel and then cut up a whole bunch of plates ready for circuits
3. finish my rack
4. build my 808
5. build rich's xoxbox
6. etch some Yusynth Vcos, or perhaps the Buchla Vcos that might be popping their heads up
7. build the buchla quad LPG and quad function shaper
8. doomsday / Neural Agonizer
9. box'o'tricks

good to have a plan though.