KVR Audio

Terrafractyl · Post by **Terrafractyl** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 11:05 pm

Nice!
I can't wait to fire up the Serge VFQ, as it really sounds like my kind of filter, and now I think one of the only filter topologies I havn't played around with, or already own.

and yeah I have a similar plan regarding outboard gear, I decided in like 2012 to start building my 'ultimate' diy modular, and now its about half way finished (well actually closer as nearly all other modules are either finished or very close, but I'm a bit behind on the making panels part haha)

but it was always my plan to move on to some eqs and compressors when I was done, one step at a time as they say!!

justin3am · Post by **justin3am** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 11:50 pm

How are you making your panels?

Here's a shot of the VCFQ's main board...

Terrafractyl · Post by **Terrafractyl** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 12:12 am

Yeah wow, ^^ That is pretty shmick looking in comparison to my CGS version :

The that2180's are 'much' nicer than these 3 weird serge gain cells I had to make. I have yet to calibrate them also which sounds like a bit of a pain.... ah well lets hope they both sound amazing!

Re my panels, they are just printed on paper,
then glued to the metal panels,
and then a few coats of clear-coat.
Then the drilling, and then oh-so fun part of wiring things to panels.

I used to kinda enjoy that part, but no longer. Filters are one thing, but I have a fully stuffed Klee sequencer waiting or me to get super psyched to do some serious wiring, whoa

The most time consuming part is really spent on my computer designing the panels, and moving around knobs and jacks until I'm totally happy.
After a few years of owning and building eurorack I got really sick of the cramped-ness and the lack of tweakability with knobs so close together, but I wasnt totally sold on 4u and 5u seemed overkill and huge.

So I stupidly decided to make my own hybrid 'system' with its own design specs. basically using euro jacks, but using something like the MOTM grid. Its very spacious

I still nearly always still make mistakes and later regret my decisions when I come to wiring the module to the panel.
heres a close up for a better view. (from left to right Wiard wogglebug, Doepfer Sample and hold, CGS digital noise, Buchla function Generator)

justin3am · Post by **justin3am** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 12:40 am

Thanks so much for sharing! like the idea of creating my own panels cause I could add attenuators or mults anywhere I want and combine multiple modules onto one panel, as you have. I can get the metal cut locally but I'm unsure of how to do the printing. I'd prefer to keep the aluminum finish. I may also experiment with panels made of PCB material. Those matte black Make Noise panels are just so sexy.

I've got some of those CGS/Serge gain cell PCBs + a bunch of other CGS PCBs, I think I'd like to use them in a compressor or something.

Terrafractyl · Post by **Terrafractyl** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 1:11 am

yeah its great making your own module choices, for sure. Some of the modules I ended up making were so different to the original modules, they started to feel like my own.

I made a complex oscillator based on the buchla 259, but with my own take. basically Its an Ian fritz Teezer thruzero osc as the primary osc, with a cgs wavefolder hardwired to some of the outputs, then with a buchla 258 osc as the modulation source.
Then I added VCA's to the lin FM inputs of each osc, so there could be dynamically controlled Linear FM on both. I also added a comparator to each osc, so they both have a square output with pwm. (neither had it originally)

I was also very happy with my input module based on the doepfer 119. I Just pulled schematics for the various elements of the module, as they are very simple building blocks and then making it myself. It was very satisfying to end up with something that works better than the doepfer one!

SJ_Digriz · Post by **SJ_Digriz** » Tue Jul 26, 2016 1:12 am

Hah, you guys finally got me off my ass! Rat clone in progress.

90% complete PCB. Just need to wire the pots, switches, jacks and power.

First coats of primer waiting for wet sanding. Not sure what fuggly color I'm going to choose yet.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Tue Jul 26, 2016 1:14 am

SJ_Digriz wrote:Hah, you guys finally got me off my ass! Rat clone in progress.

90% complete PCB. Just need to wire the pots, switches, jacks and power.

First coats of primer waiting for wet sanding. Not sure what fuggly color I'm going to choose yet.

looks good...I better get off my ass before you beat me to finishing that bluesbreaker

SJ_Digriz · Post by **SJ_Digriz** » Tue Jul 26, 2016 1:18 am

Terrafractyl wrote: Re my panels, they are just printed on paper,
then glued to the metal panels,
and then a few coats of clear-coat.
Then the drilling, and then oh-so fun part of wiring things to panels.

Props on your modular work. I really struggle with panels. I finally gave up and get them done for me by Panel Express. Very expensive though. One day I'll invest in the tools to do it myself proper. At least I keep telling myself that.

SJ_Digriz · Post by **SJ_Digriz** » Tue Jul 26, 2016 1:22 am

Hink wrote: looks good...I better get off my ass before you beat me to finishing that bluesbreaker

LOL, the race is on! The one surprise on this build is that one of the modes uses 3mm LEDs as clipping diodes. Learn something new every day. Of course when you get right down to it, that's what they are, so I guess it shouldn't be a surprise. Another "open your brain" moment.

SJ_Digriz · Post by **SJ_Digriz** » Tue Jul 26, 2016 1:31 am

Terrafractyl wrote: I made a complex oscillator based on the buchla 259, but with my own take. basically Its an Ian fritz Teezer thruzero osc as the primary osc, with a cgs wavefolder hardwired to some of the outputs, then with a buchla 258 osc as the modulation source.
Then I added VCA's to the lin FM inputs of each osc, so there could be dynamically controlled Linear FM on both. I also added a comparator to each osc, so they both have a square output with pwm. (neither had it originally)

I added Yusynth VCO/LFOs to a 266 SOU. So I can use the various variable voltage outputs to slew the LFO with attenuation to control the depth. It works great, but took forever to get right. And I never want anyone to look behind the curtain ... err panel. It is a bit messy. And, it was a PITA.

Having your own little flavor is sweet though. But I am less and less likely to invest the time in the completely off the path experiments.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Tue Jul 26, 2016 1:43 am

SJ_Digriz wrote:
Hink wrote: looks good...I better get off my ass before you beat me to finishing that bluesbreaker
LOL, the race is on! The one surprise on this build is that one of the modes uses 3mm LEDs as clipping diodes. Learn something new every day. Of course when you get right down to it, that's what they are, so I guess it shouldn't be a surprise. Another "open your brain" moment.

I learned that with a Marshall Valvestate in the 80's, it was a good little apartment amp...my TS clone I built and love has a switch for a two led option

justin3am · Post by **justin3am** » Tue Jul 26, 2016 1:58 am

SJ_Digriz wrote:

Nice! Is that a 6-position switch? Oh yeah... checking the BYOC Mouse page now...
That's pretty cool! I like the ideal of using switches to change circuit topology.

I've got some CMOS switches and multiplexers that I'd like to experiment with.

SJ_Digriz · Post by **SJ_Digriz** » Tue Jul 26, 2016 2:05 am

justin3am wrote: Nice! Is that a 6-position switch? Oh yeah... checking the BYOC Mouse page now...
That's pretty cool! I like the ideal of using switches to change circuit topology.

I've got some CMOS switches and multiplexers that I'd like to experiment with.

Yep, a couple of clipping modes with altered filter cutoff/peak configs. Plus I think 1 has a different gain structure.

SJ_Digriz · Post by **SJ_Digriz** » Tue Jul 26, 2016 12:10 pm

Just an aside, it was kind of funny to pretty much finish a build in 2 hours as opposed to the silly modular builds that took me up to a year to finish (cough .. Klee .. cough). Definitely a much easier go of things.

SJ_Digriz · Post by **SJ_Digriz** » Tue Jul 26, 2016 12:14 pm

Hink wrote:my TS clone I built and love has a switch for a two led option

Nice! Whose PCB did you use? I'd be interested in the mod. I'm not going to iron my own boards like the old days though

Pictures of your builds!