Żłob Modular: New VnIcursal VCA v666 redesigned and more DIY friendly

pirxthepilot · Post by **pirxthepilot** » Fri Apr 07, 2017 5:39 pm

I also want to confirm if it's OK to use 0805 instead of through-hole resistors?

onurkalaycioglu · Post by **onurkalaycioglu** » Wed Apr 12, 2017 6:14 pm

pirxthepilot wrote:I also want to confirm if it's OK to use 0805 instead of through-hole resistors?

i dont advise doing it because the circuit isnt meant for smd. but several people have been successful doing so. even on page 9 theres some pics of someone who did smd on the vnicursal.

VnIcursal top pcb upgrades are now available on my site for $10 each

the new top pcb adds attenuation functionality to pre-existing v3 and v4 vnicursal mother boards. so when cv is inserted into the cv jack the pots now become attenuators for the incoming voltage.

a couple things to note: the older revisions are not designed to have the leds turn on close to the 0v crossing. this means there will be a small range of the pot turn where you will be able to hear sound and the led is not on. also since the leds are on more now the circuit will consume around 10-15 mA more on the +12v rail.

some resistors will have to be substituted on the mother board for optimal operation. depending on what version you have you will have to replace six 47k resistors with six 62k resistors or six 75k with 62k. this will give you unity gain at 5v. i will post a pic soon of where those locations are. it isnt completely necessary for the mod but if you dont do it you will notice towards the end of the pot turn the circuit goes from distortion to an almost waveshaping pop.

also there is a totally new revision of the whole vnicursal circuit that solves the led issues with the new attenuation version. so all vnicursals now ship as v 5.3. the new edition also has a new bom. which i will try and post before i leave for superbooth. i only have a couple prototypes of the new vnicursals will have lots more when im back from berlin.

and by May thonk will have a bunch of my stuff diy stuff including the new vnicursals.

finally im hosting 2 diy workshops at superbooth this year. the workshops are focused on euro diy beginners as we will be making simpler passive modules: the 2hp MiniAtt and 4hp Attenumixer. i will probably bring along a couple other more complicated kits for more advanced people too. pm me with any questions.

there will be a workshop on thursday april 20th at 11am and one on friday the 21st 3:30(15:30).

pirxthepilot · Post by **pirxthepilot** » Wed Apr 12, 2017 6:20 pm

onurkalaycioglu wrote: VnIcursal top pcb upgrades are now available on my site for $10 each

Great! When I order the PCB+panel, do I automatically get the latest version? Thank you!

dubtoms · Post by **dubtoms** » Thu Apr 13, 2017 4:13 am

Waiting eagerly for your revised pcbs and alu panels to be available as PCB/Panel sets from Modular Addict !

GryphonP3 · Post by **GryphonP3** » Sun Apr 16, 2017 4:12 am

Upgraded all my vnicursals and they all work great! All rev 2/3 I believe and I cant even notice the issues you noted. Very happy!

sleepgardens · Post by **sleepgardens** » Sun Apr 16, 2017 12:57 pm

Finally you can get stuff to thonk... time to build!

resynthesize · Post by **resynthesize** » Tue May 02, 2017 5:16 pm

I ordered the vincursal vca pcb/panel kit direct from the zlob website yesterday. i assume i'm going to receive the v5 w/ aluminum panel? Does anyone have a mouser cart they can share for this? If not, I'll try putting one together and posting it here for feedback.

GryphonP3 · Post by **GryphonP3** » Wed May 03, 2017 10:10 am

resynthesize wrote:I ordered the vincursal vca pcb/panel kit direct from the zlob website yesterday. i assume i'm going to receive the v5 w/ aluminum panel? Does anyone have a mouser cart they can share for this? If not, I'll try putting one together and posting it here for feedback.

There are only like 4 or 5 parts in the whole build. Should be quite easy to order parts without a cart.

onurkalaycioglu · Post by **onurkalaycioglu** » Wed May 03, 2017 2:38 pm

pirxthepilot wrote:
onurkalaycioglu wrote: VnIcursal top pcb upgrades are now available on my site for $10 each
Great! When I order the PCB+panel, do I automatically get the latest version? Thank you!

yes you do.

@dubtoms
havent heard from john at modular addict in a while. but reached out to him recently. so yea i hope stuff will be restocked over there soon.

@gryphonp3
great, im glad you like the upgrades.

@sleepgardens
yea, im excited to finally have european distribution. some stuff should be in stock(including the newest vnicursals) at thonk by end of this month.

@resynthesize
yep you receive the newest version with aluminum panel. no mouser carts as i buy parts from like 3 or 4 different suppliers. i just posted the new BOM for version 5.3 on my site. it has a lot of mouser part #'s and references to where i buy other parts.

tassie tiger · Post by **tassie tiger** » Fri May 05, 2017 4:08 am

Has anyone got any words of wisdom / step by step advice for setting the six trimmers?
I don't have an oscilloscope, but can just about navigate my multimeter.

Many thanks,
J

Silver · Post by **Silver** » Fri May 05, 2017 4:31 am

I just did it by ear and it worked fine. Go in order starting from trimmer 1. Plug an oscillator or some fairly steady sound into the first input and with the pot set to fully off, adjust the trimmer until the sound just cuts out. You'll find the point fairly easily. Then go to trimmer 2 and repeat and so on. At the end go back and test each and that should work, test it at different frequencies if you're doing it by ear.

tassie tiger · Post by **tassie tiger** » Sat May 06, 2017 12:28 am

Silver wrote:I just did it by ear and it worked fine. Go in order starting from trimmer 1. Plug an oscillator or some fairly steady sound into the first input and with the pot set to fully off, adjust the trimmer until the sound just cuts out. You'll find the point fairly easily. Then go to trimmer 2 and repeat and so on. At the end go back and test each and that should work, test it at different frequencies if you're doing it by ear.

Many thanks Silver - easy to follow instructions for a relative newbie at this stuff.

daynehacks · Post by **daynehacks** » Tue May 16, 2017 10:43 am

Can we expect a new BOM for the CLK DV soon? I want to make sure I get the right 4040 and the one on the current BOM is SMD. Also, I'm guessing that with no expander we have to bridge all the "shunt" points?

GryphonP3 · Post by **GryphonP3** » Tue May 16, 2017 12:36 pm

For those asking about doing this by smt, I just built 2x VnIcursal VCAs using 0805 components and they worked without issue (one older one's channel 1 is acting funny but I think that is due to a wrong value somewhere down the path - not the use of 0805 parts)

Slomen · Post by **Slomen** » Tue May 16, 2017 1:30 pm

My Channel 1 suddenly died.. It worked for a while, but now it is completley silent. Can someone tell me what to check? Ive no experience troubleshooting.. thanks!

sleepgardens · Post by **sleepgardens** » Sat May 20, 2017 12:02 pm

So how are we in terms of avaiblity at thonk? I'm planning a big order might as well get a Vincursal and Entropy

onurkalaycioglu · Post by **onurkalaycioglu** » Sun May 21, 2017 2:51 pm

@silver
thanks for chiming in. yes its easiest to trim each vca by ear. i usually put a harmonically rich waveform into the vca(with panel knob at full counter clockwise) and turn up whatever final euro mixer and/or outboard mixer up louder than usual listen if you can hear the waveform. if you can, turn the trim slightly ccw until the vca is "silent." this calibration procedure also applies to the dual vca and push vca. i think i mention it on the vnicursal bom page.

daynehacks wrote:Can we expect a new BOM for the CLK DV soon? I want to make sure I get the right 4040 and the one on the current BOM is SMD. Also, I'm guessing that with no expander we have to bridge all the "shunt" points?

yea sorry no updated bom yet. im not too happy with the newest version of the clk dv. im going to redesign it yet again with a perpendicular pcb. but what new version i sent you requires less transistors and a dip 4040. for the 5 expander jumpers i would use a 2 pin shorting block(shunt) for each one. because once removed you can use the expander. unless the expander doesnt matter then yes you can solder the points together. just email/pm me if you have any other questions.

@gryphon
most impressive, i might be contacting you soon about a ubraids

@slomen
its a bit hard to trouble shoot such a dense circuit without actually tracing through all points related to channel 1 with a schematic and pcb file. which im happy to provide but im not sure what the deal is with free eagle since the company was sold.

anyways. i would first check all solder joints to see if everything is properly covered/soldered and make sure nothing is bridging. another place worth checking is the jumper solder point connecting the mother board to the top pcb. its easy to miss one or get an unconnected joint. does the vca respond to voltage in? maybe something with the pot is not soldered correctly? maybe start with the top pcb is easiest make sure all jacks and pot related to channel 1 is properly soldered. if you cant figure it out email me some pictures of your pcbs.

@sleepgardens
i sent the thonk package last week. its supposed to arrive wednesday i believe. but might take steve a while to post stuff online. maybe email him next week. i only sent vnicursals, dual vcas, push vcas, minimixes, and minatts to thonk. most of my other modules(including entropy) are out of stock while i revise the pcbs designs.

on another note zlob will finally have some waveform/audio generating modules soon. i just finished a pcb for a dual vco in 4hp. its not the most stable or wide ranging vco because its using 2 8038 chips but 2 separate vcos with sine, triangle, and square waves each in 4hp at an affordable price and diy should please some. im also working on a serge like slope generator with some additional features, i think in 6hp. so hopefully some time this year i will be able to offer a meager zlob system.

resynthesize · Post by **resynthesize** » Mon May 22, 2017 10:59 am

Couple questions about the VNICursal rev 5 build:

1) should I just use 16k resistors for L1-L6 if I'm using all red leds? I'm using 3mm red leds from tayda.

2) There's this line item on the BOM in addition to the L1-L6 lines:

3 18k* RESISTOR.1 RES-VERT-.1 R1,(depends on led color/mcd, should be 16k for my red leds)

Where do these go on the board, and should they be 16k as well?

Bbman · Post by **Bbman** » Tue May 23, 2017 10:33 am

I just completed my build of the VNICursal last night. with all tayda red leds. Did not have any 16k resistors sitting around so I used some extra 15ks and it all works grand. Probably should use the 16ks, however, in L1-L6.

mqmq · Post by **mqmq** » Wed May 24, 2017 2:32 am

on another note zlob will finally have some waveform/audio generating modules soon. i just finished a pcb for a dual vco in 4hp. its not the most stable or wide ranging vco because its using 2 8038 chips but 2 separate vcos with sine, triangle, and square waves each in 4hp at an affordable price and diy should please some. im also working on a serge like slope generator with some additional features, i think in 6hp. so hopefully some time this year i will be able to offer a meager zlob system.

This is AWESOME news !!! I was about to order some minimix and dual vcas from your shop, should i wait for thonk in europe ?

GryphonP3 · Post by **GryphonP3** » Wed May 24, 2017 3:28 am

Oh HELLLL yeah on all those new modules!! I will take 2 of each! Will VCOs be able to run down to LFO freq with those simulateous outputs? And if I may be so bold, hard sync? If so, we are looking at the best 4hp FM source ever. Excited to hear how you are planning the serge slopes too. Serge slopes are the epitome of modular synthesis for me, so more are always welcome. Will it be a single channel or duao channel deal? And will it be able to do all the cool slew/filtering/dividing stuff like the serge slopes? Mmmmmm very excited.

resynthesize · Post by **resynthesize** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 10:50 am

Can someone post a hires photo of the main unpopulated VNICursal v5 PCB? I just finished my build but one of the channels is silent. Want to troubleshoot starting with resistor values but of course now it's pretty much impossible to see what the values printed on the board now.

windspirit · Post by **windspirit** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 2:24 pm

HUzzah for a zlob system! The filter is still one of my favs, would love to have a VCO to compliment it.

onurkalaycioglu · Post by **onurkalaycioglu** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 4:54 pm

GryphonP3 wrote:Oh HELLLL yeah on all those new modules!! I will take 2 of each! Will VCOs be able to run down to LFO freq with those simulateous outputs? And if I may be so bold, hard sync? If so, we are looking at the best 4hp FM source ever. Excited to hear how you are planning the serge slopes too. Serge slopes are the epitome of modular synthesis for me, so more are always welcome. Will it be a single channel or duao channel deal? And will it be able to do all the cool slew/filtering/dividing stuff like the serge slopes? Mmmmmm very excited.

yes the vcos will be able to run down to lfo rates at all outputs simultaneous, but the waveform symmetry gets a bit off towards the lowest speeds. im going to release a better suited vclfo in the near future that goes slow, like in the minute range. not enough space for sync on the design, but still debating whether to have an linear/exponential fm switch.

its going to be a single slope but with a sustain and more control over the shape of rise and fall individually, and with more attenuators/verters. yea it will be able to do the slew stuff/ filtering stuff. but the final design is less codified at the moment.

@resynthesize
i posted build docs for v5.3 recently so check those on my site. if its not clear enough i can send you an eagle pic of the board.

@windspirit
thanks. yea eventually im going to offer small subtractive zlob systems in retrofitted 6u samsonite briefcases. hopefully by end of this year, or early next year.

also wanted to mention im having a 10% off sale for zlobs 2 year anniversary as a company. email me and we will work out the discount as you cant apply it at checkout.

daynehacks · Post by **daynehacks** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 11:09 pm

10% off is awesome, but your prices are awesome anyway. Too bad you don't have much in stock! Can't wait for these new modules/revisions though!

MUFF WIGGLER

MUFF WIGGLER

Żłob Modular: New VnIcursal VCA v666 redesigned and more DIY friendly

Calibration