The 2021 Show Us Your DIY Builds Thread!

[Kampfzwerg]

I'm not shure if I understand your question. The original four and eight voice Oberheims are Polyphonic.
I plan to build a custom Midi2CV eight voice polyphonic interface into the global control module.
This lets me choose to play it in poly, unison or split mode. Even an omni-Midi-mode is planed, where midi
channels 1-8 control each SEM individually.

[analogmonster]

Ah, that's cool, I was mislead by a YouTube video where a one finger play was presented.

[htor]

Finished my Jurgen Haible Vocoder a few months ago

494D155C-4F15-4319-A876-A8B11636010C.jpeg

jesus christ, okay im never posting anything here again

respect

[joeSeggiola]

Finished my Jurgen Haible Vocoder a few months ago

jesus christ, okay im never posting anything here again

lol, thought the same. "hey, here's my passive mult, i'm so proud of it", "yo cool, here's my humble vocoder"...

[nigel]

Finished my Jurgen Haible Vocoder a few months ago

jesus christ, okay im never posting anything here again

lol, thought the same. "hey, here's my passive mult, i'm so proud of it", "yo cool, here's my humble vocoder"...

You know what? I bet Luka has a first passive mult build in a drawer somewhere that looks much the same as everybody else's.
As the saying goes, you're not expected to be an expert when you arrive here, but you might be an expert when you leave. That seems like a good life motto to me.

[Luka]

Thanks! It was complex as there was no support from Jurgen and getting panels built was a mega task. It took me about 10 years to built this . SDIY has really levelled up in that time too. The diy SEM after my post is a great example of that. People are building crazy stuff these days. This was my last big project.

[Luka]

Also if you look way back at the beginning of the diy forum (reverse the threads oldest to newest) you will see all my beginnings .

[Siri]

Finished my Jurgen Haible Vocoder a few months ago

494D155C-4F15-4319-A876-A8B11636010C.jpeg

insane!

[nigel]

Also if you look way back at the beginning of the diy forum (reverse the threads oldest to newest) you will see all my beginnings .

Exactly, we all start somewhere. Also - hell yeah, that Vocoder is a nice build.

[jonny_w]

After exploring synth DIY for ~10 years now (starting with MFOS modules, RIP Ray!), this is my final iteration. Mix of DIY & purchased. Case is *very* much DIY. I'm way better at soldering than woodworking, but I was determined to DIY the thing

Black things on top are for ventilation. It was getting a little too toasty with my massive linear power supply.

[Dr. Sketch-n-Etch]

Looks great, jonny_w, and your woodworking seems completely adequate.

[jonny_w]

Looks great, jonny_w, and your woodworking seems completely adequate.

Thank you kindly, sir! I still remember how gracious you were with your time, showing me your workshop & prototypes many years ago. Big fan of you and your designs

[SlightlyNasty]

Built up this experimental diode phaser that has been swimming around my projects folder for a while. It definitely has some sweet spots to it, and might turn into a Slightly Nasty module at some point.

I went a little overboard on the PCB design for this one-off prototype, ha!

[analogmonster]

Built up this experimental diode phaser that has been swimming around my projects folder for a while. It definitely has some sweet spots to it, and might turn into a Slightly Nasty module at some point.

I went a little overboard on the PCB design for this one-off prototype, ha!

diodephaser.jpg

Cool! Circuit?

[Dr. Sketch-n-Etch]

Nice work, SlightlyNasty! It sounds great, too.

How long did it take to get those PCBs? As you probably know, I could cook that shit up in my garage in about an hour.

[SlightlyNasty]

Thanks guys!

How long did it take to get those PCBs? As you probably know, I could cook that shit up in my garage in about an hour.

Basically exactly two weeks, I just threw it on top of an order of module boards as an extra bit. I'm usually not to fussed waiting for PCBs because I've always got enough projects on the go simultaneously - so there's always something else I can work on in the meantime.

Cool! Circuit?

It still needs a little work, but the topology is one that occurred to me a little while ago and I was just curious to see if it would work. It's based around making variable-impedance virtual grounds using differential CVs pulling current across diode pairs. I've since found other examples of people using it, but it's not terribly common because it has some shortcomings compared to other gain-control circuits. One way of looking at it is as a diode bridge circuit turned inside-out, so that you've got unbalanced signal and balanced control currents.

The core of the phasing circuit looks like this:

[NeolithicElectrophones]

It definitely has some sweet spots to it, and might turn into a Slightly Nasty module at some point.

Please do! Loving your stuff a year or so in. Without building a couple 1011s and ASLs I never would have gotten into LW, many thanks.

[analogmonster]

Cool! Circuit?

It still needs a little work, but the topology is one that occurred to me a little while ago and I was just curious to see if it would work. It's based around making variable-impedance virtual grounds using differential CVs pulling current across diode pairs. I've since found other examples of people using it, but it's not terribly common because it has some shortcomings compared to other gain-control circuits. One way of looking at it is as a diode bridge circuit turned inside-out, so that you've got unbalanced signal and balanced control currents.

Thx. Definitely worth having a closer look at.

[Soundbrigade]

I've simply been too busy doing nothing and I still isn't thru doing that . But I have been able to squeeze in some (a lot) in the queu.
The BIG project right now is supposed to be a modular synth. I may have written a bit about it last year but I think I know a little how it will turn out.
I ordered PCBs from China for various modules I felt I really needed (VCOs, VCFs, VCAs, ADSRs, RM, Noise, Sequenzers) and a handful of modules from BMC and Elby.
I still haven't gotten all pieces together, but this is what I've come up with :
My very own standard rack with my own very non-standard modules, a project on a tight budget (*).

At the moment getting the Superseque (Thomas Henry) together, hoping I cut all the wires in correct length .

I am checking the modules using a Behringer Crave and an oscilloscope, but got stuck on an ADSR that behaves improperly.

(*) Modules are 7" and I use offcuts of sheet metal from my old job. I don't think I will ever end up with other synth people and have a need to swap modules.

[soejrd]

I've simply been too busy doing nothing and I still isn't thru doing that . But I have been able to squeeze in some (a lot) in the queu.
The BIG project right now is supposed to be a modular synth. I may have written a bit about it last year but I think I know a little how it will turn out.
I ordered PCBs from China for various modules I felt I really needed (VCOs, VCFs, VCAs, ADSRs, RM, Noise, Sequenzers) and a handful of modules from BMC and Elby.
I still haven't gotten all pieces together, but this is what I've come up with :
My very own standard rack with my own very non-standard modules, a project on a tight budget (*).

At the moment getting the Superseque (Thomas Henry) together, hoping I cut all the wires in correct length .

I am checking the modules using a Behringer Crave and an oscilloscope, but got stuck on an ADSR that behaves improperly.

(*) Modules are 7" and I use offcuts of sheet metal from my old job. I don't think I will ever end up with other synth people and have a need to swap modules.

Looks awesome! Any plans on releasing the source files or gerbers?

[squarewavesurfer]

This is a build I finished in 2017 but in 2021 I decided to revisit it to swap in some vintage parts, better match some vactrol pairs and try to make it as close as possible to the original 259. I am finding that as I develop my DIY synth knowledge, especially when it comes to buchla clones, I learn new things that make me want to go back to old builds and make improvements where I can.

I owe a lot of thanks to Dave Brown from https://modularsynthesis.com/ and Andrei from Feedback Modules for helping me with making the modifications and troubleshooting some issues along the way.

The re-panel didn't turn out as nice as I had hoped, having used a local print shop for the graphics, but I may try using front panel express in the future and see how they do.

[dot matrix madness]

TR-909 Ride clone with alternative attack/decay of the NAVA Extra9 Expansion.
Schematics see here: Extra9 schematics
Changes for +/-12V supply: R97 (100k): 100k + 27k, R99_1 (33k): 100k, R99_2 (15k): 30k, VR103A (5k trim): 10k trim.
Worth the extra effort as you can switch to an almost reverse cymbal sound.

909 Ride PCB

909 Ride PCB back

Front plate is temporary until the Crash cymbal is done.

[J3RK]

This is a build I finished in 2017 but in 2021 I decided to revisit it to swap in some vintage parts, better match some vactrol pairs and try to make it as close as possible to the original 259. I am finding that as I develop my DIY synth knowledge, especially when it comes to buchla clones, I learn new things that make me want to go back to old builds and make improvements where I can.

I owe a lot of thanks to Dave Brown from https://modularsynthesis.com/ and Andrei from Feedback Modules for helping me with making the modifications and troubleshooting some issues along the way.

The re-panel didn't turn out as nice as I had hoped, having used a local print shop for the graphics, but I may try using front panel express in the future and see how they do.

Beautiful!

Also, yes on Dave Brown! He’s helped me with a few designs, and I can’t say enough good things.

[EricPLandry]

Here is my computer controller footswitch. Done with an arduino Leonardo that acts as a keyboard/mouse.

When I press 2 buttons at the same time it either starts the program or brings it in the forefront if it's already running. I use the WIN Key with a number from 1-5 to start the app that is positioned in my task bar. WIN+1 starts the first app, WIN+2 starts the second app, etc. I plan on adding the possibility of contrôlling another 5 apps by pressing on the double buttons twice. The first time would bring apps 1-5, the second time would bring the apps 6-10.

As the app is started, each button individually takes on a role for that application. For example the rewind is not the same in MusicBee as it is in Spotify so pressing the same button to rewind with MusicBee or with Spotify will send the correct key sequence depending on the app that is in the foreground.

It is still in the development stage. I keep getting new ideas to improve on the program. I plan on adding a metronome control and also an internal pad player (MP3 player)

I also want to add another button sequence to switch between PC control and MAC control. Again it's just to have more flexibility and to be able to customise the button fonctions based on the application.

One interesting feature that I was able to setup is with the control of my Valeton GP-100 guitar effect. That effect can be run in patch mode or stomp mode. However it is a sequence of holding one button for a set time to switch between one mode or the other and it isn't always convenient to do so while playing live. So with my foot controller, I am able to control the patch within the GP-100 software while the pedal is in stomp mode. So now I can quickly switch patch with one button and immediately controll my effects in stomp mode without having to hold the button for that delay time.

[moacir]

Kind of want a win while being frustrated w/ destroying two boards and dealing with the impossibility of sourcing MCUs in March 2021:


That's Marbles, Tides, Knit, Plaits, Rings, Ripple, Antumbra's 6Mix, Nearness
uTemps Utile, uO_C, 3x Division 6 CEM3340 oscillator, Links, Kinks, (Stages and Typhoon if I weren't soldering at 4am and destroying mcus), Blinds, Erica Polivoks VCF 2, Ears

The outputs for Nearness are hardwired to the two 1/4" jacks I have on the back of the case. I added a master power switch for the system as a whole to the panel there, too.

The MI clone panels are on curly maple. The others are on poplar except the Polivoks, which is on wenge. All of the panels are 1/16" wood glued to 1/16" acrylic. Plaits and Knit panels have a mistake, so I'm remaking those in the upcoming weeks. The Ears panel had some problems that ended with me destroying it.

I still can't tell if I like the Polivoks panel. It looks like an antique... but it's also damn near illegible, because the lacquer got into the veins of the wood. On the other hand, I know w/o looking what all the knobs and jacks do.

Everything works, but I haven't calibrated Marbles or the two teensy modules. I'll have to sweet talk myself into a local lab for that, and I don't want to go through the effort until I can calibrate Stages at the same time.

In the meantime I'm going to build a Grid and another Knit to take the place of Marbles for now. As long as I can't rely on the X side of Marbles, I might as well just replace it w/ a drum machine.