3trinsRGB+1c to LZX

Some pics of the Gieskes video synth to LZX adapters I'm building.

They plug in here:

Links:
Muffs - cortex with 3ins
LZX
Muffs - discrete RGB output signals



......to be continued.

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - coming to Australia

I believe Kaitlyn is bringing a Buchla 100.

Links
Kaityn A Smith's website
Sugarmountain festival
Mona Festival
Kaitlyn A Smith's Bandcamp 
RedBull interview
Pitchfork interview 
Madrona Interview

NLC BaDum TISS - drum module

These are my build notes for the nonlinearcircuits Badum TISS.

Badum Tisss is a snare/hi hat eurorack module.

 it mixes the sound from a VCO & noise circuit into a ring modulator.

The VCO is triggered with an envelope follower.

This EF also triggers a VCA further down the circuit.

Check out Andrews build notes for further info.

http://www.sdiy.org/pinky/data/BadumTisss%20build%20&%20BOM.pdf

Sneaky Nuts??? s this a reference to Angry Boys?

Anyway, where did the name Ba Dum Tiss originate ?

The Urban Dictionary defines badum tish as
 "an onomatopeia for a drum technique normally accompanying the conclusion of a cheesy joke or a comedy pratfall (where someone is made to look like an idiot by their own devising - such as falling on a banana skin they earlier discarded). It consists of two fast rimshots and a splash cymbal - producing the sound "badum tish".

Firstly, get those pesky SMD ICs out of the way:

Rest of SMD next.

Just 2 transistors:
one BC847 NPN (marked by the "n") & one BC 857 PNP (identified on the PCB by the "p")

Now for the through hole stuff.

I had to drill an extra hole in the panel to accommodate the LED

Sounds Great!
Thanks Andrew.

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You can find more NLC builds here.

http://djjondent.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/non-linear-circuits-ncl-index.html

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Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) - Kyoto, Japan

This is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan.

The golden pavillion is so beautiful. It's part of a larger complex of buildings set in the most
Japanese of Japanese gardens.

Address: 1 Kinkakujicho, Kita Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture 603-8361, Japan

Kinkaku-ji is officially named Rokuon-ji.

The site dates from 1397. It started off a a villa but was converted to the Kinkaku-ji complex
by the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

The Pavillion is very important to the Japanese. It is on the world heritage list and is
designated as a National Special Historic Site.

During the Onin war (1467–1477), all of the buildings in the complex aside from the pavilion were burned down. This golden pavillion remained in tact for nearly 500 years until 1950 when it was burned down by a 22-year-old novice monk,
 Hayashi Yoken, who then attempted suicide on the Daimon-ji hill behind the building.

 He survived and was jailed. He died of tuberculosis in 1955.

The temple has been rebuilt but one can only feel sadness for this lost of a national treasure and what pain it must have caused the Japanese People.

For more travel pics:

http://djjondent.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/travel-postcards-index-my-travel.html

NLC Doof Drum Module - Build notes

These are my build notes for the Nonlinearcircuits Doof drum module.
It's Eurorack format.
This is a very different circuit from the 808 & 909 clones doing the rounds today.
Can't believe I would ever tire of those sounds but its great to have something different.
This circuit uses a trimmed down NLC dual OTA VCO and the VCA from the NLC matrix mixer
(a future build).

 I built the OTA VCO over a year ago.
http://djjondent.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/nonlinear-circuits-dual-ota-vco-build.html
That VCO used a OTA or Operational transconductance amplifier.

The topology is common enough in many drum synths: Trigger circuit, envelope follower, VCO, VCA.

Get started with some tanning. It's the Aussie way.

Firstly the virgin PCBs & faceplate:

First get those !Cs in.

Now the rest of the SMDs

I'm using a 10K on the RL ... LED resistor

Stuff in the through hole stuff:

pOTS & jacks next.

Now the LED. Get the orientation right. The anode is the long lead.

initial tests:

Initially, with a headphone, I found the volume very low and the LED didn't light up.
The LED resistor I used was a 10K. This is for super bright LEDs.
I swapped it for a 1K and noticed a sudden increase in volume & that the LED lit up.
I decided to do another swap. This time for a 510 R.
Much much better !!!
Very loud and the LED lights up nicely thanks.
:-)
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Andrew F suggested that in order to get a bigger output, I change the 220k next to the TL072
He has taken it to 4M7 ...which is way OTT, ....bounces off the power rails.
Maybe a more sensible range would be between 1M5 & 2M2.

For the moment I'm really happy with the standard Doof module.
Other mods include
1.  CV control of decay instead of freq... see build & BOM pdf
http://www.sdiy.org/pinky/data/Doof_Build&BOM_vers1.pdf
2. replacing the 10nF capacitor on the input with a link to

create 808 style extended drum hits with gates rather than triggers.

Links:
1. NLC Build Notes
2. Muffs : adjusting output level of the Doof
3. NLC blog spot 

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You can find more NLC builds here.

http://djjondent.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/non-linear-circuits-ncl-index.html

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Katzenklavier

How times have changed (thank goodness). 

I came across this pic the other day. Is this for real ? 

It's a drawing of a "cat organ".

Cruelty knew no bounds in the 17th century.

 Many credit Athanasius Kircher with the original design of this instrument. He was a German Jesuit scholar.

"The musician selected cats whose natural voices were at different pitches and arranged them in cages side by side, so that when a key on the piano was depressed, a mechanism drove a spike in the appropriate cat’s tail. The result was a melody of meows".

Synth lovers today respect all animals, especially cats.

This is what Spike has to say about all this:

All about JFETS - matching for synthesizers

This is a very good introductory video on JFETs - junction field effect transistors.

JFETs can be either N or P channel.
The channel conducts current moving from the source to the drain.

A voltage at the gate increases the channel resistance and reduces the drain source current.
Therefore, the FET can be used as an amplifier or a switch.

This is an excellent device.....Peak Atlas DCA Pro.
The bits about JFETS are around 7mins & the PC applications are at 14:20.

We often want to use a JFET as a variable resistor, particularly in phasers.
The problem with JFETs is that it is much harder to make consistent JFETs than to make consistent bipolar devices. Therefore matching them is important.

 These are screen shots taken of the readouts from my Atlas Pro of one of the JFETS.

 Try to match the curves for each JFET along with as many other specs as possible.

I tested twelve J112s.
measuring VGSoff, Idss, VGSon in that order.
 These were the results:

1. Vsg (off) = -2.97V
    Idss = 0.51v
    Vsg (on) = -2.04V


2. Vsg (off) = -3.14V
    Idss = 0.50V
    Vsg (on) = -2.04V

3. Vsg (off) = -2.98V
    Idss = 0.51v
    Vsg (on) = -2.05V

4. Vsg (off) = -2.71V
    Idss = 0.54v
    Vsg (on) = -1.80V

5. Vsg (off) = -2.99V
    Idss = 0.51v
    Vsg (on) = -2.06V

6. Vsg (off) = -2.68V
    Idss = 0.55v
    Vsg (on) = -1.77

7. Vsg (off) = -3.60
    Idss = 0.46v
    Vsg (on) = -2.63

8. Vsg (off) = -2.90
    Idss = 0.53v
    Vsg (on) = -1.98

9. Vsg (off) = -2.66
    Idss = 0.55v
    Vsg (on) = -1.76

10. Vsg (off) = -2.89
     Idss = 0.53v
     Vsg (on) = -1.97V

11. Vsg (off) = -3.17
     Idss = 0.50v
     Vsg (on) = -2.24

12. Vsg (off) = -3.15
     Idss = 0.50v
     Vsg (on) = -2.22V

A huge variation in results from just twelve J112s
I'll go with 1 & 3

1. Vsg (off) = -2.97V
    Idss = 0.51v
    Vsg (on) = -2.04V

3. Vsg (off) = -2.98V
    Idss = 0.51v
    Vsg (on) = -2.05V

Links:
1. Stompville
2. Learning about electronics
3. Geofex
4. Edn.com

Valjoux 7750 movement

 The Valjoux 7750 (now officially the ETA 7750) is the most famous and widely produced mechanical automatic chronograph watch movement in Swiss horological history. [1, 2]

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Key Specifications

• Diameter: 30.00 mm
• Jewels: 25 jewels (modern versions)
• Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz)
• Power Reserve: Approximately 42 to 48 hours
• Complications: Chronograph (seconds, 30-minute, and 12-hour counters), day, date, and hacking small seconds
• Winding System: Automatic, single-direction winding rotor (notorious for a distinct "wobble" sensation when it spins freely) [1, 2, 3, 4]

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History and Development

• Origins: Designed by engineer Edmond Capt in 1969 using computer simulations (a pioneering move at the time). It was built using the manual-wind Valjoux 7733 as a conceptual base. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• The Cam System: Instead of using a traditional, labor-intensive column wheel, Capt designed an oblong cam and a lever system. This made mass production much faster, more reliable, and significantly cheaper. [1, 2]
• The Quartz Crisis & Survival: Released around 1973–1974, production was temporarily halted in 1975 as quartz watches devastated the mechanical market. However, Capt secretly saved the technical drawings and tooling. When mechanical watchmaking rebounded, production resumed in 1985 under ETA (part of the Swatch Group). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Industry Impact: It became the backbone of the Swiss watch industry, helping luxury and mid-tier brands like Breitling, IWC, TAG Heuer, and Omega survive and thrive through the late 20th century. [1, 2, 3]

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Famous Users and Derivatives

• Notable Watches: Powered iconic models such as the Breitling Chronomat, IWC Da Vinci, and various chronographs from Sinn, Longines, and Hamilton. [1, 2, 3]
• Derivatives: Spawned a family of specialized calibers including the Valjoux 7751 (with triple calendar and moonphase) and the larger Valgranges series. It also inspired third-party clones like the Sellita SW500.

Major Brands & Watch Models Using the 7750 Movement

• Hamilton: Known for various automatic chronographs (such as the Hamilton Intra-Matic and Jazzmaster chronos).
• Breitling: Used extensively as a base movement for iconic aviator and diver chronographs (like the older Navitimer or Chronomat variants).
• IWC (International Watch Co.): Utilized as a base for models like the IWC Portuguese Chronograph and Da Vinci series.
• TAG Heuer: Featured in select automatic chronograph lines.
• Sinn: Famous for high-reliability tool watches and flyback chronos (e.g., Sinn 103, Sinn 356).
• Omega: Used in historical and mid-tier automatic chronograph configurations.
• Longines: Integrated into various sport and dress chronographs.
• Oris: Featured in legacy and current mechanical sport chronographs.
• Tissot: Found in affordable Swiss-made automatic chronographs (like the Tissot PRC 200 or Heritage series).
• Panerai: Used in specific historic chronograph models.
• Montblanc: Incorporated into classic automatic and complication chronographs.
• Fortis: Used in rugged aviation and space-certified instrument watches.
• Damasko & Laco: Utilized in German pilot and tactical instrument chronographs.
• Chopard & Certina: Used across select classic and sport chronograph lines.
• Hublot ( HUB4100 self winding chronograph base calibre ETA 7753)

.............

Rolex never used the Valjoux 7750 movement in any of their own watches. [1]

However, Rolex's sister brand, Tudor, did use the Valjoux 7750 in models like the Tudor "Big Block" and Prince Date chronograph lines. [1]

Rolex historically used older, manual-wind Valjoux chronograph movements (such as the Valjoux 23, 72, 72B, and 727) in vintage Daytona models before moving to in-house movements, but they skipped the automatic Valjoux 7750 entirely

..............

Tudor used the self-winding Valjoux / ETA 7750 movement in its iconic Prince Oysterdate “Big Block” and subsequent Prince Chrono Time automatic chronograph series from 1976 through the mid-1990s. [1, 2, 3]

Because the automatic 7750 rotor required a thicker case than Tudor's earlier hand-wound chronographs, collectors nicknamed these watches “Big Block”. [1, 2]

Series 1 (9400 Series, introduced 1976)

These featured the Valjoux 7750 with a cut-out rotor and came in several bezel variations: [1]

• Ref. 9420 – Acrylic (Bakelite) tachymeter bezel
• Ref. 9421 – 12-hour rotating bezel (Monte Carlo styles)
• Ref. 9430 – Steel tachymeter bezel [1, 2]

Series 2 (79100 Series, late 1980s to mid-1990s)

These retained the thick "Big Block" case design (transitioning to a full rotor) and updated reference numbers: [1, 2]

• Ref. 79160 – Black plastic tachymeter bezel
• Ref. 79170 – Black 12-hour rotating bezel
• Ref. 79180 – Steel tachymeter bezel

................

The primary difference between the ETA 7750 (Valjoux 7750) and the ETA 7753 is the subdial layout, date adjustment mechanism, and number of jewels. Both are rugged, cam-actuated automatic chronograph movements sharing the same 30mm diameter, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, and core architecture. [1, 2]

Key Differences

Subdial Layout:
• ETA 7750: Features a 6-9-12 arrangement, with small seconds at 9 o'clock, 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock, and 30-minute counter at 12 o'clock.
• ETA 7753: Features a classic symmetric 3-6-9 tricompax arrangement, with small seconds at 9 o'clock, 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock, and 30-minute counter shifted to 3 o'clock. [1, 2, 3]
Date Adjustment:
• ETA 7750: The date wheel is adjusted directly via the crown in the first crown position.
• ETA 7753: The date is adjusted via a hidden or external corrector pusher (typically located on the case flank at the 10 o'clock position). [1, 2]
Jewel Count:
• ETA 7750: Contains 25 jewels.
• ETA 7753: Contains 27 jewels (due to modifications for the re-routed gear train and counter layout). [1]
Day Complication:
• ETA 7750: Commonly includes both a day-of-the-week and date window at 3 o'clock.
• ETA 7753: Typically drops the day complication, focusing strictly on a cleaner, balanced date-only display or tricompax aesthetic. [1]

Shared Similarities

Base Mechanics: Both use an integrated, cam-actuated chronograph design known for mechanical durability and reliability. [1, 2]
Dimensions & Power: Both measure 30mm in diameter, share a height of roughly 7.9mm, beat at 28,800 vph, and deliver a power reserve of roughly 44 to 48 hours. [1, 2, 3]
Winding: Both feature a ball-bearing oscillating rotor with unidirectional winding

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