Wednesday 26 August 2020

Arp 2500 - 1003, 1033, 1046 envelope generators

The ARP 2500 has a variety of envelope generators.
The 1003, 1033 & 1046 share common features.


The 1003 is identical to the 1033 except that it contains no gate delay circuits.
The 1046 is equivalent in function to a 1003 plus a 1033

EG's are used to produce repeatable transient control signals.
They can be used to control volume (in the case of a VCA) or timbre (VCO or filter) with respect to time.

A unique feature of all these envelope generators is their use of both gates & triggers.


 These gate and trigger inputs are connected to the gate & trigger inputs of the keyboard
All ARP keyboards have 51 notes.



This is a 3001 - a one-voice 5 octave keyboard


It produces 3 types of Control Voltages:
1. Trigger - a short transient 10V pulse which occurs whenever a key is depressed.
2. Gate - a switched 10V signal indicating that a key is depressed.
3. Output - a control voltage whose amplitude is related to the lowest key being depressed.

The two voice keyboards have an additional output:
 4. Aux - an additional CV proportional to the interval between the lowest &
     highest key depressed if 2 or more keys are depressed simultaneously.


The trigger & gate voltages are typically used to control envelope generators.
The Output & Aux voltages are used to control oscillators , filters & amplifiers.

Envelope Shapes

Envelope shapes are very similar to a modern ADSR

ATTACK
When a gate signal is applied, the EG's output will rise exponentially to 10V
(the rate is determined by the "attack" setting).

DECAY
When 10V is reached, the attack phase is ended, and the voltage will decay exponentially to the Sustain level. (the rate is determined by the "initial decay time" setting). In modern synths, we just call this the "decay".

SUSTAIN
The sustain level is adjustable from zero to 10V
The output remains at the sustain level until the gate is removed.

RELEASE
When the gate is removed, the voltage drops to zero volts.
This is called the "Final Decay Time".
The rate of the drop is exponential and is determined by the "Final Decay Time" setting.
If the gate signal is suddenly removed, the envelope will immediately start to decay to zero unless
another gate is imputed. In this case the envelope will then restart the attack phase.


Trigger Modes


There are 2 trigger modes: Single vs Multiple.

When the Trigger modes switch is in the "single" position, only Gate voltages are needed.
When the Trigger modes switch is in the "multiple" position, both Gate & trigger inputs are required for the envelope to fire. The attack is initiated by a positive pulse at the trig input. But the envelope will only fire is there is a gate signal also present when the trigger occurs.
The presence of a gate signal or a trigger signal alone will not start the envelope.


Connections for a sustain pedal can be made via jacks at the back of the module.
This terminal, when connected to ground through a switch, acts like the sustain pedal on a piano.

1046 Quad EG (rear sustain pedal inputs)

Notice, there is also an inverted envelope output
This is zero to -10V
This output is only available at the lower matrix switch.



Electrical specs of the 1003 envelope generator:

Controls
Attack time: 0.001 secs to 2.0 secs
Initial Decay: 0.001 secs to 2.0 secs
Sustain: 0 to 10 Volts
Final Decay: 0.001 secs to 2.0 secs

Inputs:
Gate sensitivity: 1.8V in the lower matrix switch
                        9.6V in the upper matrix switch
Trigger sensitivity:  1.8 volts
All impedances are 100K

Outputs:
0 to +10V @ 1K
0 to -10V @ 1K

 Power requirements:
+/- 15 volts @ 50ma , regulated to +/-0.1%
The lamps require +12V to +15V # 40ma.

 

Friday 21 August 2020

TTSH gate Booster _build notes

I've been testing lots of different euro modules in the search for compliments to some vintage ARP gear... mostly a 2600 & 2500
Both use the same 1V/oct scale which is a good start.
The voltage levels are different to Euro
Euro uses mostly 5V gates & triggers.
ARP uses 10V

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Modulating CVs ... from envelopes, the keyboard and LFOs on the ARP 2600 for example, are mostly in the 10V range.. but I've generally had no problems using Euro for modulation on ARP gear.

For the record:
ARP 2600 Keyboard: CV output voltage
UPPER VOICE −3V–+10V, 1V/oct.
LOWER VOICE −3V–+7V, 1V/oct.
ARP 2600 keyboard LFO 
TRIANGLE ±5 V, 10 Vp-p
SQUARE WAVE +10 V, 10 Vp-p
DELAYED SINE WAVE ±3 V, 6 Vp-p
The ARP 2500 envelope generators outputs envelopes between 0 to 10V.
There is also an invertered output on the 1046 module with a 0 to -10V envelope.

Euro are mainly 0- 5V . (MakeNoise modules are in the 8V range ... these thus are more compatible).
So if you wish for example to fully open the filter of your 2500 you might have to boost the euro voltages.
Some modules that output 0 - 10V are:
2HP ADSR
Intelligel Quadrax
Bubblesound 141 (EG/LFO/VCA)
Erica Synth Black EG
Erica Synths Pico VC EG
4MS PEG
MakeNoise Maths
2HP Random (Rnd)
2HP EG
Tip Top Z4000 (envelope generator)
NLC Modules:
"The Dual LFO/vco, Feague and VC ADSR can all be easily modded to get 10V signals.
A bit tricky to get 10V from the Triad, best chance would be remove the LED and replace it with a link, then remove the 4k7 and leave the it empty" (Andrew F)


CV processor & Offset -generator modules will probably come in useful.
 Something like the Sputnik CV processor can amplify 0-5V control voltages up to 0-10V ranges.
Other useful modules:
+ Voltage Processor - CGS 81 - Build notes
Voltage Processor - CVP - Build
+ Make Noise Maths 
+ Synovatron CV Tools 
+ Doepfer A-185-2 Precision CV Adder 
+ Doepfer A 183 - offset generator 

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So the main compatibility issue between ARP & Euro seem to be Gates & Triggers
I've decided to try the TTSH gate booster. It also produces 10V triggers
BTW The Doepfer dual trigger delay.is super useful to generate triggers from gates

Here are some pics from the build.
It's very easy.


And the rear of the PCB



Metal Film Resistors 1% .25w
2 1K R7, R15
1 15K R11
5 18K R3, R4, R5, R12, R13
3 47K R6, R8, R14
1 82K R2
3 100K R1, R9, R10
1 1M R16



Capacitors
1 330p C1 COG or poly/MKT 5mm lead spacing
 COG -- Ceramic ??
2 100n C4, C5 Decoupling, cheap 20% disc caps are fine. 5mm lead spacing
2 10uF/50V C2, C3 Electrolytic 2.5mm lead spacing




Semiconductors
1 TL072 IC1 OP AMP DIP-8
2 2N3904 Q1-2 NPN Transistor TO-92
1 1N4148 D1 Gen Purpose Diode

Miscellaneous
2 FB_226 L1, L2 Ferrite Bead, Axial Leads
3 Header Gate_I, Gate_O, Trig_O MTA02-100 Amp Connector
1 Header Power MTA03-100 Amp Connector
1 Socket IC1 DIP-8 Socket Buy a good milled type, or don't bother.



Optional - LED indication
1 2N3904 Q3 NPN Transistor TO-92
1 LED LED Builder's choice, but try to get a diffused one.


1 1K R17 1K is chosen for standard red LED. If you like laser etching your
retinas with a blue or white LED, you should increase this to 5-10K.

Im using a standard red LED ... so jus1 1 K


 Thank You FuzzBass.
You're the best. !!!!

 This is just a quick test module.
It's euro rack compatible.
I'll need to build more of these :-) 


 




Looks like it will work






Nice +10V gates


Links
Synthcube
Muffs

another possible candidate :
sixty4pix.com

The CV OCD.
This just arrived , but I haven't had time to test.

Thursday 20 August 2020

Nebula Best Sci Fi Novel awards 1960s

During this lockdown I've decided to start reading all the Sci fi I can.
It's a guilty pleasure to actually have time to read something frivilous, not related to work.
There are so many great novels from the past 70 years which I haven't read.
Sci fi isn't just Star Wars & Star Trek.
The Nebula & Hugo awards are awesome places to search for quality reading material.
The Nebula Awards are handed out by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America and their annual event celebrates the books of the previous year.
The Nebulas started in 1965.

"Dune" & the "Left Hand of Darkness" are of course old classics that most sci fi readers would be familiar with. The "Moon is a Harsh Mistress" is an all time classic. It was a runner up for the Nebula in 1966. I think Elon Musk said it was his favorite Sci Fi Novel. There are so many great books written by Robert Heinlein .. Starship Troopers, Stranger in a Strange Land, Farmer in the Sky, Double Star, Glory Road, The Number of the Beast.

Another runner up for the Nebula is "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Phillip K. Dick.
This was turned into the Ridley Scott movie "Blade runner". It's probably one of my most influencial films. Esp because of the soundtrack composed by Greek electronic musician Vangelis and
his Yamaha CS-80


The Nebulas - Awards by Year
https://nebulas.sfwa.org/awards-by-year/

1965 -
Dune by Frank Herbert

















1966
1966 (tie)- Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes
1966 (tie)- Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany

1966 (tie)- Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes 

     Publisher    Harcourt, Brace & World
Publication date
    April 1959 (short story)
March 1966 (novel)
Media type    Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages    311 (novel)[1]
ISBN    0-15-131510-8
 
First published in the April 1959 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction  (F&SF)


 

 


The short story, written in 1958 and first published in the April 1959 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1960. The novel was published in 1966 and was joint winner of that year's Nebula Award for Best Novel (with Babel-17)


***



1966 (tie)- Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany


 Publisher    Ace Books
Publication date
    May 17, 1966
Pages    173













  1966  Runner up:
1966 - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein, published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons
  
Serialized in If magazine from December 1965 to April 1966.
(See Below)















1967 -
The Einstein Intersection, by Samuel R. Delany
          published by Ace
Publisher    Ace Books
Publication date
    1967
Media type    Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages    142 pp












1968 -
Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin

Publisher    Ace Books
Publication date
    1968
Media type    Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages    254
ISBN    0-671-44068-3












1968 runner up: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick, published by Doubleday

Publisher    Doubleday
Publication date
    1968
Media type    Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages    210
OCLC    34818133









1969 -
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

Published    1969 (Ace Books)[2]
Media type    Print (paperback original; hardcover also 1969)
Pages    286 (first edition)

***













1969 runner up: Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., published by Delacorte

Publisher    Delacorte
Publication date
    March 31, 1969[1]
ISBN    0-385-31208-3 (first edition, hardback)












-------------------------------------------------------------------

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress was first published in "Worlds of If", Science Fiction Magazine.

Dec 1965

***
















Jan 1966

***
















Feb 1966

***

















March 1966
***

















April 1966
***


















Sci Fi
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi novels of the 1950's
+ Hugo Awards Best sci fi novels of the 1960's
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi novels of the 1970's
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi Novels of the 1980's
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi novels of the 1990's
+ Hugo awards Best sci fi novel of the 2000's (2000 - 2009)
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi novels for the decade 2010-2019
+ Foundation - Isaac Asimov's
+ Dune - The Chronological order of the novels
+ Dune Universe Timeline
+ I, Robot - Isaac Asimov - novels & Magazines
+ Star Wars 
+ vorkoisgan saga reading order - Lois McMaster Bujold

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sci Fi Index

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Friday 14 August 2020

BMC - FM Drum - build notes

BMC25. FM Drum
 F
 sTART WITH the lowest profile components ..
usually IC sockets , resistors , etc

These are personal build notes just to help me trouble shoot should I have any probs.

 As it turned out, this was a easy build.


cAPS next


the BOM calls for these:
0.002uf 1 Poly box type.  ... 2nf  or 2000pF
I'm using a 2.2nF cap


0.02uf 1 Poly box type ...20nF or 20000pF
I'm usinh a 22nF cap instead

.01uf 7 cheap ceramic disk....10nF (103)

 sWITCHES  next ... not sure how the panel and PCB link ??

i decided to install the jacks , switches first.. Then it became apparent the the panel is held to the PCB by the pots.


Solder the pots to the PCB.




 Time for the sole LED


Jacks:
IN - tip of the input jack
CV - tip of the CV jack
OUT - tip of the output jack and switch of the CV jack to allow self modulation



Modulation Waveform Selection switch:
MS - Top lug of switch
MC - Center lug of switch
MT - Bottom lug of switch



Output Waveform Selection Switch:
OS - Top lug of switch
OC - Center lug of switch
OT - Bottom lug of switch


For a ground connection, use the center wirepad of whichever power supply you're not using.

Nice !!!

Links
Manual BOM Build notes
http://www.bartonmusicalcircuits.com/fmd/

 

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For more Euro DIY builds click here:
http://djjondent.blogspot.com.au/2017/12/diy-index.html
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