Synth meeting this Sat in Wollongong.

 So looking forward to this.

keep your dance card free for Sat night.

Thanks to Ed from Elk Elektronics

and society city in Wollongong.

https://societycitywollongong.com/

https://www.elkelektronik.com.au/

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synth club

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The 5th volt

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Voltz Supreme

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Bea Brabante

Plinky Synth 4U DIY Expander - build notes

 These are my build notes for the Plinky Synth expander.

The Plinky synth is an 8 voice, polyphonic touch synth.

I'm building the expander for a friend.

Links

+ https://plinkysynth.com/docs/expander-manual

This is the 4HP expander (not the 2HP version).

The LEDs are pre soldered.

as are most of the components.

I soldered in the Jacks 1st.

There are 2 green ones for the MIDI ... they go above the USB connector (at the top of the PCB).

This 8 pin header connects the two boards.

solder it next

there is a 10pin header... euro power?

Not sure if this is needed if you are powering from the Plinky.

i soldered it in anyway.

The 16 pin header connects to the plinky

Some final pics.

A  really easy build!

a side on view.

Digitakt Jam with MIDI Triggered WS2812 Neon Strips

 This is out on Kickstrter

for more info:Back KOLOR on Kickstarter now!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

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More about Elk Elektronik https://www.elkelektronik.com.au/

ELK Elektroniks - KOLOR Module - update

 Some updates for the new LED KOLOR module.

This is a eurorack module designed to control LED strips, squares, etc.

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....

The module will be released as a kickstarter project.

More info can be found at Ed's official website

https://www.elkelektronik.com.au/kolor

MUN - build notes 2

 This is part 2 of my build notes for the nonlinear circuits Mun module.

The eurorack 22HP module is a 10 channel vocoder based on the Syntovox 222

The word Vocoder is a combination of two words.

Voice + Code = Vocoder

Vocoded signals were essentially a form of data compression for voice.

Links

+ Wiki

+ BOM

+ A bit about vocoders

Part 1 is here:

https://djjondent.blogspot.com/2024/02/mun-build-notes-nlc-vocoder.html

on order:

150nF = 0.15uF

To be continued....

KOLOR - Combining multiple LED tiles

 Some videos showing examples of how to combine mutiple LED tiles

Here is what the rear of the tiles looks like.

There are 3 connections ... 5V, Gnd and either DIN or DOUT

I'm just playing with the random settings on the KOLOR module.

It's Eurorack, from Elk Elektronik's in Australia.

Ed has been working on this for ages, and is releasing it on Kickstarter.

Ed describes it as a WS2812 LED Pixel Strip Controller for Eurorack.

It's compatible with multiple LED strips.

Control can be either manual (via the knobs) or CV patched into 6 jack inputs.

The controls are:

1. Red /hue

2. Green/saturation

3. Blue/value

4. width

5. pixel number

6. preset pattern

For more info visit:

https://www.elkelektronik.com.au/kolor

NLC - Tinkle (drum module) - Build notes

These are my build notes for the nonlinear circuits "Tinkle" module.

Tinkle..... 4 channel preset drum module with a distortion circuit added on the summed output.

TINKLE & STOCHAOS 1

Links;

+ Wiki

+ BOM

I found the PCB you be very " tightly packed"... so use a soldering iron with a fine tip to avoid shorts.

The drums are based on the so called “Gamelan resonator” circuit developed by Paul DeMarinis in the early 70s for his Pygmy Gamelan device. 

They are quite simple but have a lovely gentle tone and are easily tunable using different capacitors and gain resistors. 

When building you can select capacitors to suit the pitches you want & different resistor values to vary the gain. 

It would be good to build a few of these to have some variations in pitch

The distortion circuit is fairly harsh but when the drums are feed high frequency clocks you can get some quite heavy sync’d riffs going.

Each drum sound has an output. The 4 sounds are summed together and

passed through the Razor circuit for a mixed output. Turn the pot to

minimum or max to turn off the Razor and get a clean summed signal. 

Parts

TL072 or TL082 4 Soic Tayda: A-1139

LM3900 1 Soic Mouser Part No: 595-LM3900DR .

LL4148 6 sod-80 Tayda: A-1213

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

The 5V1 zeners limit the output of Razors to +/-5V, they do not

have to be installed.... order

Mouser have a lot of 5V1 zeners in stock, some numbers are

78-BZT55C5V1-GS18 or 78-BZT55C5V1 or 78-TZMC5.1

Tayda have a sod-80 5V6 zener which is close enough - A-6014

I'm using a VISHAY TZM5232B-GS08 from Tayda (X-4504)

Zener Single Diode, 5.6 V, 500 mW, SOD-80 (MiniMELF), 2 Pins, 175 °C, Surface Mount

There are 2 x 33K resistor marked..... replace these with10K

 

.

When building you can select capacitors to suit the pitches you want,

also need to select a resistor value to vary the gain. Some suggested

values are listed below, but feel free to experiment.

Each Gamelan circuit uses 3 caps & 1 resistor.

There are 4 of these circuits.

For comparison, Andrew has also included a pic of a Twin-T & bridged-T circuit.

These 3 circuits are resistor-capacitor networks which are placed in the feedback loop of an op-amp.

Twin-T Oscillators (sometimes known as parallel-T oscillators) are RC (resistor-capacitor) oscillators which produce a sinewave output .

Andrew built a Twin-T  (BongO) drum module many years ago which you might like to check out.

Bong0 - Bongo - Drum / VCO build notes

The Bridge-T oscillator is an even simpler form of RC network.

It's based on a bridge-T notched filter that is placed in the feedback loop of an op-amp, 

changing it from a notch to a bandpass filter.

The Roland TR 808 bass drum circuit is based around a bridged-T network oscillator.

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

All the capacitors in the build, should be the same value for each Cx and Rx sets

the gain for that section.

For example, use three 2n2 capacitors for the three C1 pads and solder

200k into R1.

Cx   Rx

1n5 180k higher tone

2n2 200k

3n3 220k

4n7 220k

10n 200k

15n 390k

22n 510k

33n 680k lower tone

I think I'll mix things up

Gamelan 1 4n7 220k

Gamelan 2 10n 200k

Gamelan 3 22n 510k

Gamelan 4 33n 680k

It would be good to experiment with this values.

I reckon it would be fun to build a few of these 

modules with other combos.

I prefer the higher frequencies.

Each drum sound has an output. The 4 sounds are summed together and

passed through the Razor circuit for a mixed output. Turn the pot to

minimum or max to turn off the Razor and get a clean summed signal. 

The Razor is an unusual distortion circuit employing unbalanced comparators

to produce pulses that are mixed with the original signal. 

The Razor can be used as a separate module. Patching a signal into the input

disconnects the summed Tinkle signal.

.

final caps 7 resistors.

S1JL, Schottky, power

rectifier or 10R

Im using a 10R resistor

LL4148

headers to connect the 2 PCBs, & eurorack 10 pin power connector.

10 sockets, 1 x B100k pot

Pair this with a VCA/EG

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

You can find more NLC builds here.

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

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

NLC fourier module - DIY build notes - part 3

 This is the 3rd & final part of my build for the nonlinear circuits Fourier module.

This Eurorack module tackles the task of waveform & additive synthesis .

Links

Wiki

BOM

Youtube

The build notes for Part 1 & 2 are here:

Fourier - build notes... part 1

Fourier module DIY-- part 2

Headers next.

25  mono sockets

B100K linear taper pots

LEDs 

+ LEDs 

I'm using clear bipolar LEDs.

soldering the LEDs . almost there.

first tests.

I just love it when the module just works the first time.

Thanks Andrew.

KOLOR - LED pixel strip controller for Eurorack

 These are some teaser videos of the new eurorack module "KOLOR" from Elkelektroik.

What is it?

Its a eurorack module that controls LED light strips, blocks, etc

With it you can syncronise LEDSs to add visuals to live modular performances

The module itself runs on standard euro +/- 12V.

The target LED strip however needs it's own power.

Its DC +5V or +12V depending on what voltage your strip requires.

It's compatible with multiple LED strips.

Control can be either manual (via the knobs) or CV patched into 6 jack inputs.

The controls are:

1. Red /hue

2. Green/saturation

3. Blue/value

4. width

5. pixel number

6. preset pattern

Ed will be releasing this on Kickstarter soon.

For more info:

https://www.elkelektronik.com.au/kolor

Insta:

https://www.instagram.com/elk_elektronik/

I'm changing some of the presets & altering the speed with a LFO

I'm using a Erica Synths Pico system III

the module uses a WS2812 LED strip.

This is a programmable LED strip where the control circuit & the RGB chip are combined into one package.

Each LED is addressable. You can daisy chain the LEDs and control them from a single module.

There are lots of different LED formats.

They can be square, rectangular, circular, strips etc.

...These modules are pixel controllable.

Ie, you can control right down to the pixel level.

A bit of random noise.

A bit about the power source for the LED strip.

Euro power is precious, and LED strips can suck up lots of power.

So to preserve the valuable juice for your other modules, Ed has added a second power input just for the LEDs

The very bottom on the left has the input for the power for the LED strip/circle etc.

This can be +5V DC or +12V DC (depending on your LED strip requirements).

The Green rectangular jack on the bottom right is where you connect the LED strip.

There is also a overload switch.

here is a closeup of the Power section for the LED strip.

You need to connect the 3 wires to the LEDs.

DIN = Data in

+5V & Gnd are self explanatory.

On the other side of this LED tile you will see the Dout , +5V and Gnd connections.

These allow you to chain tiles.