Tag Archives: how to

How to Synth DIY part 4 ANYONE can Build the 555 LFO!

Posted on by

Yes thats right! Anyone can build the 555 timer LFO… and to prove it, I let my 8 year old daughter do it! This was Elly’s first time soldering and she enjoyed it immensely (even with a minor mishap!) If she can jump on the Synth DIY horse, SO CAN YOU!

 

The 555 Timer Oscillator from Synthrotek will be a modulation source for our upcoming Delay Dev kit circuit. (and other circuits as we will keep this modular!)

the Idea is to use this to modulate the rate of the delay board.

Screen Shot 2015-01-11 at 9.27.39 AM  ellyMS20

 

For this project, we won’t be hooking up power just yet as I plan on daisy chaining the power off of another circuit first.

we also will not solder on the attenuator just yet as we will be using wire so that we can place the board more efficiently inside of the case. You can buy the 555 Timer LFO HERE—> Synthrotek Store  it’s only $15.

This series is supported by Synthrotek logo

and from sales of My Sound libraries at Screen Shot 2015-01-11 at 10.03.36 AM

How to Synth DIY part 3 The Passive Ring Modulator

Posted on by

The Passive Ring Modulator

 

This circuit is a very basic one which is why I have chosen it to be our starting point. It is also quite inexpensive with very easy soldering so it should make a great first time soldering project!

A ring Modulator basically takes two incoming signals and combines them spitting out what results in a modulated version of the original signal. This technique was used to create the famous Dalek voices in DR. Who television series.

It can also be used to beef up synth signals, Warp Drum tones, and distort strings etc. overall just a very useful circuit to have handy.

The Passive Ring Mod doesn’t require a power source so no worries there.

Take a look at the video and Have FUN!!!

Here is the Link for Synthrotek’s Passive Ring Mod https://www.synthrotek.com/kit-assembly-instructions/other/passive-ring-modulator-assembly-instructions/

 

This series is supported by Synthrotek logo

and from sales of My Sound libraries at Screen Shot 2015-01-11 at 10.03.36 AM

post

HOW to Synth DIY Series Part 2 (Kit list and soldering info)

Posted on by

How to synth DIY part 2

Synthrotek logo

Now that we have established some basics it is time to take a look at what we are actually going to be doing in this series. I want to start off by giving a list of the Synthrotek Kits we will need in order to complete this series. You can purchase these kits as we go along or all of them upfront (getting them upfront is not a bad idea as we will likely have some live Q&A sessions and it will be nice for you to have the kits ready).

Here are the planned kits that will be involved.

1) Passive Ring Mod Kit (think Dalek voice)

2) 4093 Chaoss Nand kit (drone oscillator)

3) 555 Timer kit (this will be used as an LFO to control delay etc)

4) Dirt Filter 9v kit (distortion and filtering)

5) PT2399 Dev Board kit  (this is a digital delay that emulates analog delay chips)

6 Vac Pack (adds CV control to any variable resistance controlled circuit)

7) Plastic Enclosure  (this will be what we place all our items into) you are not limited to use just this case, feel free to use more than one case or a larger case if you like.

Continue reading →

Synth DIY Project series Part 1 (getting into Synth DIY)

Posted on by

Screen Shot 2014-12-29 at 3.20.37 PM

How to Synth DIY

 

Synthrotek logo

          Here at FluxWithIt.com there is a mind set… If you are not thinking beyond intended operation, then you are limiting yourself.  To better illustrate this philosophy as it pertains to the studio. I have decided to take you all with me on down the rabbit whole and into a land where an old guitar pedal is a synth, a simple 555 timer chip is a modulation source, a plain plastic box can become a sample manglers wet dream. Luckily with Sponsor Synthrotek I will be able to help you on your journey to Nerd heaven.

Before we take the blue pill and get to tripped out on bending and circuit melding, Lets gather our thoughts.

First we need to assess just what it is we SHOULD know before attempting any of this.

here are some bullet points of what I feel you should know… and I will help assist you in learning. Continue reading →

An intro to Eurorack modular synthesizers

Posted on by

An introduction to Eurorack Modulars

 

For sometime now I had been wanting to get myself a Eurorack modular synth but wasn’t fully versed in what I needed to actually make this happen. I was well aware of how one worked (this will be covered later) but not how to actually start without wasting a ton of money. I researched and patrolled forums, spoke to friends that owned modulars and generally took my time to make an educated decision on how to get my first system up and running.

Now I would like to pass some of that knowledge on. This article is intended to clear up some of the foggy entry points to Eurorack and make it a lot easier for people to get the systems they want at an affordable price. Please keep in mind because Eurorack Modulars are indeed fully modular, there is no one correct way to start your modular.

This intro video touches on a few of the topics covered here. I recommend watching it and reading the article as well.

What is a Eurorack Modular and why should I want one?

Eurorack is a modular synthesizer format, think of it like VST is a format for plug ins. Any module in Eurorack format can be placed into a Eurorack case (given you have the space and power allocation) and will work with other modules.  These modules range from basic  synthesis building blocks such as a Amplifier, mixer, Oscillator, envelope, filter etc. to more function and west coast school methods of synthesis such as Function generators (like the Make noise Maths) Flip flops, comparators, even digital control modules.   Continue reading →