I may be a crazy person.

I love old analog synths and sequencers.  I don't have any because I don't have any need for them in my music.  they're way too dated for what I do and would stick out like a sore thumb if I used them.

but they are cool!

Keep it simple.  Make it modular.

Start with a very basic oscilator circuit that gives you a beep,  LEARN HOW IT WORKS.  Use your new knowlege to modify it to give different waves, square, saw, sine, etc.

Add an envelope generator,  again very simple.  Learn how it works...

Add a filter.  Learn, etc.


Designing and building a synth from scratch can be a daunting prospect for even good electronic engineers. But split it down to a modular synth and the individual elements can be very simple circuits.

To be honest,  probably the hardest part if you want to "play" it as opposed to program it with a step sequence will be connecting a keyboard.

Check out PAiA for some possibilities:

http://www.paia.com/fatman.asp

They have been making synth kits for a few decades.

Mr. Craig Anderton used to work with them by providing designs and tech docs for various products they make... so you may wish to ask him for a recommendation about their kits.


best regards,
mike

craigb


I've got a theremin kit that I've been meaning to build for years now...  SOMEDAY!

I used a VSTi Theramin on the intro to THIS SONG.

Okay, gang, I think I know what I'm gonna do:  I'm going to make an Atari Punk Console (apparently some really simple noisy little synth that fits in the palm of your hand) and a 16-step sequencer...  Then I'll plug them into one another and see what happens!  This'll be my first little test-go to see what it's like tinkering with this sort of thing, just to get my feet wet.  This should keep me busy through this week and should also give some insight into the whole process of building electronic noisemachines (which, starting from zero, is something that I need).

I'm getting a little worried about the practicality of it all, though.  With the APC and a sequencer, I'm not sure how I'm going to get everything to sync.  I want everything to be a matched tempo with the ability to hit a button and have everything start up simultaneously.  Haha, there's gonna be some reasearch before I understand what factors are at play to make that happen, but I'm sure it's doable (probably involves using MIDI, though, so there's another thing to add to my ever-growing list of things to reasearch).  Just gotta soak up the knowledge...

Lemme tell you what I hope to shoot for as my live setup when the plastic-smelling smoke of my first experimentation dissipates.  I don't know how I'm going to go about any of this, but I'm going to define my goals early on here so I have something to shoot for as I tinker.

Here's the incredibly-ambitious dream setup:
Bass:  I want a step sequencer driving a bass synth (the synth should have filters and LFOs for frequency sweeps and all that fancy nonsense).  I want to be able to change the notes of the bass sequence accurately as it plays, so I can punch in a fill here and there on the fly (I don't think this is possible with the Baby 8-style sequencer because the pitch is controlled by a knob that isn't locked to semitones, so I might need to find a different sort of sequencer for my final kit).
Drums & Arps:  I want to use my Nintendo Game Boy (with sounds made from pulse waves and noise) to sequence and play back drums and arpeggiated tones(using Little Sound DJ).  I'll need to figure out how to make the Game Boy start with the rest of the gear and also set it up so I can control the LSDJ's tempo with the master tempo knob that rules over this whole kit.  The Game Boy should be routed through some sort of EQ so that I can keep the drums punchy.
Lead:  I want to build a synthesizer just for lead.  Something with multiple oscillators, filters, amplifiers, and all that fun jazz.  I want to be able to play this synth via a keyboard.
****y Tacos:  You know, extra electronic noisemaking junk that I can collect here and there -- effects pedals, pad synths, all-beef filling-- that sort of thing.
Vocals & Output:  The microphone, along with all of the above gear will be routed through a mixer and out to the PA/soundcard/whatever.

Well, there's my goals.  I don't imagine it'll all happen over night, but I do think it's possible to get this all set up before I'm too old to lug around several suitcases of electronic music bits.  With a setup like this I could create and play live arrangements, and perform electronic music more as a, well, performance, rather than just hitting the "play" button and standing there with one can up to my ear as I've seen a few people do.

Whatcha think?  Noble goals, or foolhardy nonsense from a total n00b?  All opinions welcome.

Also:  That's really cool, bitflipper.  Just the fact that you didn't even know where to start and that you ended up with a working 16-step sequencer fills me with all kinds of hope!

I can't wait to get that Atari Punk Console together so I can make some silly blips


EDIT:  lawl, the forum censored the word s.p.i.c.y.

Change of plans, lads!  We set sail for this is way, waaay to effing hard to do from scratch (not to mention something that hit me like a pile of bricks as I was researching the Atari synth... there's nothing modular or expandable about the Atari synth, which means I'd abandon it within weeks of building it)!  I think I'll get a prefab printed circuit board (or just wing it) and build something that will have lasting power in my collection of noismakings:

http://tinyurl.com/6sutjsa

I've heard good things about MFOS, and this is a full-fledged synthesizer (just small, and not feature-intense).  I can build an adapter to connect it to a MIDI keyboard or sequencer or Cakewalk or whatever and have all the fun in the world, all while having something that won't become immediately outdated to me...  Also, all of my crazy, lofty goals can still be met one way or another (can't wait to sync up a drum machine, a Game Boy, a DIY synthesizer, and a grande burrito to play live electronic music)!


Now that's a spisey meatball :)

Baring in mind your addmited knowledge of electronics can I point out..

This project assumes a basic level of electronics proficiency and knowledge.
To build the Sound Lab Mini-Synth you must be able to read and understand schematics, relate schematics to physical components, solder, do panel wiring, case building, and very importantly be able to troubleshoot the finished project.
The Sound Lab Mini-Synth project does not have step-by-step instructions to follow.

Tyson, I just ran into this on another forum, and remembered reading this thread... Might be something useful.  Build your own synth kits:  http://meeblip.com/

TysonC


Thanks, Jubilee.  I'll check it out.

 
I nominate that as coolest misspelling of a member name yet!