Lunetta inspired PCBs - Final rev- interested?

jmejia · Joined: Mar 12, 2009 Posts: 89 Location: portland

Hey guys - I have a few Lunetta style modular pcbs I've designed. I'm about to run a new revision and if there is enough interest I could print a batch of them.

I've designed 4 boards. My goal was to design an extremely inexpensive, and as simple to build modular synthesizer as possible. (onboard pots, jacks, and patch points, no wiring required.) The designs are very Lunetta inspired, and also heavily influenced by Nicholas Collins, and others. Basically they are glorified CMOS chip pinouts.

These PCBs have through holes designed for patch points via machine screws. (WAY cheaper than jacks!) So my patch cords are alligator clips I get for almost no money from Harbor Freight.

I'm sure these ideas aren't new to the forum, but I've been a bit absent lately/in my own world!

Board Rundown:

40106 based Quad Oscillator
4 oscillators based on a 40106 with homebrew vactrol inputs. (I taped an LED to a photocell on my build). Nice sweepy sweeps!

4030 based "Ring Modulator"
I'm embarrassed to admit I can no longer remember where I found this circuit. I'd be happy to post the schematic - which is extremely simple, but it's basically a ring modulator soundalike using a 4030. Maybe a forum member can jog my memory. Smile

(I designed this board over a year ago)

4040 Clock Divider
Just like it sounds! This is the most straight forward pinout of the bunch. Clock in, simultaneous /2, /4, /8, /16, /32, and /64 outputs. Killer rhythmic and/or LFO source when fed a square wave from the 40106 board!

Passive 6 x 2 mixer. 6 passive (resistor) inputs on 2 columns, and a 2 x 1 diode mixer on the third column. (This does another ringmod-y kind of effect. I'm sure that's a trick I got from the Nicholas Collins book.

The schematics are super simple, and I'm happy to share. For my first rev I neglected decoupling caps, I'm planning on adding those for the next rev.

I've been bussing power from a single 9v battery on 1 booard - to the other boards with machine screws and alligator clips.. same as signals.. but I also have footprints on the boards for power jacks if you like. The mixer board has footprints for onboard audio jacks.

If there is enough interest I think I could offer the ring mod and clock divider boards for $10, and the quad osc and mixer boards for $15 ea. This would not include shipping - which would be $1 per board in the USA, and $2 overseas. That prices really depends on quantity/interest as the boards are very high quality, led free, and fabbed in the US. (read: expensive to produce) I recently sold a bunch of 808 kick drum pcbs both here, and on muff wiggler: http://www.muffwiggler.com/forum/topic-54149.html

I guess that's it. Below are some pics! Please let me know how many boards you'd like, and if there's enough interest I'll do a run in the next few weeks!

ALSO - if you're new to the lunetta/cmos thing.. bear in mind each circuit requires basically a single 25 cent chip, and a FEW resistors and caps. These are very very simple builds, and the total BOM for all 4 boards is probably under $5. And again.. no wiring!

I need around 25 folks interested in the full set in order to break even on a run. (Though I strongly recommend ordering a couple extra clock dividers at the very least if you aren't using this with other lunetta gear!)

Pics: http://www.anestheticaudio.com/?page_id=163

jmejia · Joined: Mar 12, 2009 Posts: 89 Location: portland

Oh yeah.. forgot to mention. I have a power starve pot on the quad oscillator board too! Twisted Evil

Psyingo · Joined: Jun 11, 2009 Posts: 242 Location: Canada

Bit expensive for such simple boards isn't it? It doesn't takemuch time to write those up on perf board...

jmejia · Joined: Mar 12, 2009 Posts: 89 Location: portland

Yeah I suppose.. I consider the modules finished/playable though. So for me the pcb cost offsets the need for jacks, cabling, and an enclosure. But yeah, if you're not into the pcb firm factor I don't imagine it'd be worth it. I designed them for myself, but liked it enough I figured I'd see if anyone else wanted some. Smile

Psyingo · Joined: Jun 11, 2009 Posts: 242 Location: Canada

could you post some schematics? BOM or anything?

jmejia · Joined: Mar 12, 2009 Posts: 89 Location: portland

tjookum · Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 10:35 am Post subject:

Thanks for sharing!

I like your idea but unfortunately I've seen several similar pcb runs over the last year or so and they never really kick off. Psyingo is right, perfboard is so easy and you get to do your own lay-out exactly how you want it.

altern8 · Joined: May 25, 2012 Posts: 18 Location: chicago

New here and obsessed with making my own sounds. I think a lunetta pcb platform that has room for mods is a great idea. I like your other ones too like the ring modulator. Would love to get in on this.