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Synth build thread: Formant Elektor
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the19thbear



Joined: Apr 19, 2007
Posts: 150
Location: denmark

PostPosted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 10:57 am    Post subject: Synth build thread: Formant Elektor Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Here is a condensed version from another site (the other site is in Danish, and i dont feel like translating a lot, so i'll start out with the pictures from the process... Text might come in the future:

Cut aluminium sheets - and now drilling holes with guide graphics:
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A test made on a plate of random aluminum - not to be used - sprayed with 4 layers of lacquer bougth at the local auto shop:
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A couple of finished front plates. Everything designed in iDraw. More frontplates to come, but i'll start out with these:
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Placed in the rack:
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Some semifinished modules:
Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.
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Got a Yamaha KX49 that i'll use for the master keyboard (it has the worlds most crazy arp built in! I just need a midi to cv module at some point.
-In the left corner i have the boards for 2 vco's. They are WAY to big to fit in a normal eurorack, so i put them on top of each other (yes, what you see is actually 2 boards - hard to tell). I'll have to resolder all the cables. As of now they are too short.

Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.

More modules to come in the (probably distant) future. Right now i'm focusing on getting the oscillators to work.
-The 12 db filter works fine now. The triple LFO is almost working: One LFO core is working perfectly. Another LFO core has a square waveform that doestn work. The last LFO core doesnt work at all.

The noise module (a A118 doepfer module) stopped working completely after i desoldered the pots etc. I apparently connected it wrong and damaged something. I have spend TONS of time on this very simple module but cant for the life of me get it going again.... Evil or Very Mad . Doepfer wont give me a schematic and I don't have the brains/time to retrace the whole thing. I have changed the IC, transistor and most of the caps, but still no cigar..

But still... the project is coming along nicely! all frontplanes/woodwork is done by hand.
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donpachi



Joined: Jul 16, 2009
Posts: 81
Location: Marburg
Audio files: 2

PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 1:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Looks very good Shocked
I like the silver knobs with the black background. Where did you get those?
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the19thbear



Joined: Apr 19, 2007
Posts: 150
Location: denmark

PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 1:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thanks Very Happy

The knobs are from the original formant i bought back in the day..about 15 years ago - the guy i built it from had made it, and I took over the project - knowing NOTHING about electronics. Now a few years and braincells later Im making each module working, and putting them in a nice house..(would love to know where to get more knobs, if at all possible - the original was made in 1977). The panels i designed in iDraw.
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forbin



Joined: Jan 29, 2009
Posts: 120
Location: Fremantle, Australia

PostPosted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 5:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

If you want a great example of what the original Formant is capable of check out: http://myblogitsfullofstars.blogspot.com.au/2010/02/synth-wranglers.html Made me re-access my old ORT synthesizer after hearing that...
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the19thbear



Joined: Apr 19, 2007
Posts: 150
Location: denmark

PostPosted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 12:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

awesomeness!!!
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forbin



Joined: Jan 29, 2009
Posts: 120
Location: Fremantle, Australia

PostPosted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 2:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

yeah -- Benge has some amazing kit and it is nice to see that he even has a Formant -- there was a great article in Future Music a little while ago about his studio
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