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 Forum index » DIY Hardware and Software » Ken Stone designs - CGS
Building the best Sub-Osc possible.
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neandrewthal



Joined: May 11, 2007
Posts: 672
Location: Canada

PostPosted: Mon May 19, 2008 12:00 pm    Post subject: Building the best Sub-Osc possible.
Subject description: By "best" I mean wackiest/most versatile.
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Hi guys. After all the praise of the Sub Osc I've decided to give it the most tricked-out treatment I can cram onto a panel. So, heres the deal, I have room for 18 pots/rotary switches so I will be starting with Ken's 13 knob layout and adding to it. I am confident that any version of the sub osc will make a useful musical effect, so in tricking it out I am just trying to make as many diverse wacky sounds as possible.


Idea 1: Add more dividers to one or both channels.


Kens layout provides divisions of 2, 4 and 8 for each channel, though 6, 16, 32 and 64 are available.

Am I correct to assume that to add these divisions you just have to take that signal from the 4024, run it through a pot, then insert it into the mixer via a 47K resistor?

Could I change the value of the 47K mixer input resistors in order to use more common(cheaper) 100k pots?

Since I have 5 more pots to add, should I add 4 more to one of the channels and 1 to the other, or 2 to one and 3 to the other? Which channel would benefit most from having extra pots added, the A channel? Or the B channel which already has a prescale division?


Idea 2:


I am toying with the Idea of using a 4 pole rotary switch to route different signals to the 4 digital ring modulators one of example of this would be the following diagram:

The switch is a 4P4T . The columns represent what signal will be present at each of the 4 multiplier pots for each position of the switch. Column one is the standard setup which is shown on Ken's layout

Pos1 Pos 2 Pos 3 Pos 4
AxB A/8xB A/4xB A/2xB
A/2xB/2 AxB/2 A/8xB/2 A/4xB/2
A/4xB/4 A/2xB/4 AxB/4 A/8xB/4
A/8xB/8 A/4xB/8 A/2xB/8 AxB/8

Does this sound like a good Idea? It looks good to me on paper, but I don't have the experience to predict what it would sound like. Or perhaps would it be a better Idea to leave 3 of the ring modulators alone and have both signals for the 4th one selectable by two single pole 8 position switches?

Anyways, I realize all of this is subjective, but I just don't have time to experiment with all of this. I just want to build it and set it up in it's permanent home. So, which of the above features would you choose if you had room for 5 more knobs? Thanks.

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otherunicorn



Joined: May 11, 2008
Posts: 136
Location: Australia

PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2008 1:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I'll toss in a couple of clues here:

#1 Each /2 is an octave lower. /64 is 7 octaves lower, not that much use for audio work, but possibly okay for the harmonic sequencing. Remember that most of your playing is probably in the 220 hz to 2khz area. even with the oscillator cranked up several octaves, with /64 in use, you would have a pitch at the top end of the usable range and one at the bottom end both being used together, giving you a pretty poor playing range of a couple octaves at best without one or the other going out of your hearing range (other than the clicks associated with the slower square wave - i.e. higher frequency harmonics). Is it of any use? Beats me. I find the bottom subdivision of my versions to be of limited use as is.

#2 Sure, use 100k pots. Replace all the 47 resistors in the mixer with 100k resistors, and increase the 22k to 47k. If you have already installed the 22k and 47k resistors, just leave them in the board. The only difference will be a slightly more log feel to the pots.

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Peake



Joined: Jun 29, 2007
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PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2008 8:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I did an unbuffered 4024 octave divider when I was in high school (decades ago, don't ask) and used switches for each output. Ken is right, with that many divisions you're sitting on an impressive stack of sound. Did you ever hear Mort Garson's "Black Mass/Lucifer"? There's a sound very similar to this at one point; I don't remember the track name. Lots of fun, enjoy!
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neandrewthal



Joined: May 11, 2007
Posts: 672
Location: Canada

PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2008 12:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thanks for the replies. I guess I'll just go all out on one of the channels. Maybe I'll use the 4PDT switch I originally bought for the 8 knob version to switch between the regular and lower divisions on the second.
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