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defog
Joined: Aug 24, 2011 Posts: 113 Location: Philadelphia
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 9:14 am Post subject:
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loydb wrote: | I strongly recommend using Pot Chiclets when you can use pots that they fit. It makes multiple hookups sooo much easier...
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I think I just found a use for all of my unetched small pieces of copper clad. _________________ The Phoenix Vertigo is my Electronic alias. Check out my songs on soundcloud : http://soundcloud.com/charles-stieg/ |
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 5:23 pm Post subject:
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Today was case day. The first pic shows the finger joint jig I'm using. The next two pics show why you always want to cut test pieces. As you can see in the 2nd pic, the blade height isn't quite high enough, so the fingers can't go all the way in. An easy way to adjust the blade height visually is shown in the 3rd pic -- the test piece is resting directly on the blade, and I raised the blade up until the test piece came up off the jig to match the gap I needed.
And then I cut another set of test pieces just to make sure. Pine cutoffs are cheap. Walnut isn't.
This was the first time I've used this finger jig, and I learned a lesson about it -- always recheck the setup after you make a set of cuts. One of the set screws that controls the spacing loosened a bit -- just enough to make about half the pins on one edge too big. I pared it down with a chisel, but there are a couple that I had to re-groove, and will have to fill in later with a shim. It will be invisible on the final piece.
The last pic gives a rough idea of the proportions with the face frame. It will be slanted, remember, which is why the top doesn't come all the way to the front of the sides....
_________________ MFOS Ultimate Expand-o-tron Build Log: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/post-308797.html#308797
MFOS Mini-Controller Build Log [FINISHED!]: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/topic-42968.html |
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RF
Joined: Mar 23, 2007 Posts: 1502 Location: Northern Minnesota, USA
Audio files: 28
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Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 5:39 pm Post subject:
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Awe - That's just beautiful work.
bruce _________________ www.sdiy.org/rfeng
"I want to make these sounds that go wooo-wooo-ah-woo-woo.”
(Herb Deutsch to Bob Moog ~1963) |
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 2:13 pm Post subject:
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Thanks Bruce! I'm in awe of your setup, btw, it was one of my inspirations to start this.
Ok, while lifting this morning I spent a great deal of time staring at stuff, and decided to make the former front of the case the new back of the case. This will allow me to save more of the nicely figured bits of the wood, and cut out the little bits of (light-colored) sapwood.
This required the tweaking of a few pins, and left me with some more gaps that will have to be shimmed at glue-up, but will make for a better looking case IMO.
Once that was decided, I used one of the side pieces of the face frame to trace the angle for the panels. Notice the 'notch' at the bottom that is the width of the face frame so that it is flush with the rest of the case.
The last pic is hard to see, but I've started laying out in pencil where the various shelves and brackets will fall.
_________________ MFOS Ultimate Expand-o-tron Build Log: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/post-308797.html#308797
MFOS Mini-Controller Build Log [FINISHED!]: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/topic-42968.html |
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 4:13 pm Post subject:
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Big update today. We found out a few days ago that we're going to be moving to Rhode Island this summer! I'm now in a race against time to finish up my current open projects before I have to pack the shop.
I'm not quite finished with the cutting, but I'm getting closer. I started out by cutting the grooves in the two shelf supports.
Next, still using the 1/4" dado blade, I cut the slots for the bottom shelf. As it turns out, I should have cut them 1/8" lower... Note the use of a scrap piece under the hold-down so it doesn't mar the surface.
After sliding the shelf into place, I used a pine offcut to make a "T" shaped piece to slide in and act as a drawer stop (as well as to offer some dust protection to the drawer.
Next, it was time to set the all-important angle for cutting the slanted face. You want to align the origin point of the protractor at the exact spot you want to start the cut at. This one measured exactly 11 degrees. (This is the best woodworking protractor on the planet, btw, in case you were wondering which one to get.)
Here's a piece of pine that I've cut to 11 degrees, and I'm making sure that it follows the pencil line (hard to see) when square against the shelf.
Here I've got the miter gauge set to 11 degrees from making the test cut. Because of the size of the piece, it completely covers the T-slot where I'd use a hold down. To try and compensate, I'm using a sliding stop on the left, and painter's tape on the right. I really don't want this to shift while I'm cutting...
Here's the nerve-wracking point. If I've gotten this wrong, everything goes to hell.
Because of the shape of the circular saw blade, it is cutting further on the side you don't see than it does on the top. I stopped about an inch before meeting the notch cut (that I made earlier on the bandsaw, forgot to take a pic).
Apparently, I should have stopped 1/8" sooner... Sigh. It's small enough that it will be easy to patch, but still...
On the other side panel, I can cut to the line, because this is the outside face, and the overcut won't show.
I may patch the overcut when I do the flip side anyway. And here you also see that I made the bandsaw cut on the back instead of the front.
The last 11 degree cut to make is in the top piece of walnut. The front edge needs to be cut to 11 degrees to match the slant of the sides. I used the test piece to set the camber of the saw.
And suddenly, we have a case! I've taped on the ebony face frame, and immediate exposed a couple of problems. First, I'm going to need a small shim under the bottom rail (right above the clamp) to fill the gap.
Second, the shelf is 1/8" too high, causing the face frame to protrude past the top by 1/8". I won't decide how I'm going to deal with this until after glueup probably. I'll either ignore it, or make a matching ebony cap for the entire top. Or maybe bevel it into the back.
Ready for some plugs!
And, thankfully, the pcb bracket will fit on the shelf (I've pretty much decided against attaching it to the panel.
Next up, I need to add the middle support shelf, then do the layout for the vertical pieces that will be needed for screw support. I've also got to decide how I'm going to do the back. I'm thinking hinges. Plus, I need to stain all of the pine pieces with a walnut stain. _________________ MFOS Ultimate Expand-o-tron Build Log: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/post-308797.html#308797
MFOS Mini-Controller Build Log [FINISHED!]: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/topic-42968.html |
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 8:49 am Post subject:
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I'm about ready to send this off to FPE for engraving. In addition to the two modules, I'm bringing power out for my mini-kb controller.
I'd appreciate an extra eyeball or two looking for spelling errors and missing components. All jacks are banana. It comes out to right at $96. Click here for the FPD file. EDIT: The FPD file link is correct for the final version of this panel.
_________________ MFOS Ultimate Expand-o-tron Build Log: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/post-308797.html#308797
MFOS Mini-Controller Build Log [FINISHED!]: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/topic-42968.html Last edited by loydb on Wed Mar 07, 2012 8:24 am; edited 1 time in total |
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PHOBoS
Joined: Jan 14, 2010 Posts: 5581 Location: Moon Base
Audio files: 705
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 10:37 am Post subject:
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looking great sofar
as for the panel, it looks like the text:
POWER
[CAUTION!]
should be moved a bit to the right (compared to the holes)
and I noticed that the "rotor sim on/off" is placed lower then the
"speed change on/off" but maybe you have a reason for that and
from what I understand you allready have the panels drilled anyway.
can't spot any spelling mistakes.
O, and what's the hole in the right corner for ?
(I don't mean the mounting hole) _________________ "My perf, it's full of holes!"
http://phobos.000space.com/
SoundCloud BandCamp MixCloud Stickney Synthyards Captain Collider Twitch YouTube |
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 8:23 am Post subject:
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Ok, here's the final panel design. I've also updated the FPD file. I'll order this later today.
The huge 12-position switch for the sequencer has a very stiff turning action that is going to require anchoring so it doesn't spin. I very carefully drilled about halfway through the panel.
When I started looking at the drawer, I decided it was huge, and I didn't need something that big to hold patch cables. In the process of assembling everything for this, I ran across a PAIA MIDI-to-CV that I'd stuffed and forgot about. Adding it here would make this a truly self-contained synth, and it already runs off of +/- 12v. I think I'm going to build a small "box within a box" for it, and just slide it into the space.
It comes with 3.5" jacks, so I had to drill it out for bananas.
I also fixed the 1/8" protrusion of the face frame by sanding off the bottom/back of the lower ebony piece so that it sits flush against the shelf.
_________________ MFOS Ultimate Expand-o-tron Build Log: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/post-308797.html#308797
MFOS Mini-Controller Build Log [FINISHED!]: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/topic-42968.html |
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 7:49 am Post subject:
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Sigh.
Ok, anyone reading this thread prior to embarking upon a case build, please, please, please, read the following sentence.
*MAKE ALLOWANCES FOR HARDWARE SPACING *
Both the 16-step sequencer and the MOTM 940 have hardware that comes up to the very edge of the panel -- MOTM format assumes that they'll be attached on rails on the top and bottom, not the side.
I didn't allow for this extra space in the case design -- the face frame assumes a 3/8" clearance on the sides to 'nest' the panel. Ooops.
I can either gouge deeply into the side of the case (it would be hidden, at least), or move the 940 to the bottom with the PAIA and center the rest, or maybe move the aux panels for the ultimate/expander and the FPD panel down with the PAIA.
I'll wait until the FPD panel shows up (Wednesday I think) and figure out what I'm going to do then.
Very discouraging at a time when I'm trying to finish this damn thing so I can start packing up my shop.
_________________ MFOS Ultimate Expand-o-tron Build Log: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/post-308797.html#308797
MFOS Mini-Controller Build Log [FINISHED!]: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/topic-42968.html |
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ashleym
Joined: Aug 20, 2009 Posts: 181 Location: uk
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:14 am Post subject:
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I share your pain.
I find the Ultimate panel needs some support to allow you to plug and un-plug the banana jacks without too much panel flex. So the more the support around it the better. |
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 12:37 pm Post subject:
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That's good to know. I may run a reinforment strip where it and the Expander panel meet.
I've talked myself down from the ledge, and am now seeing the positive side of having screwed up the spacing.
New layout:
Move the extra panels from the Expander and the Ultimate, plus the custom FPD panel from above, down to where the drawer space is next to the PAIA. While I'll be sad to lose the drawer, it does save me a bunch of woodworking, and frees up some space on top next to the 940.
Leave the 16-step & 940 on the top half. While there isn't enough space there for the long panels from the Ult/Exp, there *is* 2U+ of space. So I can either drop the (completed) MFOS VCO I have on there (giving me the waveforms that the Ultimate lacks), or perhaps put one of the new Wave Freakers with the new Delayed Modulation module. Or something else. I've also got a Blacet Time Machine PCB. Hmmmm. _________________ MFOS Ultimate Expand-o-tron Build Log: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/post-308797.html#308797
MFOS Mini-Controller Build Log [FINISHED!]: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/topic-42968.html |
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 10:27 am Post subject:
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I finished off the center rail. It ended up being faster to just use chisels to hand-carve the slots in rather than setting up a router for it. The pine base piece is capped with walnut. I started with a small cutoff piece, ripped it to the thickness of the middle rail, then bookmatched it so the grain flows.
It protrudes out the thickness of the ebony face frame so there's no gap for the screws.
All that's left is to deal with the back at this point -- the 'drawer' space panel will be made separately and just slide into place. Plus I need to decide what I'm going to put in that 5 7/8" gap up top...
_________________ MFOS Ultimate Expand-o-tron Build Log: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/post-308797.html#308797
MFOS Mini-Controller Build Log [FINISHED!]: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/topic-42968.html |
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 1:51 pm Post subject:
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The front panel showed up today from Front Panel Express (such great work!). Here's a first look at how the bottom section will appear. Sorry about the black background.
Of course, it wouldn't be par for the course if I didn't find a mistake -- I specced the hole for the rotary switch as if it were a toggle rather than a mountain (pushbutton) switch. So not only is it mislabeled, it's too small. I'll drill it out next time I'm in the shop.
_________________ MFOS Ultimate Expand-o-tron Build Log: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/post-308797.html#308797
MFOS Mini-Controller Build Log [FINISHED!]: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/topic-42968.html |
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ashleym
Joined: Aug 20, 2009 Posts: 181 Location: uk
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 3:09 pm Post subject:
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You've got the addiction quite badly now- just one more module and it will all be OK.
Front Panel Express (Shaeffer to me) are great. And, yes, I made a mistake on my panels too. I have combined a few elements on each panel but sometimes my designs change after the panels were made up......
There is a company over I have a link for somewhere who can put images on panels and drill them out etc. When I find them I will post.
Good luck finishing it all soon. |
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ashleym
Joined: Aug 20, 2009 Posts: 181 Location: uk
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2012 8:34 am Post subject:
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Thanks! I'm pretty happy with FPE, but always good to have options. Along with enlarging the switch hole on the new panel, I've now pretty much completed the woodworking, other than cutting out the back panel (which I won't do until after glueup for a better fit.
First, I made a brace piece for the Ultimate/Expander panels.
Next, a small piece that I'll glue into the corner of the back to hold the wall wart plug. I'll need to attach some long wires to this before gluing it in.
Finally, I used the Workmate as a vice to hold the top, outlined the hinges, then used chisels to cut in a slot for them.
Now I just need to stain the pine! Then it's on to sanding prior to glueup.
_________________ MFOS Ultimate Expand-o-tron Build Log: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/post-308797.html#308797
MFOS Mini-Controller Build Log [FINISHED!]: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/topic-42968.html |
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:26 am Post subject:
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Gentlepersons, we have glueup.
First, I did a final dry run, making sure that the case could, in fact, be assembled square.
After everything checked out, I put painters' tape around the joints to keep as much of the glue as possible off of the wood. I'm going to have to resand the exterior anyway when I do the final pore filling, no sense in making it harder than it has to be. If you've never sanded glue, it tends to be brittle and hard after it has cured...
Here you can see where I'm filling some of the gaps left when I switched the front to the back and had to remove some wood.
This is the next morning (today). I use chisels to clean up the squeezeout in various spots.
The next step is pore/gap filling. I tape around the spots I want to fill -- the first one is where I accidentally cut too far when making the angled sides. The second is where I cut in the wrong place earlier with the bandsaw.
You can get commercial pore filler (Pore-O-Pak is my favorite). In this case, I am making my own with walnut analine dye, Tightbond wood glue, and walnut sawdust I saved from the sanding process earlier. I'm using Tightbond here instead of the Gorilla Glue because Tightbond doesn't foam up.
Finally, I trowel it liberally along the joints and into the gaps, and leave it to cure overnight.
_________________ MFOS Ultimate Expand-o-tron Build Log: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/post-308797.html#308797
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:23 am Post subject:
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It's starting to look like a case!
Prepping the power connector with plenty of extra wire. I'll trim it to length when everything else is installed.
These clamps are awesome for doing face frames. There's a curved piece of spring steel that exerts downward pressure when you jam it against something, and two side clamps to grip the sides.
I'm getting ready to glue the first frame on, and I don't want to have to slide it up and down finding the perfect angle again. I'll use the clamps to hold it in place, then drill a small hole for these tiny brass screws. Once the glue is set, I can take them out -- but I may leave them in place, we'll see. The top one would be visible due to the 16-step panel not being flush left. It might be a nice accent against the ebony.
Glueup time. I'll have to do one side at a time throughout the day, I only have two of these clamps. They're cheap, I should get a few more.
_________________ MFOS Ultimate Expand-o-tron Build Log: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/post-308797.html#308797
MFOS Mini-Controller Build Log [FINISHED!]: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/topic-42968.html |
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RF
Joined: Mar 23, 2007 Posts: 1502 Location: Northern Minnesota, USA
Audio files: 28
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Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 2:23 pm Post subject:
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This is getting pretty hard-core, Lloyd!
Love the power connector _________________ www.sdiy.org/rfeng
"I want to make these sounds that go wooo-wooo-ah-woo-woo.”
(Herb Deutsch to Bob Moog ~1963) |
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loydb
Joined: Feb 04, 2010 Posts: 393 Location: Providence, RI
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Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 2:53 pm Post subject:
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Thanks! I need to glue that in place tomorrow, along with the bottom rail and vertical support beam, then I can move on to the case back, the bottom panel, and the finish work! I don't know if I'll be able to finish the case this weekend, but I'm going to try...
I've added the top rail and right rail through the day, pics in the morning. _________________ MFOS Ultimate Expand-o-tron Build Log: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/post-308797.html#308797
MFOS Mini-Controller Build Log [FINISHED!]: http://www.electro-music.com/forum/topic-42968.html |
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