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 Forum index » DIY Hardware and Software » MusicFromOuterSpace.com designs by Ray Wilson
Ultimate Expandotron MFOS + hint of Buchla Photo Build Blog
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loydb



Joined: Feb 04, 2010
Posts: 393
Location: Providence, RI

PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 6:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

This is the first weekend in awhile that I haven't felt like my head was going to explode, so I got almost everything dimensioned down to 3/4" thickness yesterday. For the two internal shelves, I don't want to use $$$ walnut -- the only part that will be visible is the leading edge, so I'm gluing a walnut strip onto a pine board. I'll plane the pine down to final thickness today so the strip matches exactly.

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loydb



Joined: Feb 04, 2010
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Even though I kept a dust mask on the entire time, my sinuses are still displeased with the woodwork & pollen combo. Hopefully it's gone by next weekend. Crying or Very sad
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loydb



Joined: Feb 04, 2010
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 4:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Finally did a Mouser order and got the correct-size 24-pin IC sockets for the MFOS sequencer boards, and stuffed the analog board with resistors. Time to get moving on this again.
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loydb



Joined: Feb 04, 2010
Posts: 393
Location: Providence, RI

PostPosted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 3:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Finished off the analog board for the sequencer. The first two pics show how to do resistor R25 with a parallel capacitor.

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iopop3



Joined: May 28, 2010
Posts: 94
Location: Malmö, Sweden

PostPosted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 10:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Really nice to see that you are working on this again. Looking forward to see how your cabinet will end up like.

Somehow this thread contributed to my decision to get a Ultimate + Expander. Both are stuffed since a few months ago as well as the 16 step sequencer. My current excuse for not wrapping it up is that I'll move next month and a few pcbs needs less space than a complete cab. Will have the Ultimate + Expander as one complete unit, and the sequencer as a 5U module.
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loydb



Joined: Feb 04, 2010
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 8:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Post pics when you've got yours together. I'm trying to wrap my head around how I'm going to mount all this stuff. Smile
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sompost



Joined: Aug 17, 2010
Posts: 58
Location: Switzerland

PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 12:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Isn't the C6 position right next to the R25 resistor where you could have soldered the 470pF capacitor in? I can just about see it on your photo. There's no need to piggyback it on the revision 2 boards. Just askin'....

Cheers, and great photo blog!

PS: I'm about to finish my own SoundLab U+E soon, and am looking forward to posting pictures.

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Built: MFOS SLMS plus, SL Ultimate & Expander, 10 step seq; SLMS MkII; PAiA FatMan, Mutable-Instruments Shruthi-1; Jasper Wasp Clone
Building: Maddox MonoWave; Auduino; ASM-2; Minimoog Clone
Backlogging: MFOS 16 step seq; TH SN Voice; Takeda One Board Farm; Okita Vocoder; Page TR-9090; TH GM Voice, AY Voice
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loydb



Joined: Feb 04, 2010
Posts: 393
Location: Providence, RI

PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 8:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I noticed the pads there, but assumed it was a layout error because the docs indicated to solder parallel. I guess the instructions I printed haven't been updated. Rolling Eyes I'll leave it as-is, assuming everything works ok. If not, easy enough to desolder.
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loydb



Joined: Feb 04, 2010
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 9:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Finished off the digital board for the sequencer. Nothing left to stuff but the Expander!

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loydb



Joined: Feb 04, 2010
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 6:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Started the Expander, got the diodes and the first few dozen resistors stuffed.
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RF



Joined: Mar 23, 2007
Posts: 1502
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Audio files: 28

PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 5:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Keep on loydb - watching with interest...
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(Herb Deutsch to Bob Moog ~1963)
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loydb



Joined: Feb 04, 2010
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 5:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Resistors done!

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RF



Joined: Mar 23, 2007
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Props! That was the most painful part of the build to me.
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iopop3



Joined: May 28, 2010
Posts: 94
Location: Malmö, Sweden

PostPosted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 1:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I usually find stuffing resistors a rather relaxing experience but on both the Ultimate and Expander it felt like too many and became stressful.
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ashleym



Joined: Aug 20, 2009
Posts: 181
Location: uk

PostPosted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 7:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I agree with all above, this is consistently good work. As ever jealous of the wood working kit.

For some of the less regular values Ray chose I ended up using Welwyn resistors. The range I used have plain black bodies and the value printed on them numerically. These make the board look very neat, no endless stripes.

Resistors are one thing but what gets me is the board to pot and socket wiring. I ended up wiring and cable tying rather than other peoples twisted groups that look a lot better. That is my only issue with the 2 PCBs, I would have preferred a design that allowed PCB plugs to be used. I am sure this would mean a larger more expensive board but I feel we would gain a lot in trouble shooting and keeping our Ultimates/Expanders looking good and working.
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loydb



Joined: Feb 04, 2010
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 7:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Worked on capacitors last night. I'm basically done except for the .1 uF. I need 43, I had 42 on hand. Mad

Mouser should deliver tomorrow.

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loydb



Joined: Feb 04, 2010
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 3:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Sigh. I am one capacitor short Sad I apparently mis-read my master spreadsheet, I only have 1 uF nonpolarized Aluminum caps, and I need a single 10 uF one instead.

Of course, I just made my "final parts needed" Mouser order last week...

FML.

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loydb



Joined: Feb 04, 2010
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Well, I ended up needing a CD4066 as well, so at least it won't be a one-item order Smile

This essentially finishes the last of the PCBs for the project. I'll work on the panel next, and finish the case! Then the wiring fun begins...

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loydb



Joined: Feb 04, 2010
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

A note to anyone building an Expander -- the Mouser BOM on MFOS has an incorrect part. The 10 uF non-polarized aluminum capacitor for C38 is a normal polarized cap in the Mouser cart. I emailed Ray, he's changing it, but if you get to the end and wonder why you're missing a piece when you thought you ordered everything, that's why Smile
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loydb



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PostPosted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 7:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

The last parts showed up, here's a family shot of all the completed PCBs! Now on to the case...

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loydb



Joined: Feb 04, 2010
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 3:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Back to the woodworking portion of things. It's 112 degrees in my shop today. Evil or Very Mad

First up are the Walnut boards for the case exterior. I won't cut them to final size until I finish the face frame (the rest of the pics). Like I did on my mini-controller (see signature), I'm going to use Ebony as the accent wood. The biggest part will be a face frame that will surround the synth front panels. You can see the before and after from resawing the board in half on the bandsaw. This gave me a pair of matching pieces that I cut into 3/4" strips. I cut them slightly oversize so that I could use a jointer on the edges.

I then used a small thickness sander (made for model shipbuilders to dimension planking lumber) to remove the bandsaw marks on the final strips (you can see the marks the bandsaw left on the opened bookmatch).

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diablojoy



Joined: Sep 07, 2008
Posts: 809
Location: melbourne australia
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 4:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Quote:
It's 112 degrees in my shop today.

damn thats not nice to work in thankfully we dont get those temps here very often, only a few days each year
very nice plank of macassar ebony i can see no obvious faults in that piece
last price i got on that stuff was ridiculous and what was on offer was no good for fret boards, too many shakes Crying or Very sad
swapped to using cocobolo for fret boards for a while but that too has become unobtainium now Crying or Very sad .I only have a small quantity left
don't know what i will use once its gone.
more than a little jealous of that mini thickness sander you have there
I have to do that sort of thing by hand Smile .
good idea with the dust extraction too , sanding ebony is really bad

really like seeing this progress, nice thread Smile
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loydb



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PostPosted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 8:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thanks!

Do you make archtops?

That's a piece from a longer ebony board that has been providing me with accent pieces for years. I'm going to be sad when I have to buy some more, it's so damn expensive these days.

Cocobolo used to be my favorite wood until I developed a skin allergy to it. Now I use it very sparingly, wearing long pants, socks and long-sleeve shirt, and immediately shower when I'm done surfacing/dimensioning it. Below is a jewelry box/table I made for my mom. The legs are cocobolo, the boxes zebrawood.

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Skrog Productions



Joined: Jan 07, 2009
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Location: Scottish Borders
Audio files: 155

PostPosted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 8:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Great work with the populating , and nice carpentry skills as well Smile
I look forward to see how the synth Seq develops.

Dave.
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diablojoy



Joined: Sep 07, 2008
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 2:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Quote:
Do you make archtops?


any true hollow body archtops = nightmare challenge
alas i fear my skill level would be inadequate to do them
any justice , maybe one day i might try.
there was a local guy who ran courses Carson Crickmore. his archtops would have to be some of the best i have ever seen don't know if he's still going now though. really wish i could have done those courses but at the time I had other priorities .

Quote:
Cocobolo used to be my favorite wood until I developed a skin allergy to it.

thats a real bummer , surprising you are ok with ebony then it started to give me nose bleeds now i have to use a full mask for sanding.
dust extraction isn't enough
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