electro-music.com   Dedicated to experimental electro-acoustic
and electronic music
 
    Front Page  |  Radio
 |  Media  |  Forum  |  Wiki  |  Links
Forum with support of Syndicator RSS
 FAQFAQ   CalendarCalendar   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   LinksLinks
 RegisterRegister   ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in  Chat RoomChat Room 
go to the radio page Live at electro-music.com radio 1 Please visit the chat
poster
 Forum index » DIY Hardware and Software » Lunettas - circuits inspired by Stanley Lunetta
A hello and a little show and tell
Post new topic   Reply to topic Moderators: mosc
Page 1 of 1 [10 Posts]
View unread posts
View new posts in the last week
Mark the topic unread :: View previous topic :: View next topic
Author Message
adamon



Joined: May 15, 2009
Posts: 96
Location: Lawrence Kansas
Audio files: 3

PostPosted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 10:03 am    Post subject: A hello and a little show and tell Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Hello lunetta forum! I've been lurking around here over the past couple of months (I tend to be quite at times), but I thought I'd show everyone what I've been working.

My project is a hybrid collection of some pure lunetta modules mixed in with some op-amp driven ones as well. Here's a quick rundown of what's in it currently:

Two dual oscillators (2X 74C14 per module) - also two dual oscillator panels that don't have boards done yet

One eight step gate sequencer (4017)

One dual clock with divisions (one 556 and 2X 4040)

One dual low-pass filter (2X MFOS WSG filters)

One green curry quad LFO (2X 555 square LFOs and 2X op amp based sine LFOs) - this will eventually be put into panel form, but I was tired when I was doing the board, and I decided to gamble with the old "breadboard it-hook it up with alligator clips-cram the whole mess into my green curry take out container" thing... somehow it works...!?

Two passive mixers (one resistor summing mixer and one diode summing mixer)

I thought I'd also explain the 1/8" jacks (I figure someone will ask). During the initial stages of my design, I knew that I wanted to utilize vatrols in my modules, and I eventually found that it was easier for me to develop control processes with vactrols instead of direct control voltages. The main concept with the control inputs (the 1/8" jacks) is that you choose between either a hard-wired pot or a jack that connects to the resistive end of a vatrol that is housed in a "controller" module. I like to consider everything "resistance controlled," so you have RCOs, RCFs, and RCAs instead of VCOs, VCFs, and VCAs. The concept was not really developed to be the most ideal, most efficient means of control, but I just tinkered with it a lot and then ran with it. I thought I'd also mention that I am a very visually oriented person, so the case, modules, and layouts were all designed with that thought in mind (also, too many blinkies are better than more blinkies!).

I'll probably make a few updates in the near future as I hope to put some sounds up and I've got an endless array of new concepts in the works.

Thanks to all who contribute here, your ideas have really helped me out early on while I was just getting my first sounds going, and your discussions are truly inspirational.


P2120039.JPG
 Description:
 Filesize:  1.02 MB
 Viewed:  645 Time(s)
This image has been reduced to fit the page. Click on it to enlarge.

P2120039.JPG



P2120041.JPG
 Description:
 Filesize:  1.03 MB
 Viewed:  650 Time(s)
This image has been reduced to fit the page. Click on it to enlarge.

P2120041.JPG



_________________
www.soundcloud.com/adamon

Last edited by adamon on Sun Jul 26, 2009 10:18 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
droffset



Joined: Feb 02, 2009
Posts: 515
Location: London area
Audio files: 2

PostPosted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Welcome!

I like the look of your machine. What did you use to attach the panels to the case?

Cool idea with the curry container, probably makes the sound spicer. Smile

Sound please!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
DGTom



Joined: Dec 08, 2008
Posts: 211
Location: Adelaide
Audio files: 3
G2 patch files: 1

PostPosted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 9:49 pm    Post subject:   Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Great stuff! Love the clear panels!!!

I dig the Resistance Controlled concept - I had thought about this myself but wanted to keep my lunetta open to intimate relations with a standard modular & as that uses minjacks I saw to much potential for 'incorrect' patching. Once I convert my modular to all banana I may re-visit the idea, sounds like its working out nicely for you!

+1 for sound please Very Happy
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
RF



Joined: Mar 23, 2007
Posts: 1502
Location: Northern Minnesota, USA
Audio files: 28

PostPosted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 4:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

That's real nice!
I look forward to seeing some drawings of how you used the vactrols and some of your other circuits - hope you'll share some so the rest of us can..umm...'appropriate' them. Wink

Some sounds would be great too. One thing I find real interesting are the wildly varied ranges of sounds people are getting from these. Each person has a unique concept of use.

Thanks for sharing the pics!

bruce

_________________
www.sdiy.org/rfeng

"I want to make these sounds that go wooo-wooo-ah-woo-woo.”
(Herb Deutsch to Bob Moog ~1963)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
adamon



Joined: May 15, 2009
Posts: 96
Location: Lawrence Kansas
Audio files: 3

PostPosted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thanks for the positive feedback! It's definitely been a great learning experience and a lot of work. I recorded one of my first sessions with it fully assembled yesterday, and I'll be chopping it up and I hope to have a few samples sometime later today. It definitely has a different character than some of the other lunettas on here, mostly due to the filter and sine LFOs (I initially wasn't really sure if this would be more appropriate in this forum or in some of the other more general modular ones, but I figured since I got most of my ideas from this neck of the woods, I'd share here first). The filters in particular really add some serious depth to the sound!

droffset - the rails are mounted to the case with machine screws from the outsides of the case (see the first picture: you can see the heads around the outside of the case). The center two rails are fixed together and then mounted to the case with some brackets (again from the outside with screws) that I machined out of some nylon blocks. I'll be doing the same thing to the top of the case as well in the near future.

DGTom - I definitely had the same considerations with regard to keeping things more universal, but I found that I got a lot more out of developing an entirely new concept than trying to hold to a lot of standards. Its been a lot of fun since I really don't know what to expect while I'm working on new ideas.

RF - at this point my use of vactrols is mostly limited to just what I described above. Basically, whenever I want to have an option to control something externally (something that is normally controlled by a pot), I wired a DPDT switch to choose between either the pot or a 1/8" jack as the "resistive" line in a circuit. My LFO's outputs go through the LED end of the vactrols, and then the resistive end is wired across an output jack. So connecting the output jack with the "control" jack on any module, say the "resistive" line on an oscillator, then the LFO modulates the frequency of the oscillator. I'd be happy to share some schematics (I'll try and get those up with the sounds samples later today).

_________________
www.soundcloud.com/adamon
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
slacker



Joined: Nov 18, 2007
Posts: 301
Location: England
Audio files: 11
G2 patch files: 1

PostPosted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 10:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

That's really cool. I like the way you've used the vactrols, seems like a nicer solution than adding the vactrols to individual oscillators or what ever and then feeding it a CV. Basically means that anything can be made "resistance controlled" without having to use loads of vactrols.

Look forward to hearing it in action Smile
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
adamon



Joined: May 15, 2009
Posts: 96
Location: Lawrence Kansas
Audio files: 3

PostPosted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 5:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

As promised, here's some sounds samples. These three are taken from a 30 minute session that I think may eventually end up as a whole set sometime (lunetta radio perhaps...). Also, I've included a schematic of my oscillators (although I opted to move the fine trim pot after the switch paths to have fine trim regardless of the path chosen).

slacker - that was exactly my thinking while I was doing the layouts. The only drawback is that you still can only modulate one destination per vactrol (as opposed to a CV out that could be shared out), but if you have several sources (say four like I have right now), it doesn't seem like much of a limitation. That also brings up the another concept that I'm working on currently; what I like to call "complex" vactrols: multiple LEDs and/or Multiple photocells in one vactrol (there's some really cool combination that I have bread boarded at the moment).

Many thanks again!


Control Switch Example 1.JPG
 Description:
 Filesize:  47.51 KB
 Viewed:  625 Time(s)
This image has been reduced to fit the page. Click on it to enlarge.

Control Switch Example 1.JPG



7-26-one Sample Track 1.mp3
 Description:
This excerpt has some nice plucky stuff and then it works into a groove.

Download
 Filename:  7-26-one Sample Track 1.mp3
 Filesize:  13.59 MB
 Downloaded:  1222 Time(s)


7-26-one Sample Track 2.mp3
 Description:
This is probably my favorite of the three samples. I somehow managed to stumble across this goblin sound that I use regularly on my micromoog, and then it wanders into a neat little tune.

Download
 Filename:  7-26-one Sample Track 2.mp3
 Filesize:  12.2 MB
 Downloaded:  1197 Time(s)


7-26-one Sample Track 3.mp3
 Description:
Some delicious noise! I can listen to this all day...

Download
 Filename:  7-26-one Sample Track 3.mp3
 Filesize:  11.64 MB
 Downloaded:  1254 Time(s)


_________________
www.soundcloud.com/adamon
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
DGTom



Joined: Dec 08, 2008
Posts: 211
Location: Adelaide
Audio files: 3
G2 patch files: 1

PostPosted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Awesome sounds! Great goblins Laughing

very interested in what sine wave op-amp design you've used? This is def. something I'm missing from my lunetta.

perhaps you've seen it before, but, sounds like you have some 'hairball' plans Laughing

http://www.musicsynthesizer.com/Hairball/hairball.html

Are you using homemade vactrols? Somehow I feel they naturally fit into the lunetta paradigm. IME using a transistor currant source (sink?) on a 40106 sounds like ass, whereas using a simple Voltage to Resistance cct. keeps the fat juicy squarewaves Very Happy
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
sizone



Joined: Jun 09, 2009
Posts: 132
Location: Honolulu HI
Audio files: 48

PostPosted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

All the samples after the first one truncated at the 5 second mark for me. Still, judging from the first sample, siz approved.
What material are you using for your panels? I was thinking about using lexan (clear polycarbonate, the stuff they make radio controlled car bodies with) myself.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
adamon



Joined: May 15, 2009
Posts: 96
Location: Lawrence Kansas
Audio files: 3

PostPosted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 11:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I finished up another dual oscillator tonight, and I decided to give the new, six oscillator set up a test drive tonight; it looks like I can't post any more sounds since it puts me over the 20mb quota limit. I'll put it up on my myspace page tomorrow. I forgot to mention earlier that all the sounds are recorded straight into cubase with just a hair or two of reverb, no equalizing or anything else.

sizone - all three files seem to work for me. What are you using to play them? The panels are 1/8" cast acrylic (plexiglass), but I should mention that it tends to crack easily if your not careful. Polycarbonate is a much more ductile material and handles drilling better, but it can cost two to three times as much.

DGTom - thanks again! Due to the simplicity of the vactrol use, all you really need to concentrate on is driving the LED, so you can start looking beyond traditional audio-related control voltage circuits. I've found this simple circuit to put out the most controllable and useful sine/triangle wave: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2006/06/fading_eyes_led_project.html I modified the circuit a bit to behave more like I wanted it to; I'll try and put up a schematic tomorrow. The hairball is definitely similar to what I'm working with, but I'm also looking at using the reverse: multiple LEDs with one photocell (at this point I'm more interested in complex control rather than multiple outputs, but its still definitely a neat little doo-dad!). I am using homemade vactrols; I'm using mostly diffused yellow leds and some photocells that get up into the M ohm range (not really sure what their rating is, but they've been adequate so far). I've also got a neat bi-directional vactrol that I made by mistake that does some interesting stuff with bi-directional current flow applications.

_________________
www.soundcloud.com/adamon
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic Moderators: mosc
Page 1 of 1 [10 Posts]
View unread posts
View new posts in the last week
Mark the topic unread :: View previous topic :: View next topic
 Forum index » DIY Hardware and Software » Lunettas - circuits inspired by Stanley Lunetta
Jump to:  

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum


Forum with support of Syndicator RSS
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
Copyright © 2003 through 2009 by electro-music.com - Conditions Of Use