Building a Synthesizer

[Thomas_Henry]

Hello Gang,

Some eight years ago I put together a big video, "Building a Synthesizer." The goal, of course, was to make back enough money to pay for all the time and effort I put into it. Hah! Never got a single royalty payment on it...

So, I've decided to release it to the gang here on EM, free of charge of course.

You can find it as an MP4 file at:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bx5_5krPS9HMbW1OcVBBejFIcDA/view?usp=drivesdk

It's about 900 meg, so a big download, but then again it clocks in at 2 hours and 30 minutes. Don't be surprised that there's a few seconds blacked out at the start and the end of it; I removed some no longer relevant addresses, etc.

As usual, please don't copy or sell it, but just send people here to EM to get it. And again, it really is free, but if you get some good out of it and feel like making a small donation, you can at:

https://PayPal.me/THReprints

By the way, the lisp is included free of charge as well...

Thomas Henry

[PHOBoS]

wow, thank you very much for that!
I am pretty sure I will enjoy watching it and learn a lot from it.

[Grumble]

Hi Thomas Henry,

Watched you movie with interrest, it's nice to see a face that goes with a familiar name

I know the movie is kinda old, but maybe I could add a hint: At some point in the construction of a front panel, you make holes for midi din connectors with a punch and you add that you can't drill holes this big at home.
Well, and maybe you know but others don't, you can and I did using a pagoda drill bit in a cordless drill....

I bought it HERE and it will cost you between about 4 and 8 us$

[Cfish]

Thanks Thomas. Now I have something to watch tonight.

[LFLab]

[PHOBoS]

I always wanted those drills but they seem to cost a fortune, about 10x as much as the ones listed above.
But if those work ok I guess I could get me some.

Watching the video at moment, currently the PCB etching process. I was actually expecting more on the electronics side
but I like watching DIY videos so it is very enjoyable. oh, just something about the PCB transfer, I don't know about P&P
but when doing toner transfers on frontpanels, putting it in cold water when still hot was actually what ruins it.

note to anyone else wanting to watch it: there is a part that repeats but it continues after it. fixed.

[Thomas_Henry]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the comments.

I fixed the file and the link to it. I don't how Chapter 5 got repeated twice; I probably shouldn't use a video editor after cocktails. But now it should play through without repetition.

When I was the Audio Specialist at the University of Iowa Electronic Music Studios, we had a complete set of punches. The swing arms for leverage were three feet long, so one could punch any size hole in about 2 seconds! I remember doing hundreds of holes for jacks practically in my sleep. And each hole was perfectly round with no burrs. A great tool that probably cost a thousand bucks.

Yeah, the video probably shows my age more than anything! But I do really like putzing in the home shop, doing things on the cheap.

Thomas Henry

[Paradigm X]

wow.

many thanks for your generosity! im trying to send you some beer tokens (or cocktail tokens! ) but i seem to be locked out of paypal

i will send some when i get back in

cheers thomas!

[khakifridge]

Very generous. On my "to download and watch" list. Thank you, Thomas.

[sixbyseven]

I watched this last night Thomas. You have been a great inspiration to me and many others. I just got back into building analog synthesizers. I had built some back in the late 70s, but went off into the digital world. Funny how our lives circle back now and again. Anyway, I find your contributions to be most helpful, and have even purchased a couple of your PCBs for my modular. Although most of the stuff I make is on strip board, using PCBs makes it a heck of a lot easier with less mistakes on the more complicated circuits.

After watching your video, those cabinets of yours got me thinking about using up all the 19" rack rails I salvaged from the old server cabinets.

[roglok]

Great watch, thanks a lot for sharing!

[fonik]

I am a proud owner of an original DVD!

I always found your explanations, written or in speech, very entertaining. Even though i am not a native speaker i recognize your love for language.

[inlifeindeath]

awesome! i have the DVD as well, I take it this is the same video, or should I DL this too?

[J-chot]

The file is gone.

[JCHaywire]

I come from amateur radio land, a fat decade later. I lived right near Mankato for ages and never knew of Thomas' magic--just under my nose. Now I'm going here and there online, ferreting away what I can find from Lulu, random PDFs. Etc. I have long enjoyed the work of Ray Wilson--and now I find Henry's designs and fulsome narrative alongside. Heavenly!

Jonathan Haynes
W0XO

[Spliffgroen]

Hi! is there still a way I can watch this video? Im very curious but the drive link seems dead. thanks!

[marwatt]

+1