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 Forum index » DIY Hardware and Software » Thomas Henry designs
The VCO-555
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fonik



Joined: Jun 07, 2006
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 6:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

my observations so far (no conclusions):
it is true, while all other outputs are 10Vpp, the sine is way weaker on my build - just 6.4Vpp when trimmed round nicely!
when i built the VCO i had no TL074 on hand, so i used TL084 instead. nevertheless, in regards to output voltage swing these parts are speced to be the same!?
today i replaced both TL084 with LM324, and now i get a nice 10Vpp sine.
i wished i could try a TL074, alas, i have only tons of TL072 in my drawer...

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diablojoy



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PostPosted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 2:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Interesting result matthias.
thanks

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AlasdairMoons



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PostPosted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 2:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

fonik wrote:

i wished i could try a TL074, alas, i have only tons of TL072 in my drawer...


I have some lying here ... do you need them now?? could make a letter monday mornin ..

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fonik



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PostPosted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 2:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

thank you for your kind offer! great comradeship here!
but no need to rush. will order a batch this week along with other stuff.

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Thomas_Henry



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PostPosted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 3:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Hello Fonik,

Just a quick comment: the sine is buffered by one of the Darlington pairs in the LM13700. Thus, if the triangle wave is a legit 10Vpp, then changing op-amps elsewhere shouldn't influence the sine. A more likely place to look is at the resistors surrounding the OTA.

By the way, changing the sine trimmers will change the output amplitude. Remember, the "best looking" sine is not necessarily the "best-sounding" (i.e., lowest distortion) and may lower the amplitude due to too much curve-bending. Use your ears only if you haven't already done so, and only afterwards look at the scope.

Scott and I spent a lot of time going back and forth on setting the resistor values to give 10Vpp with lowest distortion. But I suppose LM13700 variation could change this. I don't have the circuit on my breadboard anymore, but maybe Scott does for confirmation.

And, hey, how about that sync!

Thomas Henry
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fonik



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PostPosted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 4:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thomas_Henry wrote:
And, hey, how about that sync!

i thought even my short demo reflects my excitement. i personally favor the timbres of the triangle and saw outputs when synced. holy moly!

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diablojoy



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PostPosted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 4:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Quote:
i personally favor the timbres of the triangle and saw outputs when synced. holy moly!

wholly agree the sync really is wonderful.
makes me wish i could afford 6 or even 12
but my backlog is ridiculous enough as it is
perhaps if you have any LF4xx series in stock ?
I tend to use them inplace of TL0xx now.
better specs and almost unkillable
I had 3 survive reverse polarity totally unscathed the other week on a prototype board which is now working fine after fixing the offending tracks
never had a TL0xx series chip manage that trick and actually that is how i realised my error , as the top of a tl072 that is embedded in my ceiling is still pointing it out to me.
lesson learnt : dont trust the standard eagle parts library and always do your own - the LF442 has its power pins reversed in the eagle library
curtesy perhaps of someone with a slightly twisted sense of humour ?

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sonic



Joined: Dec 02, 2010
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Only just discovered this, and oh lordy! This sounds GREAT! I have all the parts already. Count me in for 2 PCBs, though I'm so excited I want to say more!
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elmegil



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PostPosted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 6:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Quote:
as the top of a tl072 that is embedded in my ceiling is still pointing it out to me.


Smile I think I published the picture of the top of a TL07[1 or 2] that went popcorn on me. Entirely my own fault though.
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AlasdairMoons



Joined: Dec 03, 2011
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 12:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

fonik wrote:
Thomas_Henry wrote:
And, hey, how about that sync!

i thought even my short demo reflects my excitement. i personally favor the timbres of the triangle and saw outputs when synced. holy moly!


For I'm new to the modular world, >>> could someone explain me the wireing of the sync you did in the vid fonik??
I have in my mind the the sync is for a second VCO .... do you make a loop somewhere with the PWM??

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fonik



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PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 2:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

in this special case i
1st: feed the 1V/oct input of the 555-VCO with a cv sequence. then
2nd: i apply a square wave from another VCO (fixed freq and PW) to the sync input (gives this robotic synced sound). then
3rd: i apply a small amount of a triangle from a LFO to the exponential FM input (gives you these phasing overtones).

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Silesius



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PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 3:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Hi, I'm thinking on building a couple of this vco's. I've been waiting for the pcb's, but I'm not sure if this is going to happen, so I think I'm going to try a stripboard version. The circuit is simple enough, and I think I am able to do it, if I am careful.
But I've never tried to match transistors, and I think it's a little too much for me. It would be nice to just buy some matched pairs. I've been looking a little on ebay and some online shops, but I can't find matched 2n3906's. So my question is: is there any easy substitution for that? Would any general purpose matched pnp's work here (let's say a bc557)? Or something like the ssm2220?
Any suggestions would be very appreciated. Thanks!
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fonik



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PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 10:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

it will happen, the new prototype PCBs are ordered allready and should arrive early in december.

re transistors. i did not match mine, i just used two from the same batch. as you can hear in the demo vid this is sufficient, i don't can show you any measuremtns, though.

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Silesius



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PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 11:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thanks, fonik. I think I'll wait for the pcb's in that case. You can count me in for two of them. By the way, is there any chance to get the TH controller LFO pcb's as well? Maybe at the same time? That would be great.
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sonic



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PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 6:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Quote:
the new prototype PCBs are ordered allready and should arrive early in december.


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AlasdairMoons



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PostPosted: Tue Nov 20, 2012 11:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

fonik wrote:
it will happen, the new prototype PCBs are ordered allready and should arrive early in december.


Coool, happy happy

fonik wrote:

re transistors. i did not match mine, i just used two from the same batch. as you can hear in the demo vid this is sufficient, i don't can show you any measuremtns, though.


aarrg, I got a bunch of matched 2N3904 -- will order new stuff mid december, so the 2N3906 should be in this year ready for matching Smile

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JingleJoe



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PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 3:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

ungleichklang wrote:
fonik wrote:

i wished i could try a TL074, alas, i have only tons of TL072 in my drawer...


I have some lying here ... do you need them now?? could make a letter monday mornin ..

I was going to suggest that too but then I saw the timestamp Rolling Eyes
I don't know if I ever mentioned but this VCO is really appealing to me be- oh wait, I already said it in the first post Laughing

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oculus



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PostPosted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 7:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

fonik wrote:
it will happen, the new prototype PCBs are ordered allready and should arrive early in december.

re transistors. i did not match mine, i just used two from the same batch. as you can hear in the demo vid this is sufficient, i don't can show you any measuremtns, though.



hi there matthias. are you using 12volts or 15V?
has anybody made this using 12volts?

Thanks. Fridfinnur
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fonik



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PostPosted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 12:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

you can run it on 12V without any changes.
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oculus



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PostPosted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 3:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

fonik wrote:
you can run it on 12V without any changes.


nice thank you, i guess thereĀ“s no way out, i have to make one. btw thanks for posting the video it sounds really nice
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fonik



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PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 2:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

re sine output.

powering the module from +/-12V, i had to lower R27 to 33k in order to get the 10vpp amplitude on the sine wave.

my recommendation for any build, even 15V systems:
lower R27 to 33k, raise R24 trimmer from 25k to 50k (or even 100k multiturn). then you should be fine.

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stubbyfex



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PostPosted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 1:40 pm    Post subject: WTB 555 VCO PCB Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Hello!
I'd like to order one of the 555 VCO PCB.
I'm using Thomas Henry's VCO-1 currently, with good results.
My synth is a homemade 5MU style.
Thanks very much.
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elmegil



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PostPosted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 8:09 pm    Post subject: AAArrg Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

This is what it looks like if you short all your inputs and outputs together because you wired all the two pin connectors backwards

I'm going to take the lazy man's out and turn the pin connectors around instead of wasting all these (press in type, so they aren't easily reversed) sockets. And I don't think I want to switch so all my green wires go to the tips, cos that will confuse the hell out of me at some point in the future too.

For the record, I am no longer ordering the press in type of sockets, I just ran out of the crimp pin sockets and had these available....

Edit: yellow is pin 3 of the 555, blue is what all the outputs looked like.


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MrZ



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PostPosted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 10:54 pm    Post subject: VCO-555 bleeding Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Hi,
This vco sounds great but I get bleeding to other modules thru the power rails.
Any idea for a solution ?
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fonik



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PostPosted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 1:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

bleeding is an issue that comes up in the forums from time to time for all kind of VCOs.

1st check your PSU. do you see a voltage drop? in other words, can it deliver enough current?

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