Simmons SDS 3 - DIY?

mono-poly · Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:21 am Post subject:

Thanks for the link to the pdf.
I dunno why the SDS3 sounds so damn good.
I had a lot of drummachine;s 808.909.c78,syncussion,tama etc etc
But nothing had that damn good sound of the SDS 3!

richardc64 · Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:34 pm Post subject:

para · Joined: Oct 16, 2006 Posts: 276

if someone does decide to make some boards i'd be in for a few

steven

mono-poly · Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 5:24 am Post subject:

Yeah i would get like 8 boards to.
Damn i never should have sold this machine ever.
This is the most regreted thing i ever sold.

CJ Miller · Joined: Jan 07, 2007 Posts: 368 Location: 127.0.0.1

rubendelacosta · Joined: Dec 25, 2005 Posts: 153 Location: lisbon

Must.......have..........argh

elektro80 · Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 5:06 pm Post subject:

I have no time to invest in recreation of the SDS-3 right now, but I would definitively grab some PCBs and buy in on a group buy for the parts and stuff.

The SDS-3 was/is simply perfect. 8 channels of SDS-3 madness is just what the doctor ordered.

mono-poly · Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 8:08 am Post subject:

Come on you freaks! Razz

dave_b · Joined: Apr 01, 2007 Posts: 42 Location: Kansas City

Is there a consensus regarding the sound of the SDS3 vs. the SDSV? The SDS3 looks like it could be built less expensively.

mono-poly · Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 11:51 am Post subject:

The SDS-3 did blow away my SDS-V
But i think people in the 80's tought it sounded to synthetic.

para · Joined: Oct 16, 2006 Posts: 276

i was thinking single or dual modules not a full eight. i don't really want eight. i was thinking 3 or 4. probably end up doing stripboards if pcb's aren't made, but i'm in no rush.

steven

elektro80 · Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 12:42 pm Post subject:

mono-poly · Posted: Wed May 02, 2007 6:26 pm Post subject:

Is the SDS3 love all gone?
Someone should stand up and do that pcb design Smile

para · Joined: Oct 16, 2006 Posts: 276

yeah i was just thinking about this earler today. i was under the impression that the "channel 5" section of this was actually a mixer. i didn't bother really looking at it before.

mono-poly · Posted: Wed May 02, 2007 10:38 pm Post subject:

There are 4 drum voices and a modulationbus witch you can route to the drum voices.
I would be intersted in single voice prints from the drum channels.

Still a bit disapointed here that none of the freaks jumped in yet.
Because this is the only device i regret selling in the past the most.

Uncle Krunkus · Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 4:35 am Post subject:

Should I do a stripboard version? Shocked

I'll get around to it one day! Wink

Don't hold your breath though! Laughing

elektro80 · Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 4:45 am Post subject:

The thing about the SDS3 is that you might want to have trillions of these. A PCB design, possibly with more synth channels, is probably the best approach. That said, it would probably be smart to have some cunning tronics head to look over the parts list and figure out if the cloned SDS3 should be upgraded/updated/redesigned in order to be cheap and easy to build. Still, the sound of the original SDS3 is really something.

mono-poly · Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 7:27 am Post subject:

IMHO a synth channel on a card would work out the best.
The modulation part could be done by other modules in your modular rig.
And you could easy add another synth channel in future.

bubblechamber · Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 1:29 pm Post subject:

i've got some free time coming up, i'll take a shot at laying out the PCB.
As for the sound of the original, here are a few thoughts after looking over the service material:
1. metal can 3080s
2. single sided PCB
3. hand drawn layout with few right angles and much thicker lines than we use now.
that, plus a great design....

mono-poly · Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 5:17 pm Post subject:

Hey Bubbl great man!
Maybe we can do a groupbuy ca3080's?

mono-poly · Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 10:43 pm Post subject:

I can get metalcan ca3080's for $6 each.
So i would love to see a design with just the old parts Very Happy

bubblechamber · Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 11:20 pm Post subject:

me too. i'm kind of a stickler for those types of things.
i'd be in for 5 or 6 metal 3080s regardless of anything else

mono-poly · Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 8:01 am Post subject:

Maybe we should use the IC version of the ca3080 instead of the metalcan.
It shouldn;t really matter in sound.
Honkongsuperseller sells them on ebay but i am to frighten to buy them.

bdu · Joined: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 21 Location: Sunnyvale, CA

bubblechamber · Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 10:52 am Post subject:

i could lay it out to take both. whether or not the chip versions of the 3080 sound the same as the can version is probably about as a productive a topic as the mac/pc debate.