Build Break Jam

Sometimes ya just need to take a break and mess around with the gear you have and make horrible music.

Paia - Hot Springs Reverb

Custom build for a customer.  Now this is one nice spring reverb.  There is relatively no hum and there is a crisp brightness to the reflections.  I'm totally building one for myself.  Check it out here

I used a 10x10 outdoor electrical case from Home Depot.  There should be enough height in it to stack 2 hot springs in there for stereo (which I'll probably do for mine).  I've had a drawer filled with those oldschool Fender style pilot lights for years.  Never had a reason to use one until now.  An 8mm LED fits perfectly in them.  My only complaint with the design is there is not an amount pot.  There is a gain trimmer in the PCB, but, it's not a dry/wet mix.  I'd have to design a circuit to get that, which I may do.

More Photos Here

PolyLAB Update 11/15/2013

Think I finally decided on a the MIDI 2 CV.   Hexinverter.net has a DIY MIDI2CV that pretty much fits the bill.  The only issue is it cannot chose how many voices for poly.  It's either 1 or 4.  But, there is a version of software over on muff's that allows to select how many voices, among other things.  At first I was just going to hardwire it under the panel, but I decided that I would wire switched jacks and normal everything for 2-voice poly, but when a cable is inserted, it will break the connection.  Should be pretty cool.  While I'd like to have a custom one built, I don't know how to write code and it would probably be a lot more expensive to pay someone to build it for me.

The Globals panel is pretty much laid out.  I just ordered that last remaining parts needed.  Now the big challenge is getting the case designed and built.

PolyLAB Update 11/12/2013

Lastest and possibly final PCB revision.

Here's what we got:

• Mod Bus (Osc 1, Osc 2, Filter, PWM).  Each destination is global.
• 2 Portamento's, each with their own amount knob and symmetry (slide in, out or both).
• Master Audio Output Mixer
• 2 Gate LED Drivers

Probably going to order up the boards next week.  Hopefully I can get it built and tested by the end of the month.  

Now, to find someone willing to write code for the polyphony dispatch & MIDI 2 CV....

Temporary Hiatus

I will be closing up shop for the remainder of the year.  I've got quite a bit of stuff on the bench I need to get done and we are having a baby in 2 weeks!

Once the dust has settled from having a newborn and the holiday's are over, I reconvene taking build requests.

I will continue to respond to emails, so if you have a build request and are ok with waiting a couple months, please feel free to send me a request and I'll put on the list.

Thank you and good night.

Jmej 808 Kick Clone

Damned small PCB!  The sound is undeniably an 808 kick.  I had a dotcom Noise Faceplate laying around (I gutted it and the dotcom S&H and mounted them onto 1 MU Panel), so I re-purposed it.  Just need a couple extra holes for the pots.  Looks crappy but it works.  Only bummer is the output is a bit low compared to other modules.  May look into modding it to raise the output.

More info here.

At any rate, add this to the list of stuff I'll build.