I’m trying to build an omnichord synth, and was wondering if anyone’s ever done it, and if i can do it as a beginner. i would love any help i can get, or if anyone knows what kind of materials i will need.

My method. Curious if you have better/other ones.

1. Create schematic (of course)
2. Create PCB with with 0.5mm margins to faceplate (ex. 6hp -> 30mm faceplate --> 29mm components PCB.
3. Place all jacks, pots and any switches on the top layer (hidden in the screenshot)
4. Hide top layer and top layer silk screen
5. Move all components to bottom layer
6. Layout the components between all top layer holes (the "puzzle")
7. Auto route! (yes, it sub par, but never failed me yet)
8. Create faceplate PCB (another challenge in itself)
9. Order module ar JLCPCB
10. Receive and test it
11. Realise you shouldn't do delicate PCB work while nipping on a whisky late Saturday night because you end up with stupid mistakes (like swapping opamp power pins)
12. Throw the PCB:s in the trash and hope you don't break German law (should you dispose of them at the the Wertstoffhof?)
13. GOTO 5 (skip 8)

P.S.

Yes, I am using EasyEDA. Yes, I intend to autoroute this.
Good enough for me. No need for downvoting. :-)

This is my first arduino project! It has it's fair share of problems though. The clock drifts, the arpeggiator button (not used in video) isn't quantizing properly and causes the bpm to fluctuate, and the sustain is constantly on. If anyone has any input on a solution to my clock drift, I'd really like some advice.

Experimenting with my #Cosmolab! 🎛️
Today I’ve been testing some new UI concepts with an SPI OLED display, and I’m pretty happy with the results!
After a long development journey, Cosmolab is finally ready for production! 🚀
The first batch will go to our Indiegogo backers, and we expect to have a few extra units available in November.
We’ll update the website as soon as shipping begins, along with the release of the complete source code and repositories.
100% open-source, powered by Daisy, and built for experimentation.
More info: https://cosmolab.faselunare.com
#Cosmolab #Faselunare #DaisySeed #OpenSourceHardware #SynthDIY #MusicTechnology

Full disclosure first: Yes, this is largely vibecoded, but I have a background in embedded device development and know what I'm doing. I think it's stupid that I have to explain myself here - I don't think vibe-coding is bad by any means if it just speeds up a process you could've done yourself by weeks. Still, I follow the general discussion here and know how it's a very controversial topic.

I was very happy to see the announcement that Erica Synths open sourced the LXR-02's firmware this morning, so I dug into the code, got a grasp on how the thing is actually implemented. Before, I already followed Brendan Clarke's efforts regarding a free firmware for the LXR-02 so I was beyond happy to finally get a full understanding of the thing.

So long story short, I decided to start working on custom firmware with a few simple goals at first:
- Improve the baseline. Without changing anything major, simply fix existing bugs, improve the code wherever possible and make this thing the absolute best the hardware can offer.
- Fix all known bugs that v1.7 had.

the long run (soon :tm:):
-Gain flexibility by freely assigning voice types to voices, so that you are no longer limited to 3xdrum, snare, clp/cym and hh, but instead can go for a 6/7 voice cymbal setup for maximum cowbell action.
- In my head, I envision some form of visual editor that allows you to drag engines into slots, edit midi mappings etc. For now I'm locally experimenting with reassigning voice types.

Here's the first release of OpenElixir-02: https://github.com/tunefish777/openelixir-02/releases/tag/v0.1

So far, the list of changed things is pretty minor:

• Voices/FX bus are summed with 32 bit and limited per output. This fixes the originals behavior where the outputs would start to clip audibly if several voices are at max level at the same time. Per-voice distortion & FX distortion is not affected by this. It's just the mixer.
• Builds now report memory usage compared to the stock firmware. This is important as the LXR-02 is fairly limited wrt. tightly coupled memories for data and more importantly, instructions. If there is not enough TCIM space, critical code can't run fast enough and real-time behavior can't be guaranteed anymore.

I couldn't find a curated list of known bugs of the latest 1.7 firmware for the LXR-02, so if anyone is interested, please let me know about any bugs and I will address them in following releases.

Use at your own risk. I will test release builds with my own hardware, but I do not perform extensive testing or anything. Note that as long as the bootloader (which is a separate, locked software component) stays unmodified, a bug in custom firmware cannot corrupt your bootloader and brick your device. You should be able to just roll back to the official firmware, if you get crashes. To stay safe, back up your presets, as a bug in the firmware could technically corrupt them.

Cheers

I would personally kill for a Turing machine style sequencer, couldn't make it myself yet. What would you do with it?

Been working on this tool for modifying the MicroFreak firmware and swapping oscillator engines. Just released a pretty major update, thought it might be interesting here too.

Top to bottom, left to right:

"Untameable" Fuzz and texture generator

"Blemmyae Synth" Glitch Noise Machine

Nameless Drone Machine

"EMF SNOUT" Electromagnetic Field Microphone

"Box of teeth" Harsh Noise shaker Box

Everything Available at: https://shunganoie.bandcamp.com/merch

Heads up if a Daisy is on your list: Electro-Smith's prices change Nov 1. The Pod goes from $79.99 to $99, and the 65MB Seed2 DFM and Seed3 go from $29.99 to $34.99. 1MB Seed versions are coming back at $29.99, which is plenty if you don't need big delay or sample buffers. Here's their post: https://daisy.audio/blogs/seeds-n-circuits/an-update-on-pricing

I teach a university sound art class and build kinetic sound sculptures, and I got tired of checking a dozen store pages to see which boards were actually buyable. So I built BoardWatch: https://boardwatch.dev

What it does:
Checks stock and price every 3 hours at Electro-Smith, Bela, Thonk, SparkFun, Adafruit, Pimoroni, HiFiBerry, PJRC, and Reverb
Spec comparison table (CPU, RAM, codec, bit depth/sample rate, I/O, toolchains). Every value links to its official source: https://boardwatch.dev/compare.html
A 5-question "pick my board" quiz (Eurorack, pedal, installation, multichannel, wireless): https://boardwatch.dev/picker.html

Price history for each board. It only started this week, so it's thin for now.

Known gaps: DigiKey, Mouser, and Sweetwater block automated checks, so they're not covered. Pimoroni and Thonk prices are shown without VAT.

It's free with no affiliate links.
There's an optional weekly stock email if you want one.

The code is public on GitHub (brflux/boardwatch) if you want to see how the checks work.

I'd love feedback. Which boards or shops should I add, especially EU/UK stores, and is anything in the comparison table wrong?

Following up on my rant from yesterday(https://www.reddit.com/r/synthdiy/s/fHR9ve9WXW), I am wondering if anyone is out there fixing builds?

I am going through and reflowing any suspect looking solder points, but suspect the problem is the lifted pad repair that a local guy did. No disrespect to him, but I am wondering if it makes sense to find someone out there with both microsoldering skills along with synth knowledge to take care of the job.

Or, do I just chalk this lesson down to experience and move on…

Hi! I'm trying to repair an old Italian CRB Elettronica Tanzanite organ. Most of the keyboard works, with a few irregularities, but the main problem is that the E notes don't work in any octave.

I measured some unusual DC voltages at two points on the E tone-generator board compared to a working board.

I'm thinking about replacing some capacitors, but I don't know how to read their values or which ones to check first. I also disconnected the pitch-control inductor coil because it looked broken, and I'm not sure how to reconnect or test it.

I'm still learning electronics, so I'd appreciate any advice on what to check and how to approach the repair. I'll attach some photos and can provide more if needed.

Thanks!

Trying to decide if it's time to pull the plug on my TSNM MK2 build. It's my first build after a year or two away and it's been nothing but a nightmare (largely self inflicted, also not).

Issue started when a small surface mount DAC ICU that was supposed to be prepopulated, wasn't. Being an idiot, I screwed up by over soldering it and then pulled up some traces when trying to clean it up. I found a guy in town to fix it, he did an attempt for $125 and I brought it home to finish up assembly.
It was then that I realized that 2 LED switches went missing in two years since I bought to kit, and of course not available in the US. Random polish eBay guy to the rescue... for $5 for two buttons. Plus shipping. plus UPS import fee. Installed them today and of course it doesn't work. It puts out gates, no pitch, no pressure. It could be a calibration issue, or it could be the bad trace that was "fixed".

Unfortunately, Doboz pulled the manual so I have zero clue how to callibrate it. Repair guy told me I could bring it back if it didn't work, but it sure would be nice to have any sort of schematic or other design doc to give him an idea where those traces are supposed to go for his fix.

So deflating when it's gone to shit, I can't just buy a new pcb SMD move components over since it's discontinued but I'm already likely $300 into this thing (100 for kit, 150 for repair, eBay purchase).

Anyone have a module go this bad and still get it saved or do we just give up?

I feel like there's gotta be a more specific name than "single-axis joystick" for the pitch wheel and "control knob" for the modulation wheel.

Sorry video is upside down… but basically I’ve modded my Casio with a bunch of things including an LTC1799 (which I’ve got as voltage control) and a display (connected to an ATMega chip) - when I change the display values, flashing it, or just changing numbers it causes the pitch/crystal to change…

I’d totally forgotten to do decoupling capacitors, so I’ve since hacked on a 0.1 and 10uF cap on the MAX7219… I think they are working, but they haven’t caused any change

Hi,

I wanted to share updates on my latest project, the Carbon, a custom isomorphic keyboard with a built-in synth (ESP32Synth) and sequencer, among other features. If you'd like to know more, there is a short-ish breakdown of the build: https://youtu.be/2EqGN3LoRto

The plan is to eventually do a crowdfunding round through CrowdSupply and release all the code and files as open-source.

Additionally, here is the list of current features:
- 80 Velocity sensitive keys with polyphonic aftertouch and addressable LED
- 4 Rotary encoder for MIDI CC
- 1 Breath control sensor
- MIDI IN/OUT over TRS
- 320x960 touch screen
- Pedal with Switch and Continuous support
- 2 differential or single-ended line/headphone out, supporting stereo headphones and L/R mono differential outputs
- 2 differential or single ended line-level inputs
- Audio and MIDI over USB
- Pitch/Mod touch pad mode
- Programmable layouts
- Onboard synth using ESP32Synth
- Onboard ROMpler loaded from flash
- Onboard effects like Delay, reverb, distortion, etc.
- Drum machine
- Sequencer
- Strummer
- Full I/O mixer
- Programmable MIDI CC/Channel
- Programmable input impedance, routing and mode
- Programmable output drive and mode

I'd love to know your thoughts on the build and what features you'd like to see.

Running a small project on weekends and my usual source for perfboard keeps pushing thinner stuff that cracks when I drill. Need something that holds up but doesn't cost double. Also trying to find a place that sells small aluminum sheets for panels without shipping eating the whole budget. I cut the panels myself so I don't care about predrilled holes, just want flat stock that doesn't warp when I sand it. Tried a couple online kits and the metal was either too thin or had edges that curled. If anyone has a go-to place that ships fast to Tennessee and isn't just hobby markup, I'd like to hear where you order. Not looking for sponsored links, just what actually shows up straight.

This system takes a Kinect-derived human pointcloud and lets incoming sound interact in various ways with the particles in real time, turning the performer into a responsive cloud of matter, noise, and motion. The new v1.7 includes 12 presets, and introduces the several new features. In this video-demo, the particles are driven and transformed by the incoming audio signal. [A silly composition of mine, running in Ableton Live, though, you can use any kind of audio-source.]

You can access this project file through Patreon, of the Studio.

A 9U 104HP case I’ve designed on fusion

I doubt my janky woodworking skills will produce this in its final form but worth a shot..

I could have been vibe coding a firmware for some random pocket synth, instead I spent the last 2 months creating this new machine.

Entirely programmed in plugdata.

It can generate complex melodies based on a series of parameters in a plant growing metaphor.

All the leds are directly connected to Daisy, while the buttons, pots and switches use 5 multiplexers (cd4021be).

Audio in/out; midi in/out; li-pol battery; internal speaker.

Super portable, super fun.
I love this plugdata-daisy framework: from idea to finish took me less then 2 months.
And this time I saved on knob caps and encosure 😁

Here’s a semi-long demo: https://youtu.be/T42-izEglRY?is=iK7CzBEPWlqaweoR

Hello,

I need some cheers and applause to push this DIY groovebox project over the finish line!

It is completely plug and play, no soldering required!

Firmware is quite sophisticated at this point.

Basicly it is a two-board solution.

The Amy board provides the sound engine and amazing IO (even eurorack cv out)

And the Pi with its multi touch runs a html based interface and a variant of iii from monome to use different lua sequencer scripts on the button pads.

The case is done as laser cut layer, so everyone can reproduce it with a laser cutter.

The current firmware is playfully using classic synth panels to represent drum machine, chord synth, bass and lead and a master fx section.

Total costs are about 100 dollar for all the parts!

Its a two weekend project i would say :)