Hello!

My name is Milan, i'm a 19 year old Belgian music producer. Recently i've been wanting to build some circuits of my own just for fun, and then i figured, why not make synthesizers that normally cost so much from scratch?

I found this website on a forum called "muffwiggler" which is pretty good, but what they talk about is way over my head. What i need is some place to start. My knowledge of electricity is okayish, i finished the DC chapter without really learning anything new (although it was nice to refresh some stuff), even more, i noticed that it was lacking in math a little.

I noticed that this book might not exactly be what i need, so i decided to ask on the forums. Basically, i want to start making VCO's, VCF's, CV generators, envelope generators, resonators, etc. I have little knowledge of AC (just the basis, but nothing that's actually applicable) so i guess what i'm looking for is some place to start learning about actual circuits. I've looked for some schematics of synths, but i get lost in the sea of wires, sometimes not even knowing what some devices are. So can anyone help me?

PS, i'm looking everywhere for an easy explanation of an opamp but not any place on the internet can seem to provide me one...

 

"Just for fun" is a very important part of this because the reason not to make a whole synthesizer is that they are insanely complicated and brilliantly done compared to a Theramin or a Moog. In my opinion, one person could not do, in one lifetime, what has been accomplished by hundreds of well educated people in the last 50 years.

If you're ready to play, the best way to use this site is to ask one question at a time. Work on one circuit at a time. Shotgun questions cause complicated, confused conversations and make people not want to answer you.

Ready...set...go!

 

Opamp easy explanation:
Opamp has + and - inputs, +input makes the output go more positive, -input more negative. If you somehow connect output to -input, you create what´s called negative feedback, making the amplifier output stabilize on certain voltage. For rest, read the AAC book

You might also want to use one of those plugins that let you build your own synthetizer from VCOs etc. and see what blocks you need.

 

Okay, thanks.

Around what voltages does a line audio signal usually go?
What exactly does an opamp do?
How should i divide voltages and currents for a custom modular rack?
Are there any simple projects i can do to get me started? (without doing some youtube video that doesn't go into the "why" of it all)

I'll be back with more

Edit: did not see the post above me. Thanks a lor! I'm quite familiar with how a synth works and i've worked with some modulars before (it was so much fun that i want ond of my own!)

 

How should i divide voltages and currents for a custom modular rack?

Opamps typically use 2x15 to 20V supply, 1A should be plenty.

For the rest http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_3/chpt_8/1.html

 

Line levels typically go up to 2.2v peak http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_level#Nominal_levels

 

1)"Line level" audio is about 1 volt RMS.
2)Op-amps do lots of things, but mostly they amplify.
3)Not enough information.
4) I don't care enough. You pick one.

 

Might want to play with a " Top Octave Frequency Generator" Mostek MK50240. With external clock, produces a full octave +1 note.