electro-music.com   Dedicated to experimental electro-acoustic
and electronic music
 
    Front Page  |  Radio
 |  Media  |  Forum  |  Wiki  |  Links
Forum with support of Syndicator RSS
 FAQFAQ   CalendarCalendar   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   LinksLinks
 RegisterRegister   ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in  Chat RoomChat Room 
 Forum index » DIY Hardware and Software
thru-zero VCOs
Post new topic   Reply to topic Moderators: jksuperstar, Scott Stites, Uncle Krunkus
Page 1 of 8 [184 Posts]
View unread posts
View new posts in the last week
Mark the topic unread :: View previous topic :: View next topic
Goto page: 1, 2, 3, ..., 6, 7, 8 Next
Author Message
andrewF



Joined: Dec 29, 2006
Posts: 1176
Location: australia
Audio files: 4

PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:23 pm    Post subject: thru-zero VCOs
Subject description: do i need one?
Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

maybe all the talk over the Zeroscillator during the past year has finally gotten to me.
no way I'm gonna buy one, where's the fun in that?
so i have been drooling over the Electronotes thru-zero VCO (the one in Preferred circuits)
has somebody tried this design? like it? Or general opinions on thru-Zero?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
fonik



Joined: Jun 07, 2006
Posts: 3950
Location: Germany
Audio files: 23

PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

thank you for bringing this up. i am thinking of trying rene schmitz' design. he is using a 4.7 NTC which looks very interesting to me.
http://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs159/vco6.html

_________________
Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.
cheers,
matthias
____________
Big Boss at fonitronik
Tech Buddy at Random*Source
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
ickystay



Joined: Nov 15, 2006
Posts: 142
Location: Oregon

PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

fonik wrote:
he is using a 4.7 NTC which looks very interesting to me.
http://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs159/vco6.html



Parallel with a normal 4K7? Was that a design necessity, or a parts box adaptation?

Looks cool anyway. Thanks for the link!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
fonik



Joined: Jun 07, 2006
Posts: 3950
Location: Germany
Audio files: 23

PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

ickystay wrote:
fonik wrote:
he is using a 4.7 NTC which looks very interesting to me.
http://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs159/vco6.html



Parallel with a normal 4K7? Was that a design necessity, or a parts box adaptation?

Looks cool anyway. Thanks for the link!

it's another kind of temerature compensation circuitry:
http://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs159/expo_tutorial/index.html

_________________
Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.
cheers,
matthias
____________
Big Boss at fonitronik
Tech Buddy at Random*Source
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
frijitz



Joined: May 04, 2007
Posts: 1734
Location: NM USA
Audio files: 54

PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 8:35 am    Post subject: Re: thru-zero VCOs
Subject description: do i need one?
Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

andrewF wrote:
maybe all the talk over the Zeroscillator during the past year has finally gotten to me.
no way I'm gonna buy one, where's the fun in that?
so i have been drooling over the Electronotes thru-zero VCO (the one in Preferred circuits)
has somebody tried this design? like it? Or general opinions on thru-Zero?

I've always thought this one looked interesting. It's part of Henry's frequency shifter:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/henry01/frequency_shifter/freq_shifter03-02.pdf
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
andrewF



Joined: Dec 29, 2006
Posts: 1176
Location: australia
Audio files: 4

PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

it is somewhat different.
all my 13700s are spoken for though Smile
Most designs seem to use switching and/or gates in combination with the transcond. amps. (Electronotes version has a 4013, 4070 and 3080s)
we best not forget Mr Tillman's trapezoid quadrature oscillator with thru-zero capabilities -
http://www.till.com/articles/QuadTrapVCO/vcocore.html
it looks very elegant, i guess some output circuitry would have to be decided upon. there is a good read about the benefits of low voltage operation and local regulation.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
frijitz



Joined: May 04, 2007
Posts: 1734
Location: NM USA
Audio files: 54

PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

andrewF wrote:
it is somewhat different.
all my 13700s are spoken for though Smile
Most designs seem to use switching and/or gates in combination with the transcond. amps. (Electronotes version has a 4013, 4070 and 3080s)


Henry's is switched via steering diodes so it might have smoother transitions and avoid possible problems with switch chatter. Just a guess, but something to think about. Smile
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
andrewF



Joined: Dec 29, 2006
Posts: 1176
Location: australia
Audio files: 4

PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Any suggestions on setting up Henry's as a stand-alone module?
it seems from the output circuitry it is designed to be wired directly into the next stage of his freq shifter.
Would a couple of op-amps wired as unity gain buffers and say 300-1k resistors, before the jacks, do the job?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
frijitz



Joined: May 04, 2007
Posts: 1734
Location: NM USA
Audio files: 54

PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

andrewF wrote:
Any suggestions on setting up Henry's as a stand-alone module?
it seems from the output circuitry it is designed to be wired directly into the next stage of his freq shifter.
Would a couple of op-amps wired as unity gain buffers and say 300-1k resistors, before the jacks, do the job?

The outputs are already connected to buffers, so you can just hang your standard (1k) output resistor off of where the marked output terminals are. Smile

I'm not sure about what the output voltage levels are, though. You could e him.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
andrewF



Joined: Dec 29, 2006
Posts: 1176
Location: australia
Audio files: 4

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 5:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

just to follow up on this -

i built the EN thru zero oscillator on stripboard.
Not too hard, worked straight away.
haven't played with it a lot (panel not finished) but it definitely does things regular VCOs can't, plenty of strange new sounds are waiting to be discovered.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
fluxmonkey



Joined: Jun 24, 2005
Posts: 708
Location: cleve

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 6:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

andrewF wrote:
just to follow up on this -

i built the EN thru zero oscillator on stripboard.
Not too hard, worked straight away.
haven't played with it a lot (panel not finished) but it definitely does things regular VCOs can't, plenty of strange new sounds are waiting to be discovered.


a stripboard layout you could share, perhaps? (drool drool)

b
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
andrewF



Joined: Dec 29, 2006
Posts: 1176
Location: australia
Audio files: 4

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

sorry nothing on paper
i just put in the chips, evenly spaced, then start from the left of the schematic and work my way to the right.
it aint pretty.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Funky40



Joined: Sep 24, 2005
Posts: 875
Location: Swiss
Audio files: 1
G2 patch files: 5

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 6:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

A Board run for this one would be very nice.
I'm shure there is enough interest in such a board.
Rolling Eyes

i have not the 1000 Bucks for a Zero.............
and i'm not good enough to draw it by myself
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
frijitz



Joined: May 04, 2007
Posts: 1734
Location: NM USA
Audio files: 54

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 6:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

andrewF wrote:
sorry nothing on paper
i just put in the chips, evenly spaced, then start from the left of the schematic and work my way to the right.
it aint pretty.

So you do the trace cuts as you go along? After all the components are in place? For me it would just be easier to use pad-per-hole perfboarrd. Hmmm ... have to think about that some more. Surprised
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
andrewF



Joined: Dec 29, 2006
Posts: 1176
Location: australia
Audio files: 4

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

perfboard?! so thats what its called - sorry to be confusing i used perfboard.
i've always called any of these blank boards 'strip board' Embarassed

well its perfboard -
Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.

problem with doing a run of PCBs is the schematic is not freely available without Bernie's permission. Though this design is in the Preferred Circuits collection, which is quite cheap ($20 - $30 ??? can't remember, I've got the everything collection)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
frijitz



Joined: May 04, 2007
Posts: 1734
Location: NM USA
Audio files: 54

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

andrewF wrote:
perfboard?! so thats what its called - sorry to be confusing i used perfboard.
i've always called any of these blank boards 'strip board'...problem with doing a run of PCBs is the schematic is not freely available without Bernie's permission.

Well, I guess people aren't consistent with the nomenclature. To me, stripboard has ... well ... strips. Smile
Your board looks exactly like most of the things I make. Except I usually use lots of vector clips to make it easier to change components for experimental circuits.
Bernie is quite approachable, and would most likely give you permission to make boards. He considers himself in the publishing business, not manufacturing. Worth a try!

Ian
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
prophei



Joined: Jan 27, 2007
Posts: 234
Location: san francisco, ca
Audio files: 4

PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

andrewF wrote:
...we best not forget Mr Tillman's trapezoid quadrature oscillator with thru-zero capabilities -
http://www.till.com/articles/QuadTrapVCO/vcocore.html
it looks very elegant, i guess some output circuitry would have to be decided upon. there is a good read about the benefits of low voltage operation and local regulation.



i'd love a pcb of this one =D
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
kryptic



Joined: Feb 16, 2007
Posts: 40
Location: somewhere

PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 10:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I would definitely be interested in some PCBs for one (or more) of the through zero VCO designs. I think a lot of people would like something similar to the zeroscillator but can't drop $1000 for one.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
frijitz



Joined: May 04, 2007
Posts: 1734
Location: NM USA
Audio files: 54

PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 10:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

kryptic wrote:
I would definitely be interested in some PCBs for one (or more) of the through zero VCO designs. I think a lot of people would like something similar to the zeroscillator but can't drop $1000 for one.

According to a note I just got from Bernie, he will put up individual projects at the EN website if people request them. He says so far no one has done this. Why not ask him to put the thru-zero VCO up and at the same time ask him if it would be OK to sell PCBs?

Ian
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Serenadi



Joined: Jul 03, 2007
Posts: 89
Location: Germany

PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 9:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

kryptic wrote:
I think a lot of people would like something similar to the zeroscillator but can't drop $1000 for one.


You're absolutely right !! Very Happy

I'm in for some PCBs, too.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
tomcat



Joined: Oct 14, 2005
Posts: 141
Location: earth

PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Mee too, like usual Wink
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ENDIF



Joined: Jul 14, 2006
Posts: 138
Location: Reno, NV

PostPosted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

If someone makes a good PCB of this, I'll take two.
_________________
~ !J!

http://www.endif.org
http://www.crunchpod.com
http://www.myspace.com/endif
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Randaleem



Joined: May 17, 2007
Posts: 456
Location: Northern CA, USA

PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:07 am    Post subject: Pro Through Zero Oscillator PCB"s available this AUG!
Subject description: Ian suggested asking, Andrew F and Bernie H gave the okay.
Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Hi,

I've just returned fro climbing Half Dome in Yosemite Nat'l Park, USA and I am dead tired!

But not to tired to mention the emails awaiting my return!

Seems there will be Pro PCB's offered for the Electronotes Preferred Circuits Through Zero Oscillator. I expect they will be available in Aug (next month) I will be putting up a separate thread soon so you may sign up to let me know you are interested.

Here's how it came about:

I saw this post by Ian before I left for Yosemite and immediately sent two emails; one to Andrew F, and the other to Bernie Hutchins. I saw that each had replied when I returned a few minutes ago. Andrew said he wasn't interested in producing boards and wished me luck in doing so. And Bernie said, in part:

"Hi Randaleem -

I will put up the through-zero in a couple of days.

Actually, my only interest are in the preservation of
copyright and the proper attribution of intellectual
property. For example, I think the through-zero idea
originally came from Charlie Thompson - this is one of
the things I need to check."

So it looks like it's a go. I'll need to make a quick check of relevent patents to be sure we won't be violating anyone's IP (Bernie suggested this as well). Barring that; these PCB's will soon be available.

I also want to mention That I asked Bernie about doing PCB's, kits and completed modules based on other circuits from his vast collection; and it seems those will be a go as well. So watch for my posts as these get under way.

Gonna -continue to- be an exciting Summer and fall in SDIY!

Randal


frijitz wrote:
kryptic wrote:
I would definitely be interested in some PCBs for one (or more) of the through zero VCO designs. I think a lot of people would like something similar to the zeroscillator but can't drop $1000 for one.

According to a note I just got from Bernie, he will put up individual projects at the EN website if people request them. He says so far no one has done this. Why not ask him to put the thru-zero VCO up and at the same time ask him if it would be OK to sell PCBs?

Ian
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
RF



Joined: Mar 23, 2007
Posts: 1502
Location: Northern Minnesota, USA
Audio files: 28

PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Randaleem -
I'd be interested in a board, for sure.

What route did you do on Half Dome? I climbed quite a lot 'back in the day"...
"Have fun or get hurt bad!"
bruce
(DLFA retired ((and now lite)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
frijitz



Joined: May 04, 2007
Posts: 1734
Location: NM USA
Audio files: 54

PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:49 am    Post subject: Re: Pro Through Zero Oscillator PCB"s available this AUG!
Subject description: Ian suggested asking, Andrew F and Bernie H gave the okay.
Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Randaleem wrote:
... Seems there will be Pro PCB's offered for the Electronotes Preferred Circuits Through Zero Oscillator. I expect they will be available in Aug (next month) I will be putting up a separate thread soon so you may sign up to let me know you are interested...

And Bernie said, in part:
Actually, my only interest are in the preservation of
copyright and the proper attribution of intellectual
property. For example, I think the through-zero idea
originally came from Charlie Thompson - this is one of
the things I need to check."


Hey, good news!

One minor point -- the oscillator in question was designed by Jan Hall. As far as I know, nobody seems to know where Jan is these days. I've run across several of the other EN contributors (Terry Michaels, Lester Ludwig, Charlie Thompson, etc.) in recent years, but not Jan. If anyone happens to know ...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic Moderators: jksuperstar, Scott Stites, Uncle Krunkus
Page 1 of 8 [184 Posts]
View unread posts
View new posts in the last week
Goto page: 1, 2, 3, ..., 6, 7, 8 Next
Mark the topic unread :: View previous topic :: View next topic
 Forum index » DIY Hardware and Software
Jump to:  

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum


Forum with support of Syndicator RSS
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
Copyright © 2003 through 2009 by electro-music.com - Conditions Of Use