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 Forum index » DIY Hardware and Software » PAIA Equipment
Rejuvenating and Expanding a PAiA 1550 Stringz'n'Thingz
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stefanv



Joined: May 09, 2009
Posts: 17
Location: Moorefield, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 8:43 am    Post subject:  Rejuvenating and Expanding a PAiA 1550 Stringz'n'Thingz Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Back in February, I made my first post to this forum (in the Modular Synthesis sub forum), asking for some advice for simultaneous LFO and ADSR modulation of VCAs. That was for a project I was working on to rejuvenate, and expand the capabilities of, a PAiA 1550 Stringz'n'Thingz string synthesizer.

Well, the project is now finished after about 6 months of evenings, and I spent another few evenings writing it all up on my web site, with photos, schematics, and audio samples (and a lot of words). Here's a link to the article:

Rejuvenating and Expanding a PAiA 1550 Stringz'n'Thingz Synthesizer

Briefly, what I ended up with is a Stringz'n'Thingz with:

    44-key Yamaha keyboard (7 additional notes) in a new case.
    Octave-switchable crystal-controlled master oscillator.
    Separate cello and violin level controls.
    Switchable string chorus modes.
    Split keyboard for the piano.
    Proper circuitry for the high C note block.
    Polyphonic flute voice (almost sine waves).
    Effects section operating on the flute voice:
      Wave folder to add harmonics (an "unfilter"), modulated by an LFO and/or envelope generator.
      LFO modulated VCA to provide tremolo.
      Envelope generator modulated VCA to provide attack-decay.

    Overall volume control.
    Fused AC voltage and a safer power switch (no AC on 1550C board).

    Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.


Enjoy!

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Stefan Vorkoetter
http://www.stefanv.com
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kkissinger



Joined: Mar 28, 2006
Posts: 1354
Location: Kansas City, Mo USA
Audio files: 42

PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 7:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Wow... gorgeous work!

Will you post a track?

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-- Kevin
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stefanv



Joined: May 09, 2009
Posts: 17
Location: Moorefield, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 8:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thanks!

I'm not a very good player, but there are a few excellent keyboard players here at work, and I hope to record something tomorrow.

If you're ever in the area, you're welcome to come play it. Cool

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Stefan Vorkoetter
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richardc64



Joined: Jun 01, 2006
Posts: 679
Location: NYC
Audio files: 26

PostPosted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 9:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

VERY impressive enhancement and, especially, re-packaging! I always thought the original case was stupid ugly.
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Dan Lavin



Joined: Nov 09, 2006
Posts: 649
Location: Spring Lake, Mi, USA
Audio files: 21

PostPosted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 10:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Wow,this is really great! The PAIA Stringz was my first keyboard synth. During college in the very late 70's and very early 80's, I used to gig with nothing more than one of these and an Oberheim SEM with EML CV-gate keyboard. (Well, OK, I also borrowed a Telecaster guitar and a Wurly electric piano from time to time, too!). I'd ride my volume pedal and get those mid-period Genesis string swells.

I had added a PAIA CEM3320-based LPF and SSM ADSR to mine plus I used a Small Stone phase shifter and was as happy as a lark! If I could've add all these features, I probably would still have it! The last I saw of mine was handing it to a keyboard-playing childhood friend when I bought my DX-7.

Excellent craftsmanship, by the way!

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stefanv



Joined: May 09, 2009
Posts: 17
Location: Moorefield, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 5:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thanks for all the positive feedback!

I just picked up the September issue of Keyboard Magazine, which has Devo on the front cover, and a quarter-page blurb on page 11 about my project, complete with a link to my article!

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Danno Gee Ray



Joined: Sep 25, 2005
Posts: 1351
Location: Telford, PA USA

PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 3:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thank you for sharing this. Well done!
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kkissinger



Joined: Mar 28, 2006
Posts: 1354
Location: Kansas City, Mo USA
Audio files: 42

PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 7:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Congratulations on the article.

Enjoyed browsing your website -- it combines electronics and aviation which happen to be interests of mine, too.

You mentioned that if you'd worked on your airplane instead of the Stringz and Thingz you'd be flying.

There just never are enough hours in the day and, indeed, when I get deeply involved in a project other things tend to slide.

Good luck to you with all your music-making and flying gadgets.

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ericcoleridge



Joined: Jan 16, 2007
Posts: 889
Location: NYC

PostPosted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 5:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

This is amazing, I was thinking doing the very same thing as these keyboards are still around pretty cheap-- but it bothers me that there's no vibrato. There's no vibrato right?
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Dan Lavin



Joined: Nov 09, 2006
Posts: 649
Location: Spring Lake, Mi, USA
Audio files: 21

PostPosted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 7:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

You can do a vibrato with the chorus set at a fast rate. Another thing that could be done is to replace the master oscillator with one that would accept CV input and add a simple LFO...should be a simple weekend project. Maybe just a single Saturday morning and afternoon.

The stock Stringz is fairly versatile as-is. I used to gig in the early 80's with nothing more than this and an Oberheim SEM and my DIY CV-gate keyboard. A couple of examples:
1. Dust in the Wind string voices
2. Toccata and Fugue in D mi with the chorus set slow as a flanger to simulate pipe organ.
3. Aerosmith's Dream On using the piano voice to play the guitar part..it's almost the same timbre.
4. Rod Stewart's Do You Think I'm Sexy? with the high string part
5. The piano run thru a distortion pedal made a great hard rhythm guitar part for many songs
well...those are the ones I can remember. I also had a E-H small stone phaser and I did add a LPVCF and ADSR too.

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stefanv



Joined: May 09, 2009
Posts: 17
Location: Moorefield, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 11:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

ericcoleridge wrote:
but it bothers me that there's no vibrato. There's no vibrato right?


On mine there is vibrato. The factory Stringz passes the violin and cello signals through two bucket-brigade lines each of whose speeds is modulated by its own LFO, and mixes those two signals with the original, to give the chorus effect. But in my modified Stringz, you can select the three channels in different combinations:

1 - straight signal only (cheesy combo organ sound)
2 - one modulated signal only (vibrato like a Hammond organ's scanner vibrato)
3 - one modulated and one straight signal
4 - all three (the factory default)

Check out the samples on my write-up page.

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Stefan Vorkoetter
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