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 Forum index » DIY Hardware and Software
Maplin 5600s Knobs
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vout



Joined: Oct 06, 2007
Posts: 35
Location: scotland

PostPosted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 3:46 am    Post subject: Maplin 5600s Knobs
Subject description: Are these unusual collet knobs still available?
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Hi - I'm trying to find a source or manufacturer of the collet knobs used on the Maplin 3800/5600s synths - they are an unusual design with a ridged top. Maplin (UK) stopped selling them a long time ago and they never identified the manufacturer in their catalogues.

I've looked at all the main vendors/manufacturers and can't find anything similar. Can anyone help please?

Cheers, vout
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LektroiD



Joined: Aug 23, 2008
Posts: 1018
Location: Scottish Borders
Audio files: 2
G2 patch files: 2

PostPosted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 6:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I just looked at a few pics of these synths. I have a load of these, or at least what looks like them, about 40-ish (maybe more, I haven't counted). they come with various coloured caps, how many do you need?

I see you're in Scotland too, hit me up a PM and we'll sort something
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Kipling



Joined: Jan 12, 2014
Posts: 20
Location: England

PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2016 1:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Somewhat late to the party here, but I have just bought an unfinished 5600S which has 65 knobs missing, as well as the matrix board.

I gather from another post (http://electro-music.com/forum/topic-61678.html) that Power Dynamics Inc made the knobs and it appears that they still do (http://www.powerdynamics.com/knobs/knobs.html#).

As far as I can tell each requires:

1 collet knob (20-15-613),
1 nut cover (48-15-013),
1 peaked cap (31-15-00n), where n=1 (Lt. Grey), 2 (Grey), 3 (Black), 4 (Red), 5 (Blue), 6 (Yellow), or 7 (Green).

Getting hold of them is not easy and probably not cheap either, but I will try their UK distributor Future Electronics (http://uk.futureelectronics.com/en/Search.aspx?dsNav=Ro:0,Nea:True,N:4294938368-544) who don't list these particular items but could I'm sure get some in. It looks like everything is in packs of 100, which makes it awkward for the peaked caps as several colours are needed.

If anyone wanted to join a group buy I'd be happy to organise it.

Failing that what other recommendations does anyone have for something similar, preferably easier to obtain and cheaper?
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Prospero



Joined: Oct 31, 2016
Posts: 3
Location: uk

PostPosted: Mon Oct 31, 2016 11:51 pm    Post subject: Maplin synth
Subject description: 5600s knobs
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Found this on the internet you may be interested in .. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Maplin-Synthesiser-5600s-knobs-/182334373148?hash=item2a73f9bd1c
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blue hell
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Joined: Apr 03, 2004
Posts: 24079
Location: The Netherlands, Enschede
Audio files: 278
G2 patch files: 320

PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2016 4:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Funny .. same seller sold the synth without knobs a month or so ago Confused
_________________
Jan
also .. could someone please turn down the thermostat a bit.
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Kipling



Joined: Jan 12, 2014
Posts: 20
Location: England

PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2016 10:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Blue Hell wrote:
Funny .. same seller sold the synth without knobs a month or so ago Confused


Indeed. I bought that synth, but at the time the seller couldn't find all the knobs so it only came with around 25 of them. They've obviously found some of them since (and without counting probably all the caps) but not enough of the knobs, nut covers and pointer skirts to complete it.

Had they been found before the synth went on eBay they'd have been included, so paying another £120 for some more that still leaves me about 40 short doesn't inspire me to splash more cash.

In the meantime I've bought a complete set of very close matching knobs from Elma which I'm very happy with. The only issue is that the large pointer skirts were discontinued 5 years ago but I managed to buy up the remaining stock of 30 from a Swedish supplier, so now I have 22 to spare. It took a total of three suppliers to get all the pieces and none of them did all the cap colours.

See photo below. The Elma ones are the two to the right of the original Power Dynamics knob.

So I'll pass on the the current offering. However if someone says they have a load to spare which will complete the set then I'll think again.....

It is still missing the matrix panel so if anyone knows of one I could buy please do let me know. Meanwhile I'll make a simple one from a sheet of PCB with 30 PCB test pins along the top and 30 down the side and use gold plated hook test leads to do the patching. I also know that a friend in the UK is designing a new matrix panel to go with the clone of the 5600S which we are currently working on. Watch this space!

Incidentally the synth was very nearly scrapped!!! The owner and original part-builder actually had it loaded in his car to take it to the dump, but his wife begged him to look it up and see if it was worth anything before scrapping it. I bet they're glad they did as they are now nearly £1100 better off.


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blue hell
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Joined: Apr 03, 2004
Posts: 24079
Location: The Netherlands, Enschede
Audio files: 278
G2 patch files: 320

PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2016 11:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Kipling wrote:
Indeed. I bought that synth


Read your post and thought you might be the buyer .. they should have given you the knobs Laughing But anyway, still not all.

Seemed a bit expensive for a kit, but reading up I see some folks are really like that synth. And while googling I saw http://www.ghielmetti.ch/forums.html?nav=19,48,107&Category=Matrix-Boards-50VAC/6A - for patch matrices, but you already knew that I guess.

_________________
Jan
also .. could someone please turn down the thermostat a bit.
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Kipling



Joined: Jan 12, 2014
Posts: 20
Location: England

PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2016 3:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thanks Blue Hell

Yes I am aware of the Ghielmetti matrix panels, but they don't do a 30x30 except a custom order and they are very expensive.
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Prospero



Joined: Oct 31, 2016
Posts: 3
Location: uk

PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 3:38 am    Post subject: Maplin Synth
Subject description: 5600s
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Hi Kipling, good luck with the project, you have some major work there!

I built mine (about 80% of it anyway) about 35 years ago, time moved on and it got stored away in the garage and forgotten. I've just revived it from there and decided to finish it off, which is now almost done, considering it must be 35yrs old it's in really good condition.

I'm short of 4 keyboard electrical contacts, have you got any idea where I can source these, I've scanned the internet for it, but with no success.
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Kipling



Joined: Jan 12, 2014
Posts: 20
Location: England

PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 2:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Hi Prospero

Good luck with yours too. Mine was already about 80% built too. Most of the PCBs are populated but no ICs inserted yet, and none of the internal wiring is done. It is also in pristine condition having been dry-stored all its life. All the unused components (mainly ICs) are still in their original sealed packets so should be fine, but I may change all the installed IC sockets for gold-plated turned pin types to be on the safe side.

Hopefully everything I'll need is already there (apart from the matrix) but time will tell. The SCL4416BE's are hard to find but not impossible and if necessary could probably be substituted with a CD4016BE and a couple of inverters on the B & C inputs.

Quite a bit to do still but I'm determined it shall make sound before too long.

I need to take the keyboard out as three keys are a bit sticky so I'll have a look at the contacts and see if I can work out what you'd need for yours. I may be wrong but I think that it's a thin nickel silver wire contact similar to some of the Pratt-Reed keyboards used in ARPs etc. If I'm right I'll measure the diameter and you could try Kimber Allen in Kent - they make wire contact assemblies with silver or gold plated wire so could probably sell you a length of the right diameter or very close to it.

If you haven't got your own I have an original construction guide which I can scan at hi res if you need certain parts enlarged. The scanned copy on the 'net is pretty good but the printed original is better, but not perfect due to the limitations of printing in those days.
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Prospero



Joined: Oct 31, 2016
Posts: 3
Location: uk

PostPosted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 10:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Hi Kipling,

Thanks for the offer regarding the construction guide, I still have my original one.

Regarding the keyboard contacts, I damaged them when I removed the two bus-bars to clean them as they were quite corroded, The bars are made of sections that are soldered together and I guess the heat from the soldering iron damaged the plastic bodies of some keys, my fault. I may be able to sort them out. Thanks for mentioning Kimber Allen though, they are not far from me.

After 35years of storage in not the best conditions most boards worked ok, I did not have any issues with the standard IC sockets. Most of the problems I experienced were mechanical, mainly with noisy pots, most were fixed with a spray of switch cleaner.

I did spend some time combing the internet for 30x30 patch panels or alternatives, but no luck, hope you have more success as it's fundamental to the kit.
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Kipling



Joined: Jan 12, 2014
Posts: 20
Location: England

PostPosted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 11:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Hi Propero

We are probably not that far apart then, I'm in St. Leonards-on-Sea (Hastings) and bought a Kimber Allen keybed for my ARP 3620 clone a couple of years ago. If you need them they may even be able to help you out with some contact assemblies or something that'll do the job.

Thanks for looking out for a matrix, but they are going to be as rare as rocking horse manure these days The ETI4600 website http://www.eti4600synthesiser.org.uk/ implies they were available a few years ago for under 100 euros, but I suspect they were referring to the Ghielmetti 22x22 panel for the 4600. I tried contacting the site but never got a reply.
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Kipling



Joined: Jan 12, 2014
Posts: 20
Location: England

PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2016 9:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Hi Prospero

Regarding the key contacts, I read elsewhere that the whole keybed was indeed a Kimber Allen unit. It has some similarities to Pratt-Read keybeds (uses the same rubber bushings) but is otherwise quite different in many respects. I know they don't make keybeds like that any more. I'd like to rearrange the keys on mine to form a C-C keyboard, wired to the appropriate pins on the decoder board of course, but it's not as simple as it looks at first sight, though if the main pivot shaft is removable then it shouldn't be that hard, and I can then get at the old bushings and replace them, and straighten some of the metal key parts that are damaged.

Now I've had my unit apart to get all the keys working smoothly I can see the single-pole changeover contact assembly. Kimber Allen don't seem to list contact assemblies like these any more, but do make a range of key contact assemblies so may have some potential.

I am going to Kimber Allen in the next few days (I bribed the Wife with a trip to Bluewater so I can drop in on the way) to collect two 36" lengths of 18-gauge (0.048") nickel-silver busbar (part # GS104/07 @ £1.65 +VAT each) so I can replace the corroded originals with single lengths. A couple of the original busbar pieces were missing from mine and one was loose in the case.

I'll take a photo of the old contact assemblies and ask them if they still have any kicking about. Mine all look OK.

I've designed my matrix replacement and now just need to etch the PCB for it, to give a row of 30 and column of 30 Keystone PCB test points so I can patch with short mini-hook test leads. Hopefully a matrix panel will surface sometime in the future so I can build it to the original spec.
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masyst



Joined: Aug 19, 2015
Posts: 1
Location: Norway

PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2017 11:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

At my 5600s there was used the same style knobs as the EDP Wasp.

At www.rhythmactive.com.au they used to carry Wasp replacement knobs, and I've asked them if they did carry them in different colors aswell. They did that then.

I cannot see the knobs on their site anymore, but I guess they can provide them on demand (or at least give you some information of where to get them)
Good luck Smile
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