Analog Synthesizer Modification

I had been looking for some time for a way to modify my analog synthesizer project to be powered by an AC adapter instead of the two 9 volt batteries that it had originally been designed to use. This was more complicated than it sounds since the synthesizer requires both +9V and -9V from the same power supply. After some investigation I found a circuit here; that could be used to transform a single +9V input into both +9V and -9V. It is a really clever circuit that accomplishes this feat using a special charge pump converter IC and a couple of capacitors. As the pictures show I also changed the power switch to one that is more aesthetically pleasing than the toggle switch used previously. I also added a coaxial power socket to the back panel to accept the plug from that AC adapter. The synthesizer performs the same as it did before my modifications, however, I am now freed from having to worry about battery life.

Vacuum Tube Audio Amplifier

I have been somewhat interested in vacuum tube projects for awhile now after I refurbished an old AM radio from my grandmothers house. Although a simple project, involving cleaning the radio and replacing the old tubes with new ones, I think the main draw of a tube project is that distinct retro feeling you get when you fire up the project and it starts glowing, but in a good way. While looking around for a simple, beginners tube project I stumbled upon a fairly large community of people who had built and subsequently modded the K-502 audio amp kit from Antique Electronic Supply.

I purchased the kit and built it in a couple of hours. It is a very simple project to complete, consisting of only about two dozen parts. I had originally planned to assemble the kit in an enclosure, but my final assembly behaved poorly (I think in part due to improper grounding). I reassembled the parts on the pine board which comes with the kit and it now performs flawlessly. The amp takes a standard left and right RCA style audio input and can output up to 8 Watts of power. This may not seem like much, but with efficient speakers it gets loud enough for any common usage around the house.

I would still like to put some sort of cover over the board to minimize the risk of myself or others from coming into contact with the line voltages present. Although not the most inexpensive kit out there (compared to some solid-state kits), it is cheap compared to other tube based audio amplifier kits which can run upwards of $300. Definitely a fun project, especially if you need an extra audio amplifier.

Analog Synthesizer

I have been interested in synthesizers since I first started becoming interested in acid/new wave rock when I was in middle school. Analog synthesizers particularly interested me because they are easier to build and also cheaper, as well as having a lot of nostalgia for the original form of sound synthesis. Consequently when if first ran across the circuit board being offered at Music From Outer Space, I was very excited. The board is not only relatively inexpensive, it is also well made and was shipped very quickly. My synthesizer, pictured below, cost around $100 to make because I had to purchase the majority of the parts as well as the case. I purchased most of the parts and the case from Mouser, except for the potentiometers and the switches which I bought from Jameco. The construction of the board was fairly straight forward and took a few hours. The wiring of the board to the faceplate, however, took several ours of tedious wiring which I would not relish to repeat. In the end though I ended up with a great little unit which works great and can produce a variety of sounds. As can be seen from the photos, I also installed the mod which allows the modulation of VCO-1 with VCO-2's output. I rearranged the faceplate accordingly to fit on my case's aluminum plate. I had no alignment issues with the unit and it worked from the first time I turned it on. In the future I may build an audio amplifier as well as a sequencer to control the oscillators and actually produce music as opposed to just noises.

Shortwave Regenerative Receiver

This project is a great way for beginning builders to hone their skills at circuit construction. The receiver plans were originally printed in a September 2000 article in QST. I built mine from scratch, not on a printed circuit board, with no ill effects due to strange parts placement. The author provides very good advice about the audio/volume and regeneration controls placement and hookup (by being careful, no shielded audio cables are necessary). Since I used a large value tuning capacitor from my junk box, I added the optional fine tuning control to add better selectivity to my receiver, which is very helpful when tuning. By following the author's recommendations about how to assemble the receiver the average builder should have no problems with this project. When in doubt, the provided voltages on the schematic are a handy way to test your completed project.