Wow, finally did some welding again!

Radical Brad

Garage Hacker!
Staff member
It's been such a long time since I switched on the ole buzz-box that I had to remove small trees that were growing up around it!
I dug it out of the grass and moved into the old shack so I could spend a day making this...

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This is the end result after 6 hours, with most of the time going to making a bunch of videos.
Here are a few still shots from the videos. I am doing a very long series on this project, so I need hundreds of videos.

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What I made was just the top segment of this complex angle and flat bar frame.
Last thing I built with any precision was the YardMule Electric Tractor, so I felt a bit rusty, but it eventually came back to me.

Here is the model I made of the final frame, which will be completed next time I have a few hours to make the sparks fly...

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Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, that what I am building is a 16 channel retro synthesizer all out of 1980's era components.
Everything will be hand wired to massive PCBs containing over 1000 ICs and multiple 6502 processors.
Even the video circuit is hand crafted from basic 1980's logic components.

Music (80's synth) was something I did even before building bikes, so I am doing this as a bucket list project.

This is what it is going to look like....

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I have been working on the circuitry for the last 3 years, mostly when I am way up North for work.
Now that I have the frame done, this thing will be much too large to travel. It is larger than an upright piano.

It was fun to get that grinder grit in my hair and smell that 6013 burning again!

Cheers,
Radical Brad
 

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I have to admit, some of these angles were tough, especially since I decided to fold the side rather than weld 2 parts together!

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Funny, I am building the 3D model after I make it in the real world. Seems more fun this way.

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Hope the snow holds off until I can get the base frame done. I need a winter project to stay sane.

Brad
 
Really admire your insistance on 'doing it the old (hard) way' Brad. When you think that all your work and inventiveness will create an instrument which you could probably make for tenth of the cost, tenth of the weight and tenth of the time by buying modules from China and stringing them together.

I wonder if the final effects will be as unique as the components used. Will it have a particular unique sound? My only experience was a Resonator guitar and 100 watt amp with a few home made effects pedals (Knopfler eat your heart out). Sadly only I actually appreciated my talent.

Where will your videos be available to view? I'd love to see the electronics being built up and springing into life.

Have you seen any of 'maximus ironthumper's vids about the 'Project awesome' megga traveling pipe organ? An old Russian lorry and a home built pipe organ which is proposed to go on the road some time. Nothing like your project but kind of similar 'because we can' reasoning.

John
 
Thanks!

I think this synth will have the flavor of both the late 70's analog modulars as well as the early 80's digital / samplers. Since I have 12 individual 6502 CPU controlled sample channels, each able to do 8 not poly, that is a lot of thickness. Those channels then feed into a series of 3 split chains, each with analog filters such as the buchla style low pass resonant, spring reverb, and digital reverb. I also have a speech synthesis channel using the old SPO256 (Wargames style) for some robo-vocals.

Analog filters are captured as live performances, so I have all the power of a 16 track sequencer mixed with a live recording studio. It should be a fun station to work with.... totally complete and not needing any external equipment. Today I did some work on interfacing the 5.25" floppy mechanics and then did a small amount of welding on the frame.

I also worked up a stand with hidden casters that lift so I can move it around the house...

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