Elektor Formant Modular

Ok as I said this thing is strange in ways, the output at IC 6 pin 5, You 
need to look at the Current not the voltage, although in electronics the two 
are liknked it would be best that you check the currents before disregarding 
it.

Do you know to test current you have to insert the meter in series. Now 
Since I had spares I cheated and simply bent pin 5 to the side before 
placing it in the socket, take your time and you'll be able to do it without 
damaging devices, mind you I have been involved with Device manufacture for 
a few years so I know you can get off with it.

Connect one prob to the leg and then with the other press to the tracjk this 
should allow you to see the current, you are looking for it to double for 
every 1 V change. As for buying more, If they are costing you alot of money 
then make sure you can return it if it doesn't work. Also check that the 
other connections to the device such as ground etc are all ok. CA3046, there 
is a difference but not sure what it is. I think they were all bought up a 
little while ago but I suppose you wont see much of a rise in price. It is 
worth a go if you want and you can let us know how you get on. Mind don't 
pay silly prices for the chips, there is always someone out there who will 
sell for less.

Looks like you are getting there though mate.

Just for yoour information I use a midi to cv convertor from Synhouse 
http://www.synhouse.com/midijack.html

Works great and it means that if you have synths like mine then you can 
connect the output of your modular to your synth, control the pitch etc from 
the synth and treat the output with your synths effects and filters. Since 
my newest purchase is an Access Virus TI this works great.

Kris


>From: ganesha <goaqihai@...>
>Reply-To: ElektorFormant@yahoogroups.com
>To: ElektorFormant@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: RE: [ElektorFormant] problem with formant pro vco (new design)
>Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 22:37:58 +0100 (BST)
>
>Hi All,
>OK I did some more measurements:
>I think the CA3086 is the problem.
>At pin2 and pin5 I have these results:
>cv 0V -> IC6 pin2=-0.001V, ic 6 pin5=0.171V
>cv 1V -> IC6 pin2=-0.021V, ic 6 pin5=0.171V
>cv 2V -> IC6 pin2=-0.041V, ic 6 pin5=0.171V
>cv 3V -> IC6 pin2=-0.061V, ic 6 pin5=0.171V
>cv 4V -> IC6 pin2=-0.081V, ic 6 pin5=0.171V
>
>I tested also while turning p8 so the voltage at
>collector TR4 was 2.4V but the voltage at pin5
>remained the same for the 5 different CV sources.
>
>So at pin 2 everything seems to be ok, I get -20mV for
>each volt cv I add, But at pin 5 the voltage remains
>the same, so I suppose this is the problem?
>
>Now for IC5 at pin4 I have 5.04V and at pin 5 and pin6
>
>  I have 0V.
>So Should I get another CA3086 or maybe a CA3046?
>
>regards, Kris
>
>--- Kris Bishop <bishopkris40@...> wrote:
>
>
>---------------------------------
>I sourced my CA's from university, they had been there
>for years and used
>many times so I had to expect failures, we students
>don;t look after things
>that well.
>
>Concentrate on getting a current in to the comparitor
>section, look to get
>15uA or there abouts this should kick it off. I would
>like you to test the
>voltages at IC5, I need to know what pins 4, 5 and 6
>read. this is the
>section on mine that went wrong. On two VCO's.
>
>For a first project you are doing well mate. Catch you
>soon
>Kris
>
>
> >From: ganesha <goaqihai@...>
> >Reply-To: ElektorFormant@yahoogroups.com
> >To: ElektorFormant@yahoogroups.com
> >Subject: RE: [ElektorFormant] problem with formant
>pro vco (new design)
> >Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2006 14:49:13 +0100 (BST)
> >
> >Hello Kris,
> >I live in Belgium, My english is ok ( I hope ;-)) But
> >I don't have much experience with electronics. This
>is
> >my first project. I managed to build the powersupply
> >and the tuningkeyboard (this is the small schematic
> >with the 5 switches that produce 0v,1v,2v,3v and4v to
> >act as a CV source to tune the VCO. =schematic 3.11
>in
> >the book) from the book and they both work.
> >Btw, the R1 value I changed was for the
> >tuningkeyboard, not for the vco. On the vco I've used
> >everything like specified in the componentslist that
> >is in the jpg at
> >http://www.krinkel.be/formant/formantVCO.JPG
> >
> >I'll try to do the test what you describe. For the
> >other questions:
> >
> >At the moment I'm only building 1 vco, but I plan to
> >add some as soon as I get this one to work. I also
> >want to build the vco of the ems VCS3etc. I also
> >started the VCF but it is not finished yet.
> >I bought the pcb + all the components from a guy in
> >germany. When you say only 3 out of 5 CA3086 ic's
> >worked, are you sure they got enought voltage?
>because
> >one of the test in the book is to plug it in for
> >20mins
> >to let it warm up, and then at the collector from tr4
> >you have to measure 1.6V to activate the CA3086. But
>I
> >read on the internet someone who had to set it to2.4V
> >before it worked so this could be what happened with
> >the 2 non-working ic's you had. (I'm only guessing
> >this offcourse)
> >
> >The cv comes from the schematic 3.11 in the book.
> >
> >I don't have skype yet but I'm sure I can install it
> >by  thursday  so that would be great.
> >
> >Thanks!
> >regards, Kris
> >--- Kris Bishop <bishopkris40@...> wrote:
> >
> >
> >---------------------------------
> >I live in Scotland and have the strangest name,
> >everyone asks where it is
> >from. Can you imagine how strange this is lol
> >
> >Kris, First how good is your english
> >second how good is your understanding of the
> >electronics in this synth?
> >
> >
> >I'm not that good and I managed this so here we go:
> >
> >First,
> >
> >Do not under any circumstances change any components
> >unless you have read on
> >the internet to do so. This is important as the VCO
>is
> >based on a lot of
> >electronic and electrical values that are dependant
>on
> >each other.
> >
> >you were correct about r1 I have marked this as wrong
> >in the book (cannot
> >remember why??) but I am sure if you put the original
> >value back in then we
> >can work from here. (Next week I will open my synth
> >and check my value, but
> >moving house so please be patient)
> >
> >What you want with nothing other than a CV is for the
> >current out of IC6 pin
> >5 to double for every 1v change. This is the key to
> >controlliing the synth.
> >
> >This said we can remove this device and insert a
> >current, First you need to
> >check what you are getting at pin 2 of IC 6. this is
>a
> >voltage so is easy to
> >test. make sure that you are getting something here,
> >1v, 5v whatever. now if
> >you can monitor the current from pin 5 of IC 6. what
> >do you get and if you
> >increase CV by 1V what do you get. (This section is
> >only used to scale the
> >input CV)
> >
> >ok so you get the correct operation from IC6 (CA3086)
> >You must be using
> >this. there is other methods but no for this circuit.
> >
> >no matter what happens if you get a current in to P7
> >or input to IC2 then
> >you should see Oscillations. I hope at this point
>like
> >me everything is ok
> >until now as this is where I had a problem. IC5 is a
> >comparitor of sorts. we
> >need the voltages to be different to get this circuit
> >to work.
> >
> >Sorry but I'll come back to help in the next few
>days.
> >But please did you
> >get any sound at the start. also are you trying to
> >build 1 or 2 VCO's??
> >Where did you get your CA3086's from? I had 5 of
>these
> >and only 3
> >worked.....
> >
> >I did not carry out any tests from the book as I do
> >not speak German but I
> >did get good results after checking all components
>and
> >soldering. Your
> >circuit looks good but what does the other side look
> >like? Mine is messy but
> >works so don't worry. Where do you get your CV from.
> >Sorry I need more info
> >for the next step.
> >
> >If you want when I am at work I can talk to you on
> >Skype if you'd prefer but
> >I hope you speak english. We can even just use the
> >chat by text option if
> >you want but we can arrange a time. Probably Thursday
> >or Friday night is
> >best, I work night shifts then.
> >
> >Bishop (Kris)
> >
> >
> > >From: ganesha <goaqihai@...>
> > >Reply-To: ElektorFormant@yahoogroups.com
> > >To: ElektorFormant@yahoogroups.com
> > >CC: bishopkris40@...
> > >Subject: RE: [ElektorFormant] problem with formant
> >pro vco (new design)
> > >Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2006 09:43:02 +0100 (BST)
> > >
> > >Hi Kris, ;-) feels like I'm writing something to
> > >myself.
> > >
> > >
> > >Thanks for your reply. I'll try to descibe the
> > >different steps I did.
> > >
> > >In the beginning everything went fine, I've build
>the
> > >eingangsspannungaddierers, exponentiators and
> >heizung.
> > >I plugged it in and after 20 minutes I have set the
> > >voltage at kollektor tr 4 to 1.6V with trimmer
> > >p8. So far no problem,I then continued building the
> > >Sawtoothoscillator without soldering Tr3 so I could
> > >meassure the current between kollektor tr3 and pin3
> >of
> > >ic2. I also made the abgleichskeyboard (I had to
> > >replace R1 with 47K because otherwise my maximum
>for
> > >switch 5 was 2.86 V instead of 4 V) and soldered
>the
> > >pots for range and tune to the VCO pcb. I then
>tried
> > >to messure the current that is supposed to be
>0.002mA
> > >but
> > >nomather what switch I used on the
>abgleichskeyboard,
> > >or to what position I turned the range and
>fine-tune
> > >pots, I'm allways measuring 0,000mA. I thought
> > >maybe I did not solder enough components on the pcb
> > >because of the difference between the book and the
> >new
> > >design so I continued the entire pcb except for
>tr3.
> > >But still no result. At the end as a last resort, I
> > >also soldered tr3 in position but still no current.
> > >Can you tell me what measurement I can do to track
> >the
> > >fault? On strange thing I allready noticed is that
>if
> > >I meassure betweent the mass and before R5 (range)
>I
> > >have 11.84V because I set the range pot fully open.
> > >But after R5 (100K) I measure 0V. I suppose this is
> > >not normal and that is the cause why turning the
> >range
> > >pot has no influence? So is the 100K to big?
> > >Also would it be a problem that after the 7812
>(ic7)
> > >there is only 11.84V instead of 12V?
> > >
> > >I've uploaded a pic of the vco to
> > >http://www.krinkel.be/formant/formantVCO.JPG
> > >
> > >best regards,
> > >Kris
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >---------------------------------
> > >I'll reply here and on personal, as the group is
>here
> > >so that people like us
> > >can search problems first then ask.
> > >
> > >I'll help, but moving house so I can only promise
>you
> > >an answer by Tuesday,
> > >when I go back to work. What is the problem mate?
> > >
> > >Regards
> > >Kris
> > >
> > >
> > > >From: ganesha <goaqihai@...>
> > > >Reply-To: ElektorFormant@yahoogroups.com
> > > >To: ElektorFormant@yahoogroups.com
> > > >CC: synth-diy@...
> > > >Subject: [ElektorFormant] problem with formant
>pro
> > >vco (new design)
> > > >Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2006 23:25:54 +0100 (BST)
> > > >
> > > >Hi,
> > > >
> > > >I'm building the formant pro vco from the book of
> > > >Hans-Joachim Helmstedt. But I'm having a problem
> >that
> > > >I cannot solve myself. Is there anyone who has
> > >already
> > > >built it and who would like to assist me?
> > > >Please contact me off-list so I can send you a
>mail
> > > >where I describe the problem.
> > > >
> > > >Thanks in advance!
> > > >regards, Kris
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
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