Elektor Formant Modular

I love it to see the Formant is still alive. I build my Formant in 
the late seventies and when my daughter was born, it was dismantled 
and lasted for some 23 years in corrigated boxes on the attic. Now 
daughters are gone and the Formant is back. Got some uA726 from 
someone in the netherlands (only 30 euro a pc) and will have VCO 3 
running again shortly. The S&H capa's needed replacement. Some poti's 
will need to be replaced too - compressed air and cleaner didn't help.
If anyone needs copies of the Formant books in the dutch language, 
please ask. I think I even have the original blue music cassette...
I'm thinking of starting a batch of new frontplates (made in China) 
for the old modules. Rework them a little so they will mount easier 
in standard 19" racks. Just asking... if I would do so, would anyone 
be interested in buying sets? It would certainly get the price down. 
And what about PCB's? please comment on this issue.

Hi, Dirky...

I would most certainly be interested in new frontplates, and PCB's,
so let me know more about that, please.

Are the frontplates the same size as the originals, or do you 
plan on completely re-arranging the layout ?
If the plugs would all be together at the bottom of the frontplate, 
it would be a lot easier to read/tweak the settings 'on-the-fly'...

As for the books in the Dutch language....  Do you refer to the 
original articles from Elektuur ?   Those articles are the only paper 
reference i have at the moment, together with some info i grabbed 
from the Net.

So, if the ones you are referring to are different, i'm very 
interested in obtaining a 'backup' of those as well... :-)

Feel free to contact me off-list, so we can continue to discuss the 
details in our own language.  

Hope to hear from you soon !

RoB

Hello Dirky
I am only interested if de frontplates look the same as the originals
greetings Ben




--- In ElektorFormant@yahoogroups.com, "dirkyformant" <Dirky@A...> 
wrote:
> 
> I love it to see the Formant is still alive. I build my Formant in 
> the late seventies and when my daughter was born, it was 
dismantled 
> and lasted for some 23 years in corrigated boxes on the attic. Now 
> daughters are gone and the Formant is back. Got some uA726 from 
> someone in the netherlands (only 30 euro a pc) and will have VCO 3 
> running again shortly. The S&H capa's needed replacement. Some 
poti's 
> will need to be replaced too - compressed air and cleaner didn't 
help.
> If anyone needs copies of the Formant books in the dutch language, 
> please ask. I think I even have the original blue music cassette...
> I'm thinking of starting a batch of new frontplates (made in 
China) 
> for the old modules. Rework them a little so they will mount 
easier 
> in standard 19" racks. Just asking... if I would do so, would 
anyone 
> be interested in buying sets? It would certainly get the price 
down. 
> And what about PCB's? please comment on this issue.

Hi there,
Good to hear that some things just keep on keeping on. I hope to build a 
Formant during the course of this year but I'm not sure if the PCB's are still 
available or if I will have to do my own layouts. The availability of the uA776 
and the CA3080A are a bit of a worry though. More pressing still is that my 
copy of the Formant book is missing pages 82 to 91 so it would be great to be 
able to obtain photocopies before I start anything. 
Any info on the above would be greatly appreciated.
Hope to hear from you soon
Regards
Keith 

Keith McPherson
PO Box 241
LAWSON  NSW  AUSTRALIA  2777
Email: mcphersonaudio@...
Phone: 612 4751 7423
Fax: 612 4751 3561

I have a few (5) ua726 for sale.
But they won't be cheap!

ac


On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 17:28:25 +0000, Kris Bishop
<bishopkris40@...> wrote:

> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> If you're looking to build the formant then I would advise you to try and
> find these parts before you start. ua726 paired transistors as this supplies
> the control current for the VCO it is very important. I've been looking for
> some time and haven't found any. Not to worry though as there is a new book
> called Formant MSS2000 .... Be warned it is in German Language.... I have
> bought a copy of this book and am currently looking at building the upto
> date VCO. The components are easier to get hold of and most of the theory
> behind them is the same. 
> 
> Find your electronic copy of the manual here:
> 
> http://www.ftg.co.uk/studio/dl/
> 
> So far I have simulated every circuit in the original book except 24db VCF
> and RCF on a program called Tina. This has allowed me to see what happens
> with the circuits and over the next couple of months I will be constructing
> the PCB's, Which are being made within my University.
> 
> If you can get a hold of the components by all means try and build the
> original but if not then MSS2000 should be considered. I'm working with the
> two books as I don't speak a word of German and I am able to see where the
> differences are my only worry is the calibration procedures.
> 
> New to MY formant.
> 
> Inclusion of the MidiJack which costs $100 with free shipping and should be
> easily incorporated into the design.
> 
> Next Stage after build -- Include a microcontroller within each module to
> allow programming, this will include changing the pots to Digital control
> and digitasl switches.
> 
> Let me know how you get on
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Kris Bishop
> 
> >From: mcphersonaudio@... 
> >Reply-To: ElektorFormant@yahoogroups.com 
> >To: ElektorFormant@yahoogroups.com 
> >Subject: Re: [ElektorFormant] Re: Hello to you all 
> >Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 03:48:34 EST 
> > 
> >Hi there, 
> >Good to hear that some things just keep on keeping on. I hope to build a 
> >Formant during the course of this year but I'm not sure if the PCB's are
> still 
> >available or if I will have to do my own layouts. The availability of the
> uA776 
> >and the CA3080A are a bit of a worry though. More pressing still is that my
> >copy of the Formant book is missing pages 82 to 91 so it would be great to
> be 
> >able to obtain photocopies before I start anything. 
> >Any info on the above would be greatly appreciated. 
> >Hope to hear from you soon 
> >Regards 
> >Keith 
> > 
> >Keith McPherson 
> >PO Box 241 
> >LAWSON  NSW  AUSTRALIA  2777 
> >Email: mcphersonaudio@... 
> >Phone: 612 4751 7423 
> >Fax: 612 4751 3561 
> 
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