As with the Volca Bass, I found no suitable room for a MIDI jack so I just broke out the labeled test point and will install a 1/8" stereo jack for the MIDI.
Inside the Volca Bass
Had a solid hour of fun with the Bass before I popped it open.
I was hoping to add a MIDI jack to get MIDI out since it is clearly labeled:
I couldn't find space in the case to place a DIN jack so I am going to order a couple stereo 1/8" jacks to break out the MIDI that way.
I didn't do anything too crazy; just broke out the marked test points on the PCB
The jacks fit perfectly
Interesting that the SMD LEDs are on the other side of the PCB and they shine through holes
Used the ground point from the battery
Left an extra hole for the MIDI
The jacks let me patch into both waveforms from all 3 oscillators, and the raw signal out of the VCO, VCF, and VCA.
Korg Volcas Arrived!
The Korg Volcas that I ordered back in February finally arrived! I ordered the Bass and Beats since I have enough keys. Come Monday, they will probably be modded. This might just be the last recording of them before they have some fun with my soldering iron.
Synths used in this recording: Korg Monotribe, Korg Volca Beats, Korg Volca Bass, Korg MS-20 mini, and Roland JX-8P. Volcas and Monotribe are synced via the sync jack. JX-8P is synced to the Monotribe via MIDI. Sync out also goes to the sequencer clock on the MS-20 mini and is used for both filter sequencing and pitch sequencing.
Synths used in this recording: Korg Monotribe, Korg Volca Beats, Korg Volca Bass, Korg MS-20 mini, and Roland JX-8P. Volcas and Monotribe are synced via the sync jack. JX-8P is synced to the Monotribe via MIDI. Sync out also goes to the sequencer clock on the MS-20 mini and is used for both filter sequencing and pitch sequencing.
Mooer Pitch Box Pedal Teardown
Finally got around to ordering one of the new digital Mooer pedals. I was always curious how they could make pedals for so cheap. After a few minutes of noodling with it on the Rhodes and guitar, I popped it up.
4 screw on the bottom take the back off.
Removing the jack and switch nuts lets you remove the whole PCB.
Little mini board in the middle. I bet there is something under it too.
Big ol' IC under there.
But whats under the blue sticker?!
Alpha selector switch.
Nowhere on the PCB does it mention Pitch Box, so I am assuming this is a digital pedal. Silkscreen looks super cheap and the case is a very light weight metal, but everything else doesn't seem too cheaply done.
1965 Farfisa Mini Compact repair
Been sick and stuck at home for the past week, so I finally got a chance to get my Farfisa working perfectly. Some of the issues included notes that could not get in tune +/-8 semitones, notes without vibrato, notes with missing frequencies, and notes with a strange beating noise.
Almost all of the issues mentioned above can be fixed with a bunch of 1uF caps and 2N3096 transistors. Each sound card has convenient tabs for attaching a scope probe to view the waveform. Each tab is labeled on the copper layer of the PCB. Generally, if I saw an issue with a waveform, I first swapped out the corresponding 1uF cap. If there was still an issue, I'd trace the corrupt wave back to the transistors. If the corruption traced all the way back, I'd replace the transistors. I noticed a few times that the wire connected to the vibrato tab broke off on a few cards. Check for this first if you are missing vibrato on a few notes, it is an easy fix.
I also had a friend crawl out of the keyboard while I was repairing it. Almost had a heart attack. It was the last thing I was expecting while repairing a keyboard.
Synthesizing and Manipulating Composite Video
First off, ran the MS-20 into a TV's composite video input. What you see is what you hear. Or... What you hear is what you see?
Just to note, this is in no way an oscilloscope.
Also, ran some video through a TC Electronics Ditto Looper. Happened to be a techy scene from Willy Wonka:
Various Sounds of the MS-20 mini With Many Effecsts
Ran the MS-20 mini through a DOD R-870, then an Ibanez AD-120, then a Master Room XL-120, into a tube pre-amp. Zero musical value, but a demo of some of the sounds.
Mods included in this video: 8-step sequencer, PWM modulation, ring modulator.
MS-20 Mini: Custom wooden side panels in the works
Started building some custom wooden side panels for my MS-20 Mini. Using mahogany, ebony, mahogany, rosewood, roasted maple, rosewood, and mahogany. So far, we just did the glue up and some planing. Should be ready next weekend or the weekend after that.
Should we sell these? How much would you pay for something like these?
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