One Module Per Month
Over a period of five months, I will release one module per month as a buyable DIY kit (through-hole).
Update November 2022: I walked through the project plan quite some weeks. At some point by the beginning of this year I realized that it causes more stress than fun. So I decided to drive the development as it fits ot my flow. Still all the modules are in progress and maybe somewhere in the futures they’ll all be emitted 😌
Contents
A Dream Come True
When I started DIY synth stuff in May 2020, I looked in deep admiration at the makers of modules and DIY kits 🤩 Nothing has been lost in the fascination. With the circuits and modules I built myself over time, I took bigger and bigger steps and was always grateful for the positive feedback! At the end of this year (2021), the opportunity has arisen to distribute my modules as DIY kits. Thanks to the great people at Exploding Shed! With this a little dream comes true for me 🦄
Over a period of six months, I will release one module per month as a buyable DIY kit. I haven’t done anything like that yet. That’s why I’m looking forward to the ideas, through the wins and fails that arise along the way 💪
From a big picture view I’m still iterating on my mobile techno rack. This is where the specific ideas for my modules come from, especially when these requirements are not yet served on the DIY kit market.
Roadmap (Modules)
| Month | Module |
|---|---|
| May | Voltage Controlled Filter (VCF)  MS-20 style, based on “Korg late MS20 filter” by René Schmitz (with friendly permission). |
| June | Voltage Controlled Envelope Generator (VCEG)  On a AS3310 basis. |
| July | Envelope Follower (ENVF)  Handy tool for sidechaining in 2hp. Built with simple analog technology. |
| August | Utility Mixer  Two channel mixer for audio and CV in 2hp. Based on simple analog technology. |
| September | Clock Multiplier  Based on an ATMega328. |
Simple DIY Kits
When designing modules, I consider the experience of my DIY journey over the last months. Having seen highest highs of euphoria and deepest valleys of demotivation, I know some pitfalls and try to keep my designs as frustration-free as possible.
I work with certain principles and constraints:
- Few different components – I try to limit the values and types to few and simple. For example, I am very happy if the values of the resistors in a kit are limited to 1K, 10K, and 100K.
- Components that are always available – I like to have all the components for a new kit already in my modest box. For example, that’s why I like to use widely available op amps, like uA741 and TL072.
- Compact module design – I don’t want to break or change my case. I need modules with as much functionality as possible in a limited space.