Oct 31, 2009

Parts of the religion

[the name of this post is based on 'Parte de la religiĆ³n' (=part of the religion) a song by Charly Garcia]

Obviously this is not a cheap project, a quick count of parts easily gives a view of the main groups of expensive parts to buy. As I say it before, I'll trying to build at least one of each modules of the 'classic' IP as previous experience and point of reference on building the new versions. My first fear was that could be impossible locate the old chips and I was wrong, it could be found in many places (prices may vary a lot).


I managed to obtain a good stock of chips, now I have enough to build several 'classic IP' modules. In the quantity order (as stated in the complete part list) the needed chips are: (70ea) CA3030, (35ea) MC1445L, (4ea) ICL8038BC, (4ea) uA715; but that quantities is to build a complete system.

Other semiconductors needed are: (144ea) 2N4123 npn transistor, (90ea) 2N4125 pnp transistor, (53ea) 1N270 germanium diode. Now I'm seeing my options with this parts and also the big quantity of IC sockets needed.
The second big group of parts are: potentiometers, knobs and connectors. For the connectors, I've used an idea I had been thinking around for a while: I bought an empty card cage of a video router on ebay, it requires a little of labor but it only cost me 5 euros! I have not counted yet the potentiometers needed, then I'll see which options I have for this quantity. I think I will left the knobs for the last stage.

Oct 30, 2009

Every religion needs a little of order

I was reading carefully 'Distribution Religion', Criticalartware version, and sometimes I though that I'm missing something, I was right because I've checked other pdf's I've downloaded and found some pages missed and other pages differents.

So, to use only one document as reference manual, I've made a page by page comparation of all the documents about the Sandin IP on the web and finally ensambled one pdf to use in my project. It have the main part coming from the Criticalartware's pdf, in second place it have some pages from the Phil Morton's pdf from the Vasulka website, at last it have one or two pages from others pdf's I don't remember now.

Criticalartware's pdf is almost right, but my main critic is because it is fairly a mess, so I decided give the new pdf a structured layout. Each module is arranged in a group of pages starting by the description, then the front face of module, a block diagrams (if exists), the schematic followed by the pcb mounting and the part list at last.

The modules order I've used is arbitrary, I think it follow a logic order of construction (to me), I left at the final the sync generator and the encoder because it seems to me is possible to found better options (and easier to build) today. And at very last of the pdf I put the 'non classical' modules, I mean those modules not recommended in the construction of a 'Classic Sandin IP' (but could be nice additions) .

Now I think I would have a more productive reading because I use to skip several pages ahead, and again skip pages back very, very often. At least to me, now is easy to follow the directions to build a module in particular. Sometime ago I was thinking about re-write, re-draw and re-assemble the whole document but I guess if I do, I never will start build nothing. I want concentrate my efforts on learning how the IP works, and let this 'documenting impulse' for the IP v2.0 comming next.

I don't know if someone else, other than me, is crazy enough to experiment with 40 years old circuits (it could be possible! there are a bunch of people building Moog clones), so for those people, maybe could find interesting my Distribution Religion re-edition, I put this link below [on the picture] (I couldn't find a good file service than esnips.com)

Oct 12, 2009

(Re)Starting the hardware projects

In last January I was visiting my home-country, Uruguay, and was the opportunity to take me back some of my stuff (magazines, infos, instruments, parts, unfinished stuff). This makes me to re-think one thing: I was keeping me away of all kind of 'old stuff' since long time; but as I am in posessing (again) of parts and info for the Sandin IP that I was collecting for years in Uruguay, maybe is time to finish this.

For the people who don't know a Sandin IP it is... go to Google for this!... well, well, I'll try to explain in the short way: is for video what a modular Moog is for audio. I must admit that I'm more on portable systems but for now I could take advantage of what I have. Maybe in the next future I could build a Jones system; for me this is for video, what a VCS3 is for audio ;)

Lately I was in contact with people already has build a Sandin IP asking some clues, counting the parts and sorting the wide and confusing info available on the web. I think this first part is over (if not, I don't care). To start the building process, I was forced to do some "new" adaptations, so this will not be a "classic IP" as I could wish.

All the IP's I know are in the US, so I can't put my hands on one to see if it's worth all the effort. Judging by some videos processed by the IP on the web I'm positive on that. Hopefully someday I can do an ETC residency where exists the most complete Sandin IP.

Now the advice to others: I will say the exactly the same all people say regarding of building one IP: I don't encourage you to build one... but I will add "ONLY if you have the time AND enough money"

Pressing reset to this blog

I know, has been a long time from the last post, more than a year! My life becomes very complicated lately and this keeps me very busy to persue my internet projects. To make things worse, Googlepages is closing so this means all I have prepared to publish will need some rework, and I have not enough time to do it.

So... I think I will be puting all sort of info on this blog (a little bit messy), I'll cleaning ideas and writings, then (if it doesn't take me much time) publish on the webpage (GoogleSites, GooglePages or whatever). I don't like Google Pages because the url turn a little bit complicated to retain... but... what can I do?... is free.

Anyway, I was checking this blog and nobody come yet, so then it will be a new beginning. The next post will be juicy... I promise