EH MicroSynthesizer work a like

[Gila_Crisis]

Hi does some one know a guitar-project that work like the EH MicroSynthe but is a bit simpler???

[StephenGiles]

Probably not, the Microsynth needs all it has to do what it does - if you see what I mean. In fact it could do with an envelope follower so that the sweep is variable.
Stephen

[tadas]

I wonder if anyone has actualy tried to build the EH Microsynth clone?.. Are there any hard to find components ?..

[Mark Hammer]

Bill Bergman, who used to frequent here (where the hell IS he these days?) put one together using several boards.  It worked apparently.

Though not EXACTLY the same thing, a reasonable facsimile could be assembled with:

1) an MXR Bluebox adapted to have both f/2 and f/4, and fuzz, outputs independently available at a mixer input, *OR* the PAiA Rocktave similarly adapted

2) any Mutron III clone to feed the mixed octave/fuzz signals to

3) any delayed attack unit like a Boss Slow Gear clone or the E&MM string damper

The big restriction here is that the envelope followers in both the Mutron and delayed attack box would HAVE to take their inputs from some sort of buffer placed immediately after the guitar.  If not the Mutron will not sweep effectively because the Bluebox/octave outputs are restricted with respected to dynamics, and the delayed attack box will have its attack corrupted by the Mutron.  Normally, in modular analog synthesizers the signal source (oscillator) goes to a filter and then to a voltage controlled amplifier.  The envelope/function generators that sweep the filter and VCA are initiated by the same trigger/gate pulse but work entirely independently.  To get the Mutron and delayed attack to mimic that, you'd need to take the guitar signal from its purest point and use that to feed the envelope followers of the pedals.

Alternatively, the PAiA Gnome synthesizer used to be marketed as a kind of simple guitar processor.  Given that it is not available, currently available projects would include Motohiko Takeda's Farm 921 singleboard synthesizer, and Ray Wilson's Sound Lab synth.  Both are pretty small, and relatively simple compared to the E-H monster.  PCB layouts are available for each.  The Farm synth uses generally available components, with the exception of a few matched pairs like the 2SC1583.  I'm not sure how critical it is to have the bipolar pairs perfectly matched if you aren't using the internal oscillator.  Ray Wilson's board tends to use a variety of less than common (but still obtainable) op-amps.  Though Ray seems to have gone to great lengths to select op-amps, I suspect that some degree of performance could probably be gotten with more common BiFets or other good quality dual op-amps.

[SolderBoy]

The big restriction here is that the envelope followers in both the Mutron and delayed attack box would HAVE to take their inputs from some sort of buffer placed immediately after the guitar. If not the Mutron will not sweep effectively because the Bluebox/octave outputs are restricted with respected to dynamics

I've got a circuit from one of those babini books that I breadboarded a couple of years ago that is a fuzz, with a VCA following (half a 13700).  Worked great infront of an envelope follower - I was messing with the Paia "motion filter" at the time.  This "twangy fuzz" is one effect that I was never able to find in commercial form.

[bwanasonic]

Hi does some one know a guitar-project that work like the EH MicroSynthe but is a bit simpler???

What particular trait are you looking for? Octave up, octave down, fuzz, attack control or filtering? If you pick all of the above, you might as well save up for an EH Micro Synth. You can get work-alikes for various pairings of these effects by using other effects and playing techniques, but nothing does all of the above quite like the Micro Synth. I no longer have one, but I was lucky enough to be able to use one for years, and employed it on numerous 4tk cassette recordings back in the day*.

Kerry M

* Shameless self-promotion dept. You can hear some *genuine vintage 80's era recordings* of Micro-Synth abuse at:

http://www.garageband.com/artist/BwanaSonic

The tracks ForJimi, Dreams Of a Mung Bean Fiend, Icepick Graffiti and Finger Symbols all feature the MS in various roles.