EH Microsynth Alternatives

[theblackman]

Hi,

Do you guys know of any projects which could be an alternative to an eh micrsynth? Perhaps something
that is similar in sounds but simpler in construction!

Thanks,

Richard

[Processaurus]

Hi, what is it you like specifically when you play the microsynth?  There are easy ways to do parts of what it does (triggered filter, fuzz, octave down, octave up, volume swell), but if you want it all it would make sense to just clone or buy it.

There are some nice, simple, synthy sounding things on Tim Escobedo's "circuit snippets" site if you haven't seen it already, like the PWM, Uglyface, and simple squarewave shaper.

[magikker]

I've got a Microsynth and its a fun pedal... But the thing has huge draw backs. It's huge. It needs it's own power supply. I doesn't track as well as I'd like. It has a lot of cool things in one box that I'd love to turn off and on independently.

I'd say to build:
a slow gear clone
an octave up
an octave down
a square fuzz

Do that and you'd have alot of the micro synth sounds. It would probably be easier too. If you really want to get the sound of a microsynth build a buffered splitter box, so you can run your signal to those pedals in parallel then put it back together with a blend box. This would give you a modular microsynth of sorts allowing you to do beyond the sounds offered by a microsynth, plus you could take it apart and use the peices stand alone. 

[Jaicen_solo]

Modular has a nice ring to it if you ask me!

I'd say start with the Rocktave and work forward from there, since that will give you a square wave fuzz, oct -1 & -2 and the board on GGG has the 4017 interval mod added too, which is very cool! You could then use the VCA and VCF from the Microsynth, or add a Mutron III  type state variable filter for more flexibility. 

[slacker]

I can get some of the microsynth's sounds using my Slacktave (apologies for the shameless plug) into an MXR envelope filter.

[magikker]

theblackman, have you used a microsynth? If not you ought to read this

http://hammer.ampage.org/files/Device1-3.PDF

scroll down to the microsynth review. It goes pretty in depth about the effect. I got my microsynth for more or less free when I bought a package of pedals on ebay and resold most of them to cover the cost of the few I kept. So to me, it is a great effect for more or less free. I'm definitly a fan, but that thing has huge downsides. Honestly I think a bit of a modular take on the pedal would probably give you much better results. The abilty to set the input levels for each of the effects seperately would be a huge bonus... plus you could put the "slow gear clone" where ever in the signal path you'd like. Hell, you could put anything in the signal path anywhere you want.

To get the microsynth effect right you need to be able to blend clean, octave up, octave down, and fuzz. Then toss in a slow attack and some filter stuff. I guess we ought to start looking into finding the best matches for the different stages of the microsynth so that we can put together the modular microsynth upgrade.

[GREEN FUZ]

I can get some of the microsynth's sounds using my Slacktave (apologies for the shameless plug) into an MXR envelope filter.

Ok! Ok! I`ll make the bloody thing as long as you promise to stop mentioning it . Seriously though, it sounds like it might be a good inclusion in this cool Modular idea.

[snufkin]

wow

i have i micro synth and i love it but i think it could have been improved so much

i was thinking of starting a thread to do this modular approach (i think i would put it all in one box and have a patching jacks on the back possibly with an axillary foot switch)

my list of units i may consider so far

slow gear
e&mm harmony generator
a realy fat sounding fuzz (dont know yet)
tim escobedo PWM
a ringmod
crash sync
filter (somthing very versatile)

and for patchable control
vanishing point sequencer
a good versatile lfo
expresion pedal
envelope detector

[soggybag]

Ugly Face! This is an easy build that sounds pretty good. In square wave harmonized octavey kind of way. It's got an envelop effect built into it also. But it won't do a volume swell.

[StephenGiles]

"but simpler in construction"

Look here, I built a microsynth in 1980, on veroboard, no layout, after 3 years' electronic tinkering, and it worked very well. I had a minimum of help (10 minutes) from an EH designer. How can your generation give up so easily before you even start? The core section of the Microsynth - the sweep generator and the filter is unique to EH and is not duplicated by other manufacturers. You have to think big when building this beast, try to cram it up and you can't troubleshoot! You can't have everything in a 1590. I've said before what is needed to enhance the sweep generator in order to make it really special.

[magikker]

Oh, I'm not giving up on building a microsynth... I'm looking at improving a microsynth.

I want to do this in a modular fashion for much more control over this thing. I think I'll be making my version as a set of stand alone boxes. Then I might look at boxing up the best versions all in one place.

One thing I'm thinking I'll add would be a Tripple Fuzz. I think it would be a great option to be able to blend it in with octaves and a square fuzz. 

[blanik]

"but simpler in construction"
...How can your generation give up so easily before you even start?...

sorry i got lost reading your post... what were you saying? 

it's called ADD 

[Jaicen_solo]

Stephen, do you still have your Microsynth perf clone?
I've heard a lot about it, but i've yet to actually see it. Any chance of a pic or two?

[snufkin]

why did i not know about the AMS-100 sooner 

[Jaicen_solo]

As far as I know, it was never actually finished was it?

I've pored over the schems of the guitar -> CV converter a lot, but i'm not convinced that it will track well enough to be useful to be honest. Certainly not enough for me to build one, but I think someone on here built the Synthaxe which can be found on GGG, so maybe that's worth a look?

[snufkin]

cool info JS thanks

yeah i have been looking in to building a pitch to cv converter for ages to go with an sn voice synth im putting togther with a cv keyboard so i could have both options i have had lots of help over at electro music 

and i was looking in to the penfold unit (i know it would never track perfectly but i wanted somthing)

any way sorry for thread hijacking 

[GREEN FUZ]

why did i not know about the AMS-100 sooner 

Wasn`t sure what you were talking about so I quickly Googled AMS-100. Looks like a serious bit of kit.



I guess the wheels are for when you`re playing the big stage.

[snufkin]

yep thats the one 

the ams-100 is a project by craig anderton http://hammer.ampage.org/files/Device1-1.PDF that was never finished

[nordine]

and, o course, at the end of everything on that modular system, you'll need a noise gate (like in the microsynth)

cause the noise will be HUGE

[Mark Hammer]

I think the first step is to make yourself a 1-in-3-out splitter, and a 3-in-one-out mixer.  To replicate the flexibility of the microsynth, you'll need to be able to manipulate several signals in parallel.