a/da Harmony Synth

[ruk777]

Hello- this is my very first post on this forum. I suppose I should have been here long ago with a pedal collection like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62767557@N00/5647248653/in/photostream
   and this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62767557@N00/2898448463/in/photostream
    But I'm not here to brag.... I recently scored an a/da harmony synthesizer pedal in amazing condition:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62767557@N00/5419209628/in/photostream
    and I was wondering if this is a circuit that anyone would want to clone. I imagine that many (if not all) the chips in it would be difficult to find. But I believe that anything is possible. I have seen some very talented cats here draw up schematics for the mighty Lovetone pedals. Another cool one that might be fun to clone is the Schulte Compact Phase A.
    What do you think? Is the Harmony Synth a candidate for cloning?
    If I have any other effects that anyone wants to have a look at just let me know and I will post photos promptly. No secrets in my collection!
    Nice to be here....

-Ruk

[Projectile]

Holy crap! That is one massive pedal collection! 

[slacker]

Nice collection, the harmony synth looks like a massive circuit by stompbox standards
piccy here, but you might find someone who'd want to take it on. Like you said whether it could be done would largely depend on whether it uses any unobtainable or difficult to get hold of chips.

The Krautrock phaser has been done http://www.jhaible.de/compact_clone/compact_clone.html

[deadastronaut]

 

[Jazznoise]

How do you afford food? 

[StephenGiles]

    What do you think? Is the Harmony Synth a candidate for cloning?
   -Ruk

Absolutely yes, the circuit for this has never surfaced in 30+ years or however long it has existed!

[Mark Hammer]

I would beg to disagree with Stephen, whose opinion I would normally support.  Read the in depth review/analysis here - http://hammer.ampage.org/files/Device1-4.PDF - and decide for yourself whether this is really worth the time and effort.

I mean, you could copy anything, I suppose, and make a 1/24 scale model of the Lusitania from toothpicks if you wanted, but would you end up with something that was worth the time, effort, and cost?  I look at the commercial Harmony Synth and I see a lifetime of fun.  When I think about cloning one, I think of a lifetime of troubleshooting.  If you're next door neighbours with Dave Tarnowski, have at it, but I wouldn't wish building one of them on my worst enemy.

And without wishing to slap on the wrists, several people I've known over the years with collections of similar or greater magnitude and collector value have indicated to me that they would either not display them on-line or would display them in a manner that assured some anonymity.  The chief reason is concern for theft.  The best insurance, as always, is to not own or make evident things that others covet, and give them a means (like name, that can lead to an address) to locate those things.  Band equipment is regularly stolen, even though there is presumably someone always watching the stuff.  That's too sweet a collection (and I do compliment you on your taste and diligence....never seen more than one Lovetone pedal in the same place at the same time) to risk.

[Scruffie]

Regardless of Cloning, I think if you could provide detailed pictures of both sides of the boards leaving no section uncovered it would be an excellent idea if only for documentation purposes, it may also provide future help with repairs and the possibility of any future cloning should someone wish to undertake it.

It would also be interesting to see what is going on inside exactly cause that circuit is HUGE 

[Mark Hammer]

My own intellectual curiosity also says "Hell, yeah!!".

Not at all unreasonable to wonder if there are some useful and useable ideas packed in there even if the overall pedal entails too much effort for the payoff.

[StephenGiles]

My own intellectual curiosity also says "Hell, yeah!!".

Not at all unreasonable to wonder if there are some useful and useable ideas packed in there even if the overall pedal entails too much effort for the payoff.

So does mine Mark! I used to have an original ADA circuit which they sent to me in response to a letter (remember them??). I can't remember what it was or even where it is, but if I can lay my hands on it,  some of the circuitry may be common to both units because they probably used the same tricks in more than one pedal.