I get a lot of questions about ambient chord progressions. Actually, I don't get any questions about ambient chord progressions. What I get is search engine traffic from people who were looking for that on the Net, and end up reading my old arti…
[Read more]
The Toronto Sound Festival starts tomorrow, November 22, 2019, at "Beverley Halls" (aka the Polish Combatants Association). I'll be there as a vendor, with demos and sales of all my modules and kits. There will also be a lot of other inte…
[Read more]
Alternate title: "This Dad put -10V into a TL074 and here's what happened to his liver!" Most everybody knows that it's a bad idea to bring the inputs of the common TL074 op amp to a voltage more negative than about 4V above the negative power…
[Read more]
The Tokyo Festival of Modular is coming up this weekend, November 16 and 17, 2019, and North Coast Synthesis is a sponsor. I won't be attending in person this year but attendees will receive North Coast stickers and cards with an exclusive disc…
[Read more]
Newcomers who are just getting their feet wet with modular synthesis often ask for summaries of how to build a starter system. There are a few things to understand about that. Everybody's needs are different, and customization is a big part of…
[Read more]
I'll be exhibiting at the Toronto Pedal and Synth Expo on November 9 and 10, 2019. Drop by to try out North Coast modules in person and pick up a sticker and a discount code. This event is being described by its organizers as "free with…
[Read more]
Q: The analog synth circuit I'm building calls in the schematic for ferrite beads on the power rails, but it doesn't give any further information. What kind of beads should I use? A: Pick some that will look nice on the board, maybe in a colo…
[Read more]
Testing and adjustment are often underestimated in DIY circuit design. It's all very well to choose exactly the right topology and component values for a circuit; but even with a perfect design on paper or in the simulator, how does one get from t…
[Read more]
If you've been following the North Coast Synthesis email newsletter you'll probably know that I've had ongoing quality problems with the knobs I use in most of my products. The main issue is with the setscrews used to hold the knob onto a shaft…
[Read more]
When I draw the first draft of a new circuit design, I'll usually work out the topology of the circuit first, and leave out any component values unless it's instantly obvious what they need to be. The topology means which components exist a…
[Read more]
I've written before about the music of Dwarf Fortress - not just music to listen to while playing (which is the main thing you can find if you search the Web for this topic) but the music described in-game. The game simulates a procedurally-gener…
[Read more]
In the last four articles (start here) I've gone through a lot of the technicalities of flux: what's in it, how it works, and how to make your own. Now, let's bring it together and try out all these experimental fluxes. What about the solder?…
[Read more]
CAD