Reptilian Feline

If the images were larger it might be possible to read what's written on the casings. I've searched the site, and it doesn't say anywhere what they use in their switches.

Yes, you're right Hotwaterwizard. They look very expencive, and I wonder if that company would be will to ship three of those to me in Sweden if I ordered them.

Tack Ante! Jag tror den sista fanns hos Elfa ocks

There are a lot of toggle switches - spdt and the like. They move between two or more positions in a straight line (up and down). I also know there is a kind that can move up and down and sideways with 4 or 8 positions, but I don't know what they're called. When I search for joystick switches I get versions that are too big. I have used some in my StarTrek kits, but they came with the kits. What I'm looking for is a switch with 4 separate positions, that goes back to the straigh up OFF positions after you've pushed it in one of the 4 directions, just like a tiny joystick, but looks like an ordinary little toggle switch. Can you help?

Fibre optics always transmits light, it's just a question of what kind of light you pass through the fibre and what happens to it at the other end. My experience so far has to do with lights in models, and on a more theoretic basis; fibre optic high speed data transfer (broadband). The principle is simple - send a wave of light in at one end of the fibre, and it comes out almost unchanged in the other. I can think of some uses that involves light and photo sensitive switches, but I haven't looked into that part very much.

One way is to print out the PCB-design using a lazer-printer and iron it on. Several pages popped up when I googled.

My first fibre optics project was a StarTrek model called the Enterprise Insident with one Enterprise and two Romulan ships. It was TINY and needed a lot of shaping and fixing, but the result was great! My next project is a model of Deep Space 9 (DS9) with over a thousand tiny fibre optics windows. From an electronics point of view, the models are pretty simple since most of the components are already in place on the PCB, but it made me consider putting together my own lightings in other models as well, I just haven't done any yet. A cheap supply of fibre optic fibre can be found in Christmas decorations. Much cheaper than buying it "fresh".

OK. Thanks! It was a bit confusing. I'll try and "untangle" the schematic and see if I can find the places to "cut" away the digital parts.

ExpressPSB wasn't what I expected. I wanted it to put together a netlist based on the circuit diagram, but it didn't. I first drew the diagram in the part called ExpressSCH, but when I tried to import it into the PCB-part,all it could do was to show me where the parts were linked. I had to manually import and name all the footprints. *sigh*!!! It was a good exercise, putting together the schematics, but having to do the footprint part as well with all those resistors and capasitors to keep track of... *ble*!!! I'll try Eagle next. I liked the tutorial from FreePCB, and if I could make a proper netlist for the fatman, I'd use that. Back to the Fatman... I'm confused... The midi part and the analog part are sharing ICs! The parts are separated in the manual, but I don't know what parts I can remove from the analog part of the schematics. The manual can be found here: http://www.paia.com/manuals/docs/9308-fatman-manual.pdf Could you help me? Also the ground symbol comes in two versions, and I don't know if there is a difference in how they'r wired. The empty triangle and the "three-line-triangle" both mean ground, right?

Audioguru - the idea to have it follow the harp is nice. I haven't thought of that possibility. It should add some interesting effects :) And yes, I do sing. My voice is my main instrument. MP - I'm beginning to understand the different parts in this. The PLL is a small part of a larger circuit when put to use. So... what have I been up to today... well... I downloaded ExpressPCB and the PAiA Fatman manual, and I'm working on reprodusing the scematics for the analog part of the Fatman from the PDF-manual. It takes a while, but is a good excercise. I will download the mods from the same place as the harmonics generator, and see how they fit in, and then put together the harmonics generator in ExpressPCB as well. Once that is done, I'll ask you about the circuits and how it can be modified to fit into what I want. The Fatman seems like a good small synth, and with less knobs on the front I think I can fit the parts into the harp. That's one of the reasons I'm working in ExpressPCB.

Audioguru - imagine you're playing the piano and singing at the same time. Your voice is "playing" the melody. Your left hand is playing the base on the piano, and your right hand is filling in the chords. Your left hand can play one note, or maybe the octave as well, and your right hand playes the 3rd, 5th, and maybe 7th note in a rythmic fasion or arpeggio style. To fatten it a bit you add the 5th to your left hand as well, so in your left hand you play 1st, 5th and 8th note (in C that would be C-G-C). On the harp, the electronics will be the "left hand", and the strings the "right hand". In the diagram on http://home1.gte.net/res0658s/fatman/4046pll.html there is referens to 3F in the "Harmonic generator mixer"-box. That is what I want to use. If the input from the VCO is C I get G and C, and if the input is F I get C and F, and if the input is D I get A and D.

The "keyboard" is made from rotary switches. On the harp there is 4 knobs on the front, and a 5th knob on the top side. If I use one knob (the 5th) for volume control, I have 4 knobs for my keyboard. My latest idea on how to use those knobs is based on a couple of circuits I found on a synth-site. If I understand it correctly a frequenzy multiplier works as a harmony generator - input one frequenzy and get 3 (1+5+8). There are 12 half-notes in a cromatic octave. If I divide the 12 half-notes between 3 knobs with rotary switches, I have a spare knob. That knob (rotary switch) will control which one of the harmonic knobs are used (1, 2, 3 or OFF). That way I can set up three "chords" and just turn the selector-knob to the chord I want to play. While that chord is playing, I can select another chord on one of the other knobs if need be. That way I can play continous sounding chords with one hand, and play the strings on the harp with the other. When I don't change chords, I can get half-notes by turning the bottom string-knob (not electronic) if I need to. I know there are some electric guitar pedals that produces harmony based on the note that is played, so it's not unheard off. I also found a circuit for a keypad harmony synth module that seems promising. I'll do some more reading and then post some links.

MP and Ldaniel - Thank you both! Background and wanted result: I have musical training in song, piano, guitar, etc. in part as a music teacher (didn't graduate because of the little *@#!!?s), and a strong base of music theory. I've alsways been good at putting things together and my feminin side is into teeny tiny details. When I set a goal I try my best to get to the finish-line with a result that would make an expert proud. I also work with computers, but my programming is mostly PHP and HTML, not C++ or similar. That doesn't mean I'm not ready to learn if need be. To me, this project is as much a learning project as a proper end-result project, if you know what I mean. I'm academic in nature, but have found it easier to learn stuff when I have to jump in at the deep end. The instrument I'm building has already strayed from the original blue print, but since the blue print is a construction in itself from a non-working stage-prop, why not? As a musichian I apply the same questions as I did when I designed my model railway station; ease of use, versatility, looks. The sound I'm after is a warm organ/scifi-sound that can hold long base-notes. I like the way the Hammond-organ sounds, so something along those lines would be fine. If the IC 50240 were still in production, I would have started with that, but it isn't so I'm looking elsewhere, and Google have been my friend on this journey, as have you. I found something interesting today after following a link on the second site in my previous post. http://home1.gte.net/res0658s/fatman/4046pll.html I'm not goinf to build an entire Fatman, but maybe this frequency multiplier module can be used anyway? If I understand it correctly, this unit will give me the 5th + octave chords I want, regardless of the starting note? If so, I can turn the tuning knob to any starting note and have the chord played??? It would of course be eaier with preset notes, but 3 rotary switches could give me 12 preset chords or something, and then I wouldn't need a separate tuning knob. I'll start googling frequency multiplier modules now

MP - is this what you mean? http://www.synthdiy.com/show/showproduct.asp?show=942 I've also been looking closer at the http://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs159/-site. Both look promising. I am however a bit at a loss as to put the parts together for what I have in mind. I guess all the knobs in the pictures of modular synths are a bit humbling. I've bought supplies to make my own PCBs so wiring will be easier. I'm also prepared to get a whole lot of resistors, capacitors and transistors to try out any design needed. This is a pretty steep learning curve for me. A few weeks ago I had no idea what VCO and so on was. Now I'm beginning to understand it a bit. It's fun but confusing. MP - if you can help me sort out the parts I need from the parts I don't need, and help me understand how to connect the parts, I'd be very very happy!

Rotary switches ore pretty common in model railway setups, so I will use those for the preset chords. The scales... Consider the C major scale (all white keys on a piano). It has a minor parallel (using the same keys) called A minor. I will have one rotary switch for the C major scale and another for the A minor. The chords... A chord is made up of (usually) 3 notes or more, and the middle note of the chord in its basic setup determins weither or not it is a major chord or minor chord. If you don't use that note in the chord you get an "empty" chord where the major or minor comes from the melody or the strings on my harp. Each scale have thre basic chords, but several of the notes are repeated in different chords, so I won't need a full set of octaves, just the notes I'll use. Polyphony... this will be created using three different oscillators, one for each note in the chords. The third note is the same as the first, but an octave higher (double frequency). Transposing... I think I can change key by adjusting the voltage. The voltage is adjusted using resistors, right? Well... that's the idea so far. On the front of my harp ther will be a volum knob (volpot), a transpoing knob (like a glide), and two knobs for chords. There is a fifth knob on top of the harp, and I will wire plain octaves to that in the same way as the chords. The chord will sound for as long as the switch is set to that chord.