EMS VCS3 emu gets FS overhaul

[k brown]

Thanks for fixing that!

If we're gonna talk hardware regrets - dig this:

In the early '90s when analog stuff was going dirt cheap I bought a Sequential Pro One for nuttin'. I hinged the panel minimog-style so it could tilt up at a nice angle and built an Alesis MicroVerb into the case. Ended up giving it to my (no longer) brother-in-law in exchange for a very small amount of money I owed him.

[Spogg]

Just to let you know that I’ve taken the bait.

I have the trapezoid system working as described, and in poly mode too! Ranges set as per the PDF.
Next is to look at, and think about, the LFO mode…

We shall see!

Cheers

Spogg

[k brown]

Hook, line and thinker

You probably noticed this, but the other thing I got wrong is that the output of the Trapezoid is bipolar, like an LFO (but not to the VCA, I would imagine). [Now fixed in orig. post]

[trogluddite]

If we're gonna talk hardware regrets - dig this:

Ouch!

The stupidest one I've done was the infamous "dodgy" combo-amp in a friend's cellar we used to use for jams. Anyone turning up late without an amp was made to use it. It had no tone controls, some obvious scarring from DIY addition of a connector plate, and a terrible, muffled sound that seemed to change massively depending on where you stood. As it wasn't mine, and I usually took my own amp, I never got around to getting my tools out to see what might be wrong with it. When we all went our separate ways, it just got left there for the landlord to throw out.

Years later, I saw an absolutely identical one on stage when I went to see a prog-rock band.

It was hooked up to a Hammond organ, of course!

[k brown]

If we're gonna talk hardware regrets - dig this:

. . . it just got left there for the landlord to throw out.

When I moved to San Francisco from the wilds of the California Central Valley to go to film school, I was so anxious to get going I actually left a '65 Thunderbird in my apt.'s parking lot "for the landlord to throw out". Believe it not I only paid a hundred dollars for it (1980) and it was running on maybe five of it's eight cylinders.

[Spogg]

I think this satisfies the details in the PDF Kevin. I had a lot of fun doing this.

Please speak up if there are any issues or changes needed.

Cheers

Spogg

[k brown]

Wow - I am green with envy of your green-blooded prowess with envelopes - first the Voyetra's odd-ball and now this . As far as I can tell everything checks out; I only had to change the Trapezoid output to be bi-polar:

Trap BiPol.jpg (64.12 KiB) Viewed 15905 times

I also made the env switchable linear or quasi-expo; the manual for the VCS3 and the one for the modular copy doesn't say which it was - I've always assumed most vintage EGs were expo due to the nature of the analog circuitry.

The ol' PUT' is now officially v1.03. Also went through the manual and got most of the signal ranges pretty close to right; this odd-ball had different output levels for each waveform. The joystick CV range was 0.6666 of the Trapezoid, etc. Because of the graphics in the VCS3 manual I'd always assumed the Tri > Saw/Ramp control was a smooth 'morph' of the shape, but the old synthesis book by Alan Strange (and he would know) clearly shows the VCS3/Synthi Tri shape control being a simple cross-fade, like the Moog Voyager; so with the uneven output voltages, the Tri output goes from a half-level Tri to a full-level Saw (or Ramp) -weird! I also got the Osc freq controls looking a bit more like vintage verniers - why not? I'd also neglected to make the Input amps inverting, so they can be used to invert CVs.

The PUTNIE os_v1.03.fsm

(1.62 MiB) Downloaded 991 times

The PUTNIE_os copy.jpg (197.24 KiB) Viewed 15879 times

Thanks again ! - envelope-meister Spogg

UPDATED 6/19 - minor GUI tweaks; no change to 'engine'.

[wlangfor@uoguelph.ca]

I think it's Your best looking skin. But I might add some rounded rectangles that are baby blue behind one letter or something to bring the logo somewhat. Like behind the firs letter or some, baby blue I think would be best or even frosty blue as it would create a really interesting effect.

[k brown]

The design is not mine - it's trying to look as much as possible like the actual synth - the EMS VCS3, nicknamed "The Putney".

VCS3.png (546.04 KiB) Viewed 15894 times

This particular specimen is missing the silver caps on the knobs (or they are black on this one - hard to tell).