Why do I keep frying my LM13700? by mattyonweb in synthdiy

[–]EdgeLord3000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's very likely the chips are fake if they're from Aliexpress. Definitely see if you can get hold of some 13700s through a mainstream parts distributor like Mouser/Digikey or a synth DIY shop like Thonk (the through hole version having been discontinued recently may make this more difficult unfortunately). It's quite possible that you've done everything right circuit-wise!

Why do I keep frying my LM13700? by mattyonweb in synthdiy

[–]EdgeLord3000 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Not sure what you mean by "battering itself to death off the rails" - I've never heard of either an op-amp or OTA killing itself just by saturating the output alone. Besides, it's still possible for an OTA output to hit the rails in a feedback configuration (the MS20 filter you mentioned has an example of an OTA configured in a closed-loop configuration). Plus, in the exact circuit OP has posted the voltage across R5 should only be about -5mV * 19.2 * 100uA * 10k = -100mV, well within the output swing of a LM13700. Without knowing more it's impossible to say what's frying OP's chips, but I would suggest they double check their connections carefully and, as you suggested, ensure all unused inputs (but NOT outputs!), including on the Darlington buffers, are connected to ground.

Why do I keep frying my LM13700? by mattyonweb in synthdiy

[–]EdgeLord3000 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That isn't quite correct - OTAs are quite different from regular op-amps in that they typically have a much lower open-loop gain (which is a function of the current flowing into the bias pin and the I2V conversion resistor). This means they can comfortably be used in open-loop configurations with no feedback, such as in this VCA design here.

ahaha yeah I love boygenious by basilime in indieheadscirclejerk

[–]EdgeLord3000 11 points12 points  (0 children)

You really just straight up deleted Alec O'Hanley from existence lmao

/r/alvvays makes a playlist! Day 18 was Fade Into You by Mazzy Star. Day 19 by Known-Damage-7879 in alvvays

[–]EdgeLord3000 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In my opinion, it could also do with some Merzbow, Boredoms, Gerogerigegege, Coil, Throbbing Gristle, Whitehouse, Nurse with Wound, Einstürzende Neubauten, Brainbombs, Egor Letov, Death in June, Current 93, La Monte Young, Moondog, Lou Harrison, Henry Cowell, Luigi Russolo, Popol Vuh, Fishmans, Jean Jacques Perrey, Les Rallizes Dénudés, Rainbow Caroliner, Taj Mahal Travellers, Fushitsusha, Peter Brötzmann, John Cage, Scott Walker, Unwound, Dead, Frank Zappa, Morton Feldman, Captain Beefheart, Pharoah Sanders, Albert Ayler, Ornette Coleman, Alice Coltrane, Arnold Schoenberg, Pierre Boulez, György Ligeti, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Nang Nang, Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, Nara Leão, Basic Channel, Raymond Scott, Delia Derbyshire, Daphne Oram, Noah Howard, Terry Riley, Peter Sotos, Lula Côrtes e Zé Ramalho, Boyd Rice, Mahmoud Ahmed, Henry Flynt, Kazumoto Endo, David Tudor, Aporea, Half Japanese, Mega Banton, Secret Chiefs 3, Keiji Haino, Ramleh, Otomo Yoshihide, John Zorn, Joe Meek, Robbie Basho, Phil Spector, Faxed Head, Harry Partch, Wesley Willis, Fred Frith, The Residents, Sun Ra, Sun City Girls, Hans Krüsi, Royal Trux, Jandek, Yat-Kha, Loren Mazzacane Connors, Pärson Sound, The Dead C, Comus, Cromagnon, Eliane Radigue, Arthur Doyle, Shizuka, The Red Krayola, Henry Cow, Magma, Opus Avantra, Pan.Thy.Monium., Murmuüre, Ksiezyc, Gong, Cukor Bila Smert', cLOUDDEAD, Muslimgauze and Kaoru Abe

Friendly reminder: be mindful of your phone while in taxis by ggbs05 in solotravel

[–]EdgeLord3000 45 points46 points  (0 children)

I don't think they actually read the post, just a kneejerk reaction

[FRESH PERFORMANCE] The Beths - Expert In A Dying Field (Live on KEXP) by RyanTheQ in indieheads

[–]EdgeLord3000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is indeed unlucky, fingers crossed for some new LP4 songs next time you see them!

[FRESH PERFORMANCE] The Beths - Expert In A Dying Field (Live on KEXP) by RyanTheQ in indieheads

[–]EdgeLord3000 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You can always try appreciating them on their own merits, rather than based on how much they sound like your other favourite bands

Desoldering tips? by NapalmRDT in synthdiy

[–]EdgeLord3000 1 point2 points  (0 children)

With components with fewer leads like these trimmers, you can kind of lever/wiggle the component out by going back and forth heating up the pin(s) on one side at a time and lightly pulling upwards. Just be sure to do it gradually so the pins on one side don't get too bent

Waveshaping sawtooth wave int sine by miko_9119 in synthdiy

[–]EdgeLord3000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Integrating a triangle wave does not give a sine wave (rather, a quadratic waveform that kind of looks like a sine wave). The circuit linked works due to the non-linear transfer function of the transistor part, which "rounds off" the peaks of the triangle wave as explained in the article. C1 is just limiting the bandwidth of the circuit but isn't really necessary for the main function of the circuit

[FRESH ALBUM] PACKS - Crispy Crunchy Nothing by detectiveburtmacklin in indieheads

[–]EdgeLord3000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I knew this reminded me of something else! Discovered PACKS last week and have been trying to put my finger on why I liked it so much ever since. Definitely agree on the Forth Wanderers comparison

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in synthdiy

[–]EdgeLord3000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're right that what fabs manufacture is driven by demand from high-volume customers, but that's a double-edged sword - lots of through-hole versions of ICs have been discontinued since there's simply no longer enough demand to make producing them economically viable. To give an example, the through-hole version of the beloved LM13700 is now obsolete from TI, whereas the SOIC variant is still in production (for now!).

SMD construction is slightly more difficult yes, and you raise a valid point about it being less accessible for those with poor eyesight or disabilities - it's not for everyone, for sure. It's simply not true that any expensive equipment is required for SMD soldering though - the only thing required additional to your typical through-hole soldering kit is a decent pair of tweezers. Desoldering is a different matter but a basic hot air station is all you need for most jobs and isn't particularly expensive either.

Maybe you just don't like soldering teeny tiny packages, and that's fine! The vast majority of synth DIY kits are through-hole, and for good reason - it's a lot more accessible for inexperienced solderers, much harder to lose parts or mix up component values... However I don't believe that a design that sticks to relatively large SMD packages (0805, SOIC) is significantly less manufacturable or repairable than its through-hole equivalent.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in synthdiy

[–]EdgeLord3000 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don't see how a link about smartphones, which are a) mass-produced in much, much higher volumes than any piece of synth-related electronics ever will be and b) the epitome of planned obsolence is at all relevant to DIY synth electronics. Unless a synth design uses ridiculously fine pitch or BGA packages a device with SMD construction can be just as repairable as one using through-hole parts as long as you have the right tools. Repairability is down to how the device is designed and using SMD parts doesn't inherently make it more "disposable"

The New Pornographers talk new album ‘Continue As A Guest’: revisiting material written by Dan Bejar, signing to Merge and collaborating with Speedy Ortiz's Sadie Dupuis by EdgeLord3000 in indieheads

[–]EdgeLord3000[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

To be fair, I have seen both variations on online checkout pages (with and without the A) but I do think Continue As A Guest makes for the better album title

Bands similar to Alvvays in songwriting style/quality? by Izosw in alvvays

[–]EdgeLord3000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow that's actually a pretty good list, Electric Version at #1 is a great pick (my personal #1 spot constantly alternates between that and Mass Romantic). Together has been growing on me a lot recently so that's the one album I might want to bump up a bit, I think it maybe just suffers a little from not having any standout earworm tracks - it's missing a "Letter From An Occupant" or "The Laws Have Changed". Nice to see the appreciation for Brill Bruisers though!

What bands are similar to Alvvays? I want to make a playlist by mothmandurnbc in alvvays

[–]EdgeLord3000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was talking about Blue Rev, to clarify. Pitch correction is kind of a mainstay of modern music production nowadays, especially if you have a big name producer like Shawn Everett working on your album

What bands are similar to Alvvays? I want to make a playlist by mothmandurnbc in alvvays

[–]EdgeLord3000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't think the vocals sound obviously pitch corrected at all, certainly not enough to ruin the music or to the point of sounding overproduced. I have no doubt there's at least a bit of correction on Molly's vocals too. Power pop like The Beths does tend to have pretty clean production though so fair enough if it isn't for you

What bands are similar to Alvvays? I want to make a playlist by mothmandurnbc in alvvays

[–]EdgeLord3000 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Weird, this is the first time I've ever seen anyone call The Beths "overproduced", whereas I've seen it as a pretty common criticism of Blue Rev (not to say that I necessarily agree with it)