Thank you for these amazing machines!

#1

Hello :slight_smile:

First post here. Let me tell you a “bit” about how I came here…

I just got into analog synthesizers a few weeks/months ago when I treated myself with a Korg Monotribe while “browsing” at Thomann…
I have no electronic music background except listening to it for 25 years, I do play acoustic instruments (guitar, ukulele, shamanic drum, native american flute, jews harps, …)
I have a long time GAS habit, though, and I’m a very fast learner (with background in professional IT and a long time hacker).

What started all this was my will to use a microphone on my flutes to add some delay/reverb. I got the DigiTech TimeBender pedal, which is one of the most advanced delay pedal ever made (it went completely under the radar from most guitarists, though). I had so much fun turning all those knobs and getting rhythmic distortions out of it that I wasn’t playing the flute anymore so I thought, hell, what the heck, let’s create my sounds from scratch, electronically, but only turning knobs ! That’s when I saw videos of modular systems on youtube…

But damn ! All those modular synths were so expensive ! When I get into a new field, I like to buy/get a few concurrent systems so I can learn without bias and faster. No way I was spending 2 or 3000€ to test a few modules !
So after lots and lots of online research, I decided to give Elektron a chance for the polyvalence of their machines and got an Analog Four.
I’m very satisfied as it’s the perfect machine to “make electronic music” thanks to their amazing sequencer and four monophonic voices.

I still had my GAS, though, and wanted to keep experimenting with analog synths, but at fairer prices than Elektron (though I’ll have to get an Octatrack sooner or later – for the same reasons as the A4, but for sampling : pure hardware solution) and all the other “big” players – Moog, DSI, Korg, Doepfer, MFB, …

As I am a big supporter of Open Source, especially hardware, more so now than ever as solutions are popping up everywhere (Arduino launched a thread), when I first heard of DIY/open source synths, I got very interested, but the one I found (MeeBlip) wasn’t so appealing so I kept searching…
Until I found Mutable Instruments (heard of Shruthi on the forums, then saw Olivier’s 4 parts video (modularsquare I believe)…
I was immediately hooked both to the concept (DIY in kits) and to the machines.

That’s when I ordered my first kit, last week. I was then still trying to figure many things about analog synths (I have no interest on full digital synths and/or modelling – computers – what I want is a full hardware/analog setup that can run without a computer) so I thought the “one button per function” concept of the Anushri very appealing. Also, Shruthi had “digital” in it so I was a bit weary at first, my old school “fear of the new” :wink:

7-8 hours later, my Anushri was built… Wow.
What can I say ?
There are no words to express the feeling of wonder and profound respect I feel towards Olivier. You are my new hero :slight_smile:

For starters, this is the easiest build of my life. Everything fits perfectly as described, the instructions are extremely precise and simple to follow.
Then it is just beautiful ! Both inside and outside. It’s elegant. KISS. Simple is beautiful. Sorry for the reference, but design-wise, this is like the Apple of DIY :smiley:
It’s the incarnation of all the advantages of Open Source. You really nailed it !

Obviously, I couldn’t stop there :slight_smile:
After all, a little bit of digital couldn’t kill me, and it was also quite cheaper or easier to build than the other MI offerings.
So early this week, I ordered my second MI kit, this time a Shruthi SMR4 mkII, along with some yellow PCBs for the future…
I arrived yesterday, I built it overnight again, faster than the Anushri of course, but so fast I had used the 68R below the LCD instead of the 3.3R so I had to get some before testing the little beast…
After a trip to my LES and a quick soldering job, I plug the thing in…
Hmmm, leds turn on, sound comes out, but the screen is dead… Damn !
A quick look on the build notes, a few clockwise turns of R21, and tadaaaaaah (or ewwwwiewwwwiewwwwiewwww if you prefer) the SHRUTHI-1 is in orbit :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

And again, my world is turned upside down… So small yet, such a big sound !
We need some “bow” smiley here :slight_smile:
Sh*t… Now I GOT to have them all !
Ok, maybe not all, but at least the 4MP, YM, Digital/FX and Polyvok… and then the Ambika…

Aaarg. Help meeeeeee !

#2

You forgot the Dual SVF :wink: Welcome aboard

#3

Nah, I have to say no to something, else it’ll feel like I have no free will anymore and Olivier owns my soul. Not good for my karma :slight_smile:
Hihihihi.

#4

You need to keep some soul left over to sell to Frank, Andre (TubeOhm), Adrian (Van Daal) and Peter Kvitek as well… :slight_smile:

#5

Yeah, Frank is already on it as I just ordered a Black XT, and as soon as I order the rest of my Shruthis, I’ll get some more custom plexi cases from him too… (and anyways, I got the cases with the Anushri and the Shruthi kits already.)

And Adrian definitely got my attention too, but I thought I might as well keep all my Shruthis with the same cases. Maybe for the Ambika ? :wink:

#6

I’m impatiently waiting for one of Adrian’s Ambika cases…

#7

Adrian’s Shruthi cases are beautiful. I’ve got one of his Ambika cases in mind for Ambika #2 as well…

#8

@Costo
Welcome to the ShruthiVersum™ - your XT was delivered this Morning 9h48. signed by SCHAEFFER

#9

Woohoo, thank you, Frank… I love your work too :slight_smile:

AAaarg, I’m leaving in holidays right now, AFK for 2 weeks… It’s almost a torture to leave… But I have my Shruthi and Anushri in my suitcase with a Roland Mobile Cube… If I can find a battery module for the Shruthi, I could jam on the beach :smiley:

See you guys in 2 weeks for more Shruthi madness :slight_smile:

#10

YOu can just wire together some batteries so you get around 7.5V…

#11

For the Shruthi, you could use something like this and get 2-3 hours of power.

#12

For the very very brave, wire together 6 AAs with a center tap and get - 4.5V, 0V, + 4,5V and bypass the Regulators :wink:

#13

Well, those are 2 good ideas !
My vision would be a little plexi case with the same footprint as the Shruthi (to stack them somehow, a bit like Festool cases :D), in which I would insert some LiPos, A123, 18650 or the likes, an USB plug to get 5v and some circuitry to load balance charge the unit on its own from the USB…
Or even more battery capacity, and a USB power cable to power a small MIDI keyboard next to the Shruthi…
That’s the beauty of open source hardware, it motivates innovation :slight_smile:

#14

Welcome onboard!

For battery power, I plan to use this:

http://www.batteryjunction.com/tenergy-74-6600-pcb.html

With it, you could power several machines or one for a lot of hours.

Maybe you could fit this plus a charging/bypass PSU inside a case with the Shruthi´s aproximate footprint, and have 4 output sockets plus USB so you have a sort of universal battery supply + UPS.

Or this battery plus a Midipal for a super-swiss-army-knife multiple use thingy.

#15

"Maybe you could fit this plus a charging/bypass PSU inside a case with the Shruthi´s aproximate footprint, and have 4 output sockets plus USB so you have a sort of universal battery supply + UPS.

Or this battery plus a Midipal for a super-swiss-army-knife multiple use thingy."

Great idea to include a MIDIPal !

I was thinking about a DIY solution based on an Arduino (initially, then maybe turn it into a DIY project with an ATmel chip), but with those exact requirements :slight_smile:

I feel like I found my new project :slight_smile:

#16

What would you use the Arduino for?

I would just put the huge-ass battery and maybe a small circuit (dunno if the Arduino can do this) to enable charging it and when full divert power directly to the sockets. Having an led scale to indicate charge would be super too.

I would wire the midipal´s power internally through a switch and maybe add switches for the different sockets so as to be able to turn on or off each synth individually.

Sockets would be:
-Power In
-4x Power out @7.4volt
-Midi Out
-Midi In

Switches would be:
-Midi Pal Power On/Off
-4x Socket Power On/Off

Components:
-Midipal without a Case
-Battery
-Custom Case from fcd72 (forum member making cases)

I don´t think that this would fit in a Shruthi-sized case, but one that is the same depth and height but wider could be nice.

Call it MidiVolt or something.

Don´t hesitate to post any progress!

#17

Back from holidays…

Why the Arduino ?
Well… Because a huge-ass battery, as you say, is not as easy to charge as a few NiCad/NiMH cells. I was thinking about using Lithium Polymer batteries as used in radio controlled vehicles (cars, planes, helicopters). They are now quite cheap and easily available (check it out : http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_listCategoriesAndProducts.asp?idCategory=86&LiPoConfig=3&sortlist=&CatSortOrder=desc ) but they need to be charged with load balancing. Moreover, I’m not worth a damn in electronics, but can find my way around microcontrollers, specifically the Arduino as I have worked with it in the past. It will be usefull to manage all the power requirements of the project, including the led indicators and switches.

I have thought about the MIDI a lot too, but don’t think after all that including the MIDIpal would add anything worthwhile in the project, as a standalone MIDIpal is perfect as it is. I prefer to keep things more modular so I’ll keep this project as a power management device only.

These are the functions I want to include in the project :

  • 3S 1P or 2P LiPo (11.1v), load balanced charging (possibly with an external connector to charge a backup LiPo, and a hatch in the case to switch the batteries on-the-go)

  • status leds (charge indicators, voltage of the selectable ports, …)

  • 4 power outlets, selectable between 4.5v / 7.5v / 9v with a button

  • 2 USB power outlets (5v)

That’s about it for now…

Any suggestions are appreciated of course :slight_smile:

#18

Oh and maybe just a little USB to MIDI convertor for keyboards with only a USB/MIDI/power connector so I could use small keyboards like a Korg nanoKEY on the go…