Month: October 2021

Synthrotek Quadrangle – DIY Build

October 28, 2021
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Synthrotek Quadrangle - DIY Build

The Synthrotek Quadrangle is a quad cascading triggered envelope generator with bipolar output attenuversion and is 20HP module with a lot of versatility. With 4 cascading envelope generators and user voltage control over attacks and decay/release, this module is in a class all to itself. 

As the fall season slowly began creeping in, we decided to go back and see what kits we had left to build for the year. To our surprise, we totally forgot that we had the mysterious Quadrangle from Synthrotek up on our build wall. This was partially due to the studio remodel and the continuous go go go of daily life. 

The Kit...

When we opened up the kit, the first thing we noticed was the size of the boards. This was a BIG module. 20HP to be exact. It consisted of 2 PCBs and one panel. We ordered the kit with the black panel but Synthrotek also offers a silver panel. As this kit was a big one, we knew we where in good hands with the amount of build data there would be available.

Included in the kit was a printed BOM as well as all the components you need to complete the kit.

Intermediate to advanced builders will not have an issue with this build, whereas novice builders could struggle due to tight soldering pads. 

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Music Thing Modular Mini Drive – DIY Build

October 26, 2021
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Music Thing Modular Mini Drive - DIY Build

Music Thing Modular (or MTM as we shall call it), is a range of eurorack modules designed in Herne Hill, London by Tom Whitwell. The MTM Mini Drive is the latest module of Tom’s and it is beginning to make some waves in the modular community. Like all of Tom’s other modules, the Mini Drive is open source module that is a Drive/Distortion module inspired by the classic Minimoog input gain.

Needless to say, this thing packs a lot of punch in a tiny 4HP size. As Tom puts it “Using this module is a great way to make a polite sound source into something less polite, but always experiment with the levels!”. After seeing the debut of the module, we knew we had to pick one up and get it on the build table. 

Onward....

We ordered our kit from THONK in the UK. As many DIYers know, this is THE place to find all of the MTM kits. The Mini Drive is the first of the MTM series that only comes in a black panel and it has a bulb to show signal intensity. These two things really set the Mini Drive apart from its brethren modules.

Another thing to be aware of is that the Mini Drive kit comes with all surface mount parts come pre-soldered, making this a perfect kit for beginners. 

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Evaton Technologies AModulator – DIY Build

October 13, 2021
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Evaton Technologies AModulator - DIY Build

The Evaton Technologies AModulator SDIY kit is a companion module to the RF Nomad voltage-controlled shortwave receiver. What does that mean though?

In crude form the AModulator is a RF amplitude modulator that produces a micro-power radio-frequency signal which the RF Nomad can decode. 

Still not making sense? It’s ok, it didn’t make sense to us until we dove a little more into this sidecar module. 

Simply put, the AModulator allows you to encode any audio signal into an amplitude modulated RF signal, which the RF Nomad can then decode back to audio, with all the artifacts of vintage shortwave sound.

The AModulator SDIY kit consists of two printed circuit boards and thru hole components required to complete the kit. One circuit board contains the actual electronics of the module, and the other circuit board serves as both the faceplate of the module, as well as a touch-plate antenna. 

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