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DIY Basic Analog Synth

Analog synthesizers, as made famous by such musicians as Keith Emerson (Emerson, Lake &Palmer) and Wendy Carlos ("Switched On Bach") were once very expensive, and when technology ushered in digital synthesizers, interest in analog synthesizers waned. But these unique musical instruments have found favor among today's musicians, and a number of companies are manufacturing modules and even complete systems. You can purchase the modules you want to make your own DIY analog synthesizer, and organize them in any order you want.

Things You'll Need

Module lists and prices from analog module manufacturers

Instructions

- 1
  Draw a block diagram of the type of basic modules and their functions that you will need to make your custom analog synthesizer.
- 2
  Include these basic modules in your plan: VCO (voltage controlled oscillator), VCF (voltage controlled filter), VCA (voltage controlled amplifier), and ADSR (attack, decay, sustain, release envelope generators). Additional modules to consider include mixers, noise generators, ring/balance modulators, reverbs, and sequencers.
- 3
  Budget a dollar amount you have to spend on your DIY analog synthesizer. A nice feature of building such a system is that your instrument can grow by adding additional modules anytime you want more functionality or have the finances to buy more modules. Your project may never be done.
- 4
  Purchase a keyboard controller with piano-style keys if you intend to play musical pieces on your synthesizer, as opposed to using it solely to create sound effects.
- 5
  Construct a case to house your modules. Back in the 1960s when Bob Moog made his famous modular systems, he set what has become more or less a standard of 1 volt per octave. Therefore, most voltage-controlled modules from different companies can be interconnected. However, power supply requirements will be different, and you will either have to build your own supplies or purchase supplies from each company whose modules you use. Also, modules from different companies may be physically different in size, and your case will have to be designed to properly mount each module.

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