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Projects => Build Reports => Topic started by: mjg on July 31, 2017, 09:46:54 AM

Title: The Mothership
Post by: mjg on July 31, 2017, 09:46:54 AM
This one is a Theremin Fuzz from Parasit Studio (thanks Freppo!), with a custom PT2399 echo circuit that I put together (achievement unlocked?)

I found this old Apple Airport base station behind my parents' filing cabinet a while ago.  It had been faithfully serving up a defunct wifi network for about 5 years since the telephone company technician installed a new wifi router for my parents, and didn't bother turning off the old one.  I decided to give it a better life. 

Rotary switches for the octave selector on the theremin, and another rotary for selecting the theremin, echo, or both chained.  I've put in a small circuit with a few transistors so I can switch both the LEDs on when both effects are running. 

The echo has speed warping and max feedback momentary switches.

The drilling was a bit of a hassle – there are no straight surfaces on this thing, so lining up holes was a challenge.  The boards sit off the knobs and switches with some orange juice container plastic that I cut up for the purpose.  And of course after I got everything together, I found that the very middle lug on the stomp switch wasn't quite soldered properly, so had to pull everything out again.

This one took quite a while to get finished – it's probably been sitting on the shelf in various states of undress for a few months.  But it's finally finished, and working.  I had to go with shielded wires leading into the Theremin Fuzz, as it really misbehaved if it didn't get a nice clean signal.  The shielded wires seemed to help the tracking. 

Originally I had an optical bypass in there as well, but that seemed to be screwing with the theremin as well, so I pulled it out and went with a plain 3PDT.  I'd probably just wired something wrong. 

(http://graybloomfield.com/guitar/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/P7290008-1024x768.jpg)

(http://graybloomfield.com/guitar/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/P7290007-1024x768.jpg)

Gut shot:

(http://graybloomfield.com/guitar/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/P7289972-1024x768.jpg)

Night shot:

(http://graybloomfield.com/guitar/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/P7289998-1024x768.jpg)

Video demo (about 2 minutes long):

http://graybloomfield.com/guitar/2017/07/31/the-mothership/mothership-480/ (http://graybloomfield.com/guitar/2017/07/31/the-mothership/mothership-480/)

Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: EBK on July 31, 2017, 10:55:45 AM
Mothership....
Apple logo....

Independence Day?

(As I get older, I realize that I need to be more careful making casual references to movies that were made over 20 years ago.  ::))
Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: mjg on July 31, 2017, 11:20:13 AM
Has it been that long since that movie came out?  Oh man...
Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: bcalla on July 31, 2017, 12:49:16 PM
That's the ccolest thing I've ever seen!  And heard!  Awesome!
Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: oip on July 31, 2017, 01:17:45 PM
sheer madness, i love it!
Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: BrianS on July 31, 2017, 01:37:58 PM
Very creative.  Really looks sharp.
Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: storyboardist on July 31, 2017, 01:48:14 PM
That's awesome! Perfect name too.
Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: Droogie on July 31, 2017, 03:00:56 PM
I love everything about this! Great job!
Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: jimilee on July 31, 2017, 03:34:58 PM
That's insane, I've been looking for a router like that for a project as well.


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Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: stringsthings on July 31, 2017, 03:53:51 PM
That's so creative!  One of the most unique enclosures I've seen.  Congrats!
Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: gordo on July 31, 2017, 09:30:58 PM
What a cool enclosure.  Captain Kirk's Fuzz Face.
Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: mjg on July 31, 2017, 10:26:13 PM
Quote from: gordo on July 31, 2017, 09:30:58 PM
What a cool enclosure.  Captain Kirk's Fuzz Face.

"It's fuzz, Jim, but not as we know it"
Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: nzCdog on August 01, 2017, 12:19:21 AM
Gold!  Love this, what a fun re-purposing of an old enclosure ;D
Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: gordo on August 01, 2017, 01:18:54 AM
Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor...not your roadie...
Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: Addy Bart on August 01, 2017, 01:26:41 AM
Sounds great!
Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: EBK on August 01, 2017, 02:41:46 AM
Quote from: Droogie on July 31, 2017, 03:00:56 PM
I love everything about this! Great job!
Finally got around to watching the demo video, and I was about to write those exact words!  Spooky!
Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: PhiloB on August 01, 2017, 03:17:02 AM
This is awesome!!


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Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: alanp on August 01, 2017, 04:28:33 AM
Best thing to do with Apple digital computing hardware, really.

Repurpose it as analog guitar pedal gear :)
Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: mjg on August 01, 2017, 07:36:36 AM
Quote from: alanp on August 01, 2017, 04:28:33 AM
Best thing to do with Apple digital computing hardware, really.

Repurpose it as analog guitar pedal gear :)

  I was hoping for an anti-Apple comment from Alan.   My day is now complete.   ;D
Title: Re: The Mothership
Post by: EBK on August 01, 2017, 01:34:33 PM
That Theremin Fuzz circuit is officially going to jump ahead of some other effects in my build queue.  Too simple and weird to pass up.  :D