kokoon Posted November 29, 2005 Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 http://www.elby-designs.com/any of you guys have any experience with them?the wasp clone - "pixie" - looks mighty fine but 124$ seems a bit much for a PCB... and then additional 122$ for the PCB component kit... that's almost 250$ just to complete the PCB. and apparently you HAVE to buy the instructions CD for like 7$ if you want to assemble it. again, the synth really looks powerful but i think it's not cheap.then the ASM-2. on the "official" ASM-1 page it says that elby is now selling the boards. but elby doesn't seem to be selling the ASM-1 PCB. instead they made the "ASM-2" (which, again, looks fantastic) but - it all looks kinda fishy to me.don't get me wrong - i think it's awesome that someone is putting these out and still it's probably small money for what you get. and i'll probably end up buying something from them. i'm just looking for some more info and possible user feedback.anyone knows any forum or something that has some feedback on elby? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raphael Posted November 29, 2005 Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 I have no experience with them. But consider that their prices are in australian dollar (A$).Raphael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokoon Posted November 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 not the prices i listed. there's a link on that page to pick the currency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raphael Posted November 29, 2005 Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 Huh. Sorry, I missed that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokoon Posted November 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 still - what do you think about the prices? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwx Posted November 29, 2005 Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 still - what do you think about the prices?Well, I think they´re high :P but perhapse you can save a little bit of money only ordering the PCB-Kit...and try to get the other stuff cheaper,.... Looks like the´ve got a good quality (pots,...).... I´ve never build one of the kits,... prices are too high for me, but: really cool stuff ;D But,... they have schematics available,.... don´t know if you can get a preprogrammed PIC ( Monowave.....)We can breadbord it!! ;Dpwx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokoon Posted November 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 nah i'm mostly interested in the pixie and the asm-2. i'm not too keen on seeking out each component piece-by-piece... at least not at the moment with the knowledge i have. i would have bought just the PCBs and wait with them a few years but even just the PCBs are too expensive just to put them in the drawer :/the schematics... they don't have any of the PCB layouts... or am i missing something?also... now that i'm looking at it again... funny that they decided to put everything on one board (speaking about pixie and asm-2)... they could have made 2 or even 3 boards and give people more options for enclosing. the single PCBs are pretty huge from what i've seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el-bee Posted November 30, 2005 Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 I built the avr-syn.. All in all a fun little project although I experienced some really weird midi problems (random lazy midi response) which, after much fault-finding, suddenly just vanished to thin air. The project also served as a test item for some labelling, milling and construction techniques.Pictures here: http://www.kewlers.scene.org/bitchard/diy/AVRSyn/The whole thing is built mostly out of scrap parts, the only items specifically bought for this one were the pots+hats.. The provided documentation was a bit so-so, but you could work around the not so obvious parts by comparing the schematics with the other documentation. One thing I really missed were clear instructions on how to remap the pots and switches for the panel layout I chose. I suck with software and am too busy with other stuff to start learning. With a little remapping the cabling could've been a whole lot cleaner and easier to do.Also, for some reason the AVR osc was not programmed to rail mode.. being a total n00b with AVRs this one threw me off-track for a while during the fault-finding sessions (at a glance looked like the crystal osc wasn't working correctly). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moebius Posted November 30, 2005 Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 Hi.Mr. Laurie Biddulph is a well respected figure in SDIY. I haven't dealt with elby-designs, but also haven't seen any complaints. He mostly provides PCBs and kits for designs that are not supported by the creators themselves - oh, with his own improvements.So, what could be called a favor for SDIY community is also business for him. It's only logical for him to keep PCB design documents private?! Remember, the schematics are there. Nothing but Your skills and dedication (which might go hand in hand), keeps you from designing a new PCB from the scratch? ::)Bye, Moebius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twin-X Posted November 30, 2005 Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 Sign up at the SDIY mailing list and ask the same question. I can assure you you will get tons of positive replies on elby designs material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokoon Posted November 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 Hi.Mr. Laurie Biddulph is a well respected figure in SDIY. I haven't dealt with elby-designs, but also haven't seen any complaints. He mostly provides PCBs and kits for designs that are not supported by the creators themselves - oh, with his own improvements.So, what could be called a favor for SDIY community is also business for him. It's only logical for him to keep PCB design documents private?! Remember, the schematics are there. Nothing but Your skills and dedication (which might go hand in hand), keeps you from designing a new PCB from the scratch? ::)Bye, Moebiusi didn't mean to bash on Laurie. i was just wondering if it's worth the money. you guys posted exactly what i needed (and on some other forums that i posted this question on). i guess i'll order something and see.probably i'll go with the pixie... the simplesizer clone is simpler but i think i'd manage the pixie.can i ask you guys - is any of these ICs hard to get:Germanium Diode1N4001 50V 1A Diode1N4148 Signal Diode6N138 - Opto-coupler+5V 1A Regulator+9V 1A RegulatorCA3080 - Transconductance OpampCD4007 - CMOS LogicCD4011 - CMOS LogicCD4013 - Dual D-type flip flopCD4015CD4016 - Quad Analogue switchCD4024 - 7-stage Binary CounterCD4030CD4051 - Single 8-channel MultiplexerCD4069 - Hex Inverter UnbufferedCD40815V0 Reference DiodeLM386 - OpampLM3900 - Quad Norton AmplifierTL081 JFET Opamp2N3904 NPN Transistor2N3906 PNP Transistor16MHz Crystalthanks for all the replies. i didn't mean to be rude. sorry Laurie if you're reading this - i just needed some opinions :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idiotcountry2 Posted November 30, 2005 Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 I would say for what the Pixie is and the work that has been involved, the price is quite reasonable. Then again, I may be biased as I have been working with Laurie on the Pixie for almost two years... The PCBs are professionally made, drilled and silk-screened. Really high-quality materials. While it *is* a DIY kit, it's not something that was ever intended to be free as the MIDIBox is.The ICs are somewhat easy to find, but getting them all in one shot from Laurie is probably the best route. Some of them are usually only available with large minimum orders (some of the CMOS stuff). Unless you have a parts place near your home. :)TheCD-ROM of documentation is only for ease. When he is selling the Pixie (very shortly now) all the documentation will be on-line. You will not need the CD-ROM. However, there will be no PCB layouts as other people have noted.tm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokoon Posted November 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 ah so the pixie isn't for sale yet?thanks a lot for shedding light for me on this thing. i guess i'll go with the pixie ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo Posted November 30, 2005 Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 The ASM2 looks like a worthy project. According to the page, it's about 14 inches by 5.6 inches. This is good enough to fit into a rackmount case with room left over for a power supply. The price for a naked board, $36, is about right. I like how the controls are brought out to headers along the edges instead of having a maze of wires stuck in wherever. The latter is a big complaint I have about the Paia Fatman. The price of the parts kit may be due to the fact that the resistors are all 1% tolerance and some of the capacitors are on the exotic side. The chips aren't much more than a dime or more each.Mouser charges 9 cents each for 1% metal film resistors. You can get 100 5% units from Jameco for a dollar. If I can swing it, I'll work out a BOM for submitting to Mouser for parts in case anyone else is interested. I'm quite sure I can get the price down from US$270. Keep in mind that you'll also need a MIDI-to-CV (ie Midibox CV) if you don't already have one.I think I'm smitten by this design. For now, I'll content myself with drawing up a front panel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokoon Posted November 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 hehe that's great. what do you think about the pixie?too bad mouser doesn't ship to slovenia :-\ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moebius Posted November 30, 2005 Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 i didn't mean to bash on Laurie. i was just wondering if it's worth the money.I know. I'm sorry, if I sounded a bit rude. These people just deserve our respect. (Just look at the Pixie BOM - It's a bit more complex than modularized MBHP designs. I know I wouldn't enjoy hand picking all those resistors..  :P)I'll give a try on this one,can i ask you guys - is any of these ICs hard to get:CA3080 - Transconductance Opamp [discontinued]These OTAs are getting harder to find. You can still get them for a reasonable price, but local shops or major distributors might not be able to help.LM3900 - Quad Norton AmplifierBeing a Norton, not a typical OPAMP, might be a bit hard to find (?!)CD4069 - Hex Inverter UnbufferedCD4069UB really? Just make sure you get the Unbuffered type.Whoops - I forgot, those polystyrene caps could be a bit hard to find and a bit expensive.Pointers:1N4001 50V 1A Diode (or any 1N4001-1N4005 range)1N4148 Signal Diode   (or 1N914)+5V 1A Regulator     (LM7805)+9V 1A Regulator     (LM7805)Cheap and easy to find:CD4007 - CMOS LogicCD4011 - CMOS LogicCD4013 - Dual D-type flip flopCD4015CD4016 - Quad Analogue switchCD4024 - 7-stage Binary CounterCD4030CD4051 - Single 8-channel MultiplexerCD40815V0 Reference Diode (making a wild guess, It's actually 5.1v Zener  :P)Transistors are regular small signal PNP and NPN types, very common. If you can't find 'em, can be susbstituted easily.Bye, Moebius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo Posted December 1, 2005 Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 For the "hard" parts you list, I find them all at Jameco:CA3080 (they offer a CA3080E) for $2.95LM3900 77 centsCD4069 unbuffered 30 cents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokoon Posted December 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 well so it's possible. the polystrene caps... i can't get them at my local shop so i'd have to order them :/hmm 122$ for the components. it really isn't THAT too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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