Things have slowed down around here, and it’s been a while since any new completed Kosmo projects have been posted. Maybe you’re working on something that’s not quite ready for prime-time yet. Let’s see those modules.
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Nothing to show.
I recently got myself a EDU LABOR from Erica Synths, for easy prototyping.
And some years ago, I have build a modification on Sam’s 3340 VCO module, and I didn’t like it too much. It is a hard to properly tune. So now I am working on an easier to tune model based on this: Cabintech Global
Results so far are not good, but I just yesterday evening found out why. I was doing testing on a breadboard. The 50-100 µA control currents and 1M - 1M8 ohm resistors just don’t do well on breadboard with all the parasitic capacitance and such. So I did a quick test build on protoboard, and it did well, but not perfect. I am now designing a PCB to do more testing on, and turn into a new module later. I might share it with you all when I am done.
Furthermore, I have been experimenting with the LM13700 OTA, and 2 days ago a delivery of new ICs has come. A couple of single die matched transistors (quad NPN, quad PNP and dual NPN + dual PNP) to do some differential input testing, some BBD ICs, and 2 CEM3340 rev. G to compare my AS3340 ICs with.
So nothing concrete, nothing to show, but a lot of fun for me 
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I’m in a slump. I’ve got a couple of modules that need troubleshooting that have me pulling the remnants of the hair I have left on my head. I need some more power supplies and assorted components that I don’t really want to buy due to tariffs (I’m in the U.S). Long story short, I’m hoping for some inspiration here : )
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This is a safe space
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That is awesome! (20 chars)
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Here’s what’s in pipeline for the next JLCPCB order:
Dual Voltage Controlled Slew Limiter –> Breadboard tests finished, PCB design ongoing
Tripple Voltage Controlled LFO –> circuit validation on breadboard about to start
Stereo Output module –> validation on breadboard pending
After that, I’ll work on the following (for which not even a draft circuit is ready, only the panel concept)
Stereo Voltage Controlled Bucket Brigade Delay
A nice sequencer
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Nice!
And inspiring. I have so many ideas in my head, and instead of that I am just planning, planning, and more planning. For hours per day, and then i don’t make new things, instead I try to desperately improve the only module I made in, well, years…
I need a kick in the butt sometimes, and see someone doing something towards not one thing, but towards the many things in their mind.
Question about the sequencer:
What is rst 1-8 and 9-16? Is there any way to shorten the sequence to 5 or 7 or 14 pulses to get some whacky polyrhythms?
Well, in a way I can relate. In the past holiday period between Xmas and New Year I planned to focus on breadboarding, since this is the more brain-intensive activity that I find difficult to focus on due to the rat-race of work and daily chores. What happened instead is that I spent a lot of time in the couch designing front-panel concepts instead, and beating myself up for it. But at least I got the ideas out from the brain and into “paper”, so there should be more space in the brain now for actually troubleshooting the current designs with the oscilloscope… Also, putting those panel designs together makes me lustful for seeting them realized, and I use that feeling as fuel to get through the more boring/difficult tasks like breadboarding and procuring components.
I also relate with the thing about endlessly perfecting a single module… that’s why I took like 4 months to “finish” my VCEG, and still the final design is not without it’s bugs. I just had to call it ready anyway, otherwise I’ll never get to se my other more exciting modules in the flesh. There’s this saying that a work of art is never finished, it’s abandoned. You need to learn to abandon your one single module, knowing that you can always come back to it in the future, after all the other ones are done.
Now about the rst inputs: they exist exactly to allow shortening the sequence. You can patch the individual gate output from any step into the Rst input for that. I want to be able to choose between one 16-step sequence, or 2 sequences of 8 steps. And when I choose 2x8 steps, I want to be able to shorten the top and bottom sequences indepently, like top sequence runs from step 1 to 5, and bottom sequence runs from 9 to 15, and thus create some crazy polymeters indeed.
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I’ve been dealing with ‘real’ ‘life’. Awkward clients with a project they could’ve had finished 8 months ago if the designers actually did what was asked of them. I feel guilty, I’m surrounded by modules and instruments while I’m working and just can’t be arsed when I get a break. Trying to dip my toe back in but until this paying project is over there’s not going to be much happening.
I’ve got a few projects bubbling away in my head, hope I can get one or two done by the end of the year!
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That’s an incredible piece Squirrel!
I spent my holiday season playing, not building, which was a wonderful change of pace after 3 years of soldiering. However, my box of new components arrived on Thursday that will allow me to build another rack and finish up some of @rodrigoDMH’s modules that I’ve had particularly populated on the work bench.
Finally, I’ve been fighting KiCad over the last week to see if I can take the now open sourced Sid Guts Deluxe from ALM and convert it to Kosmo format and as much thruhole as possible. A close friend had an original first wave Sid Station and it seemed like an appropriate effort to attempt to give back to the community (if KiCad doesn’t win). That should be start tackling more conversation projects going forward.
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I have been toying with the idea of a suitcase based travel rig. Still trying to decide if I want to go down the eurorack route since I would like to use it for gigs.
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That is precisely why I fell into eurorack last year.
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I built a few of Sam’s modules, been taking time to see how they work, how they are supposed to work, etc.
I ordered PCBs for a couple of @analogoutput’s modules.
I have been “refactoring” the Quantizer module - making the pcbs multi tier, trying to avoid all the wires. I have been exploring PCB design, changing it to mostly SMD (and back), switching to absolute encoders instead of the 12 position switches.
Got a rygol to try and visualize and understand how things work.
Trying to find an excuse for using these in something:
Basically, just moving at a pretty slow pace as I have time.
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I’m bout full over here.
Over the holidays I got some sweet deals on pcb/panels for the side piece, the eurorack. That didn’t last long and now I find myself drawn to build a case for more westcoast style in Kosmo, which is just exciting and rewarding to explore.
Kosmo is my main
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Arrrrgh!
Cannot access LMNC from any of my PCs not my iPad … but here’s a short report.
Bought a Beringer Crave to have something I could hook up my modules to and see that they really worked as intended, but do far hasn’t started that work.
However, I dug up the MFOD 32-strp sequencer and have started finish the wiring. Of course my soldering iron died and today s new one landed from China so, as the panel is finished (potentiometers, leds, switches) I will start connecting the PCB to the panel.
Got som crazy stuff from China like a pile of small timers I will set up to make random pulses, maybe feeding shift registers … but I’m not there.
(Fingers to big for my phone)
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You probably saw my progress in the big threads (mail day and build progress). I started learning how to use kicad. I also created a git account to document and publish my creations…
My plan of 2026:
- I still have to fix the final problems of my GB-color oscillator
- get my modules listed on KOSMO grid
- I’m still painting by the numbers, mybe i can make the time and brain capacity to leran a bit about the basics of electronic circuits.
- I’ll try to make a furby-module PCB kit.
- build two more KOSMO cases
- finish the remaining LMNC modules from my backlog (midi muso & xfbm)
we’ll see…
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Thanks, everyone, for the kick in pants to get my iron fired up. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do to get something working. I’m happy that my hacking away got my VCO finally working. Now onto my recalcintrant envelope generator.
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Finally got my 2nd Thomas Henry CMOS ADSR working mostly. The trigger input and loop function don’t want to work, but after fighting with it for so long, I’m not inclined to care. Also ran out of MXR style knobs, so I took some inspiration from Sam and busted out the sharpies. Plans for the future include a dedicated percussion section and a couple more power supplies.
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That system just looks so beautiful
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