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DIY + Unusual Gear Modular-Analog Music tech Tech

Erica Synths made a perfect Eurorack-ready breadboard DIY playground

Peter Kirn - June 14, 2024
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Ready to play with (or teach) circuit design, experiment with
Eurorack invention, or just learn more about sound and voltage? Erica
Synths has outdone itself this time on its DIY line with a beautiful
prototyping board complete with power, breadboard, and built-in
functionality.

[GET_3022_resized-1024x683]

This is kind of the luxury solution for prototyping, in that it does
so much. But you can also think of this as what it'd be like to have
a small Eurorack rig with the faceplate removed - ready to hack, mod,
and create. It looks perfect for a classroom, in keeping with Erica
Synths' recent efforts - but it could be a great convenience in your
studio/workshop, too. There are certainly other tools to just
prototype quickly - schreibmaschine has a set of breadboard-based
solutions, based in turn on Mutable Instruments creations. (On the
digital side, you have options like Daisy, too.) But this is unique
in that it is both a mini-modular setup with some built-in tools and
a breadboard and power and routing ready to go.

At EUR170-195, that is, this is the splurge option but - ooh, you do
totally get a lot for that. From Erica's description:

[GET_3038_resized-1024x683]

  * a built-in dual power supply producing Eurorack-compatible
    voltages, with built-in over-current protection for safe
    experimenting
  * a modular interfacing section with 16 slots for potentiometers,
    jacks & switches
  * a pulse/triangle/sine oscillator (audio & LFO range)
  * a multi-mode envelope generator controlled by a premium push
    button
  * a buffered variable control voltage source
  * an output amplifier with variable gain
  * a dedicated headphone output and a line-level output for
    recording, processing and analyzing the signal
  * an expansion slot for installing specialized prototyping tools
  * a protective lid to cover a breadboard.

Adding to the luxe treatment, even the "basic" model comes with
potentiometers, jack sockets, switches, and jumper cables, plus the
power supply unit. Upgrade to "full," and they throw in a bunch of
resistors, capacitors, chips, and transistors. (It's also not a bad
idea to make that investment as a beginner, as there are a lot of
foolproof features here to save you from accidentally spending more
money in the long term.)

Designed with Dr. Shalom D. Ruben, an engineer at the University of
Colorado, it looks like an ideal way to round out the DIY selection
of modules - though it also seems very workable on its own.

Check it:

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Tags: analog, breadboard, circuits, create analog music, design, DIY,
Erica DIY, eurorack, Hardware, latvia, modular, prototyping

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