July 2025: Sunburnt Synthwaves on the Seashore
I'm writing this on holiday in Devon in the UK, where I've spent the last week getting drunk and trying not to fall out of kayaks. In between, I managed a few things this month.
VCO Bringup - Sawtooth and Pulse Waves
Sound! Ear-piercing, whiny sound but sound nevertheless [[1]].
[[1]]: Not sure why my phone didn't pick up the sound properly in the clip, I can assure you it's way more annoying to listen to in person
There's a few problems with the final circuit and PCB but nothing that's not fixable with a bit of bodging. Originally when I was designing the circuit I only bought the parts for the sawtooth and pulse wave outputs, so it'll be a little while until I can test the whole module. Once they arrive, I'll write a post explaining the whole thing, and hopefully what mistakes other people should avoid.
Looking ahead - Envelopes and Amplifiers
Now that I've got one board done, I'm hoping to start getting through other modules a bit quicker. First up will most likely be an envolope generator and a voltage-controlled amplifier, so that I can actually get something out of the VCO that won't hurt my ears.
There's also lots of other things that need doing - I can't keep powering these modules off batteries forever so I'll need to sort out a power supply at some point. There's also design and budget choices to make with faceplates and cases. Hopefully those won't take too long so I can get back to exploring more analog circuits.
String Theory
Since I haven't had much time for hardware this month, I went back to something I started a while back. I've been trying to get better at programming for a while but don't really have the time to commit to either a full project or following a course. I found a website called Codewars that seemed decent - it gives you little programming problems to solve that focus on a single thing. So far I've learnt that I've forgotten most things to do with C strings and assigning memory, so nothing major.
Seen & Read
I finished The Great When by Alan Moore which was brilliant. I wasn't a massive fan of his writing style initially but I came around to it as the book went on. Interesting world and plot.
I also made a start on The Man in the High Castle. I'd tried the series and wasn't a massive fan but I'm enjoying the book a lot more, especially since its a lot more condensed than what the show ended up being.
Finally a couple of links: