x0xb0x SS#01: Adjustments & More Tests

Today I set some time aside to address some of the outstanding tasks that were left on my list.

- I removed the BA662A and tested out a BA6110 in its place
- I drilled the power switch hole into the back of x0x
- I cleaned up the knob heights and properly aligned the rotaries. The dremel work needed to be straightened.

What's left:
- Replace the tempo encoder. The shaft has loosened due to my dremel work
- Drop in the heat sink once and for all
- Paint the back, possibly the enclosure
- Wipe down the top panel so it looks fresh again

The BA6110 is a perfectly good alternative in my view. It's nice to have the BA662A in place for the sake of authenticity but frankly it doesn't sound any different. I've left the BA6110 in place for now to put it through several months of jamming.

x0xb0x SS#01:Testing & Tuning

All the parts were in place; I was soldering and building the x0x carefully; I certainly spent enough time on it. I couldn't figure out why the x0x wouldn't fire up. I compiled a list of all the tests and went through them once more as a matter of quality control. I completed a battery of tests and got support through the x0x forums and covered everything from my power supply to each IC in the digital section of the pcb. It turns out that my earlier envelope issue was still at the heart of the problem. It was still causing errors and wasn't sending the correct voltage to the amp. After about 2 hours of troubleshooting I was relieved to discover that 2SC536F in Q37 was faulty. I replaced it with another one and low and behold it was fully functional! LIGHTS AND SOUND! Relief & Joy. It wasn't my shoddy set of skills. It was a dead transistor.

Hours of jamming and more tests ensued. I had the x0x drive a TR-606 and vice versa, Ableton and ACID driving the x0x via MIDI, and even had a connection to the c0ntr0l software.

After a good week and a half or so of just enjoying the synth I finally sat down and tuned it as well. It's by no means a complicated step but it does require a bit of patience. The forums suggest setting the tempo to its lowest speed, setting up a low C and middle C, both with long slides and decays and using a tuner to match it all up. This method worked beautifully for me via Wavelab 6 and a free tuner VST.

I must say that I thought the x0x sounded amazing when I got it working but hearing it tuned properly really makes it sing. *Now* we have an instrument here!

x0xb0x SS#01: I/O

This was an exciting stage actually. First of all, it's nice to see several of these 'external' components land into place on the I/O board. 1/4", MIDI / DINSync, and CV / gate jacks all make up the familiar territiory of any synth and gear owner. This makes the project feel like it's really starting to come together. Secondly, the MASSIVE leap forward was downloading the Serial <-> USB driver and plugging the I/O into the computer. JOY!! I nailed the USB chip on the first go. Looks like the beer helped after all ;) The computer recognized the card and installed the drivers. As far as WinXP is concerned, this x0x is 'ready to use'. I'm elated!

Of course the x0x is far from complete or running an OS but it sure is encouraging!