BERGFOTRON mek – homebuilt synth

Jörgen has some amazing homebuilt synths with brass mechanics…

A large part of the work in building a modular synthesizer is in the mechanics.This is also where many home-built instruments fall short of the commercial ones. I wanted my synthesizer to look as good as a commercial one, or hopefully even better.
Mechanics isn’t just looks, of course. It must also be rugged enough, to withstand portable use. It should also be lightweight and compact, for the same reason.

Right now I have a temporary 19″ rack case, that I built years ago. It takes two rows of modules, which won’t be enough for all the planned modules. I will make a larger, portable case but the design isn’t finalized yet.

The mechanical construction of the individual modules deserves some thought too. All my modules are based on a 1 mm thick brass front panel. You might think 1 mm is too thin, but I use 1 x 10 mm strips to brace the panels. A huge advantage with brass is that it can easily be soldered to. So I just solder strips to the back of the panel, when required.

BERGFOTRON mek – Thanks dar303! Link.

More:

• DIY analog synthesizer pages – Link.
• Huey Lewis Mellotron synth sculpture – Link.
• HOW TO – Build your first synth – Link.
• Synth-in-a-box – Link.
• Cheap hackable synth kit – $99 – Link.
• More synth action – Link.