x0xi0 Mod - Full kit 1st Run Details

[bcbox]

This is a pic of the top (unrouted) and rear pcb's. Click for hi-res.

[AngryChef]

That looks like a success in all the ways that I was hoping...

[bcbox]

I had one of the top panels expedited so I could approve it and make descision to send out for silkscreen or do an overlay. The machining and the anodized finish look very good. The first pic is the panel test fit. The second is the panel with a paper test overlay cut out by hand.
[edit: btw the leds on this one are all 3mm, on the real parts the holes are for 5mm]

[AngryChef]

That looks really good. Is getting it silk-screened going to significantly affect your bottom line? If so, I would be more than happy to chunk a few extra bucks your way cover the cost of getting the panels silk-screened. Anyone else?

[bcbox]

silkscreening is actually cheaper in this quantity. There's a tooling charge for the screen and then a small per piece price. The quotes are generally about half as much. I wanted to see the anodized finish before committing so silkscreen. I wanted to make sure it was a nice even finish. I'm quoting the silkscreening now. The rest of the panels are due to arrive on the 10th after which I plan to send them out for the screen printing.

[bcbox]

I've got hours and hours of samples of the final x0xi0 and I wanted to upload a clip to give you guys that are waiting an idea of what it can sound like. This is a simple 4 note sequence using the internal sequencer, no accents, no slides. This is all x0xb0x with x0xi0 mods no external sound sources or fx. This only makes use of a few of the new features. Please be careful it gets very loud and has a lot high frequency in some parts so please don't hurt your ears...The sample breaks down at the end to the stock x0xb0x sound.

sample

Mods you are hearing here are:

VCO1 & VCO2
VCO Sync
Noise Source
Filter Tracking
Hi Resonance
Gate on mode1
VCA Envelope

[charlie_says]

I believe the most suitable response to this is: OOOF!

Roll on May!

[stevenclements]

Bravo

[bcbox]

The top panels arrived today. They look perfect as I expected. I had them machined as opposed to punched etc.. because of the complexity, tight tolerances, and number of holes. They arrived later than expected so I'm four days behind. They go out for silkscreen on Friday. The date for all parts to be here is now April 28. The only other major parts that hasn't arrived yet is the top panel PCB which is due to arrive on April 24. Below I've also added the latest mockup pic of the panel design. As I mentioned back in March this is the last part I worked on because of the short lead time for sending them out. I have a good sense of aesthetics but I'm not a graphic designer by trade so it takes me longer to do these things. The panel has been refined further since this pic.

BTW I have (4) kits left from the run so if you want one or know someone that might want one just get in touch. If you miss out on the first run I hope to do smaller runs in the future. The price will be a bit higher to make up for the smaller quantities.

[SubStyler]

wow... looking good
I'm very curious on the kit !

cheers

[bcbox]

Here's the current info of parts to leave out of your x0xb0x if you are installing the full kit:

S1
R36
R47
R59 (install backwards vesus silkscreen legend)
R61
R62
R119
R121
R122
R123
R133
R143 (install backwards vesus silkscreen legend)
R145
R155
R234
C13
C14
C15
C17
C20
C21
C38
D35
TM4
TM5
S2
LED’s (all)

The encoder, S2, may be replaced if you find the shaft too short to securely hold the control knob. If your kit currently uses the spec'd CTS 290VAA5F201B2 part there may be just enough shaft length. If you use a different encoder you may find the shaft is too short. There is a new encoder included in the kit with a 5mm longer shaft.

the reason not to place the LED’s yet is because with the mod fitted the x0xb0x mainboard is 3/32" further away from the front panel - so the LED’s would also be set back 3/32" if fitted with the normal standoffs in the x0xb0x kit. The mod kit comes with new 0.30" standoffs.

[charlie_says]

Brian,
A quick and general query about the parts to be left out.
I'm building a new x0x to fit the mods to, it's currently complete apart from the LEDs, it's all checked and tuned (yay me!).
I appreciate you giving a list of the parts to be left out to fit the full mod - but, in reality would it not be better to build your x0x, then check it works, before fitting the mods - just from the point of view of tracking down any errors??
Looking at the list of parts all the Rs, Cs, Ds will be no problem at all to remove. (As I said: I left the LEDs out as I heard they can be fiddly to remove/replace.)
Regarding the S1&S2 (and I've realised probably all the pots) rather than replace them, would it not be a simpler solution to 'build up' the shaft - either by adding something to the top of the shaft, or probably more simply by adding a small amount of something (glue allowed to dry?) to the hole in the knob??
(My experience of removing pots/encoders in the past was an unpleasant experience.)
Charlie

[bcbox]

Hi charlie

yes it is ok to have a working x0x to begin with. With most of the parts removed you can still test many sections of the box. However many others parts are required for proper operation so you wouldn't be able to test eveything. I know a lot of guys who don't have alot of experience with soldering can have have a hard time removing parts, so I really want to avoid everyone rushing ahead and soldering in all these parts. I will be around to help regardless of which situation everyone is in.

The pots and mode & bank encoders do not need to be removed or left out, they stay as is. The tempo encoder is the ony control that may be left out. I'm a perfectionsist and want it to be robust and work for a long time, that's why I am inlcuding the proper encoder for those instances where the shaft is to short.

[bcbox]

The top panel pcb's came today. They look like a piece of swiss cheese with all the routing. The silkscreened top panels are due back on May 1. The only part I'm still waiting for is the balance of slide switches (the last 70 of about of 450 total). I'm going to get these packed up and mailed out as soon as possible. The install manual is not done yet and I probably won't finish it until about the time you guys start receiving your kits.

[bcbox]

This is the top panel artwork that was sent out. 3 colors against the black anodized panel. The artwork was influenced by the work of many other talented contributors including phono, ripe909, sasha, sinesurfer, and subatomic - and there still a lot of underlying illustrator work being used from c0nsumers orignal overlay, so thanks to all those people. It was also influenced by the 303 and 808 etc, so it has a hint of retro.
click on pic for larger version [note: this is a lo-res export so don't be freaked out by the quality]