Very intresting in depth look. I currently have a 4046 in my diy take on the zombie chorus as the clock signal . Its good to see how I could possibly manipulate the vco in the future. Thank you.
It's probably my favourite square wave VCO, I've got 3 of them in my Project XII modular synth. It's great for bass lines, particularly when sent through a low pass filter.
I have my 4046 set up on my breadboard as a simple vco and output to a small 0.25W speaker . But it seems quiet up against my other 556 basis synth ( the same as 'Technology will save us' atari punk synth) which is louder on the same speaker. Is there anyway I can make it louder? Many thanks.
@@CuSiSound Many thanks for the quick reply. I was told that logic IC's are quieter than 556/555 IC's so I may have to build a LM386 amplifier. Or could I put a 2W mini speaker directly to the 4046 or will that damage the IC? thanks.
Using a higher wattage speaker will not increase the volume of the sound output. The speaker watt rating is an indication of the level of signal you can feed into it without distortion/damage. A LM386 amplifier would be a good way to boost the signal and get more volume out of your speaker. The LM386 chip comes in a range of wattage outputs so you can select the one that best suits your needs (and speaker watts). Keep experimenting, solving problems is a really good way to learn about electronics and how circuits work.
When I decided to put my synth projects on youtube I wanted a 'brand' name (I already have a channel under my own name for my prog rock music). The idea came to me that the sound is generated by silicone chips and is transported along copper wires. The chemical symbol for silicone is Si and for copper it is Cu. I didn't like the sound of SiCu but CuSi had the right feel. So the CuSi Sound DIY synth project was born. OK I'm a science nerd : ]
Just now saw your channel - good use of a PLL as a VCO! - also great as it runs from a single ended supply!
Great job. I adore the title of your series, “little boxes.” Makes it sound friendly, which you and it are. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent! I'm delving into the 4046
Thank you for the strip board layout! I'm going to build a few of these for my modular for sure
2 or 3 together make for some nice drones. I'll be doing a video on the ones in my Project XII modular in the near future.
Very intresting in depth look. I currently have a 4046 in my diy take on the zombie chorus as the clock signal . Its good to see how I could possibly manipulate the vco in the future. Thank you.
Sounds great! It really can make some crazy sounds. Nice job.
This version of the 4046 using it as a VCO is like Jeckyll and Hyde depending on whether you're using the modulation input :).
had no idea this vco chip exists.. thanks!
It's probably my favourite square wave VCO, I've got 3 of them in my Project XII modular synth. It's great for bass lines, particularly when sent through a low pass filter.
👍👍
I have my 4046 set up on my breadboard as a simple vco and output to a small 0.25W speaker . But it seems quiet up against my other 556 basis synth ( the same as 'Technology will save us' atari punk synth) which is louder on the same speaker. Is there anyway I can make it louder?
Many thanks.
This circuit is not designed to drive a speaker directly. If you want it to be louder you will have to amplify the output from the VCO.
@@CuSiSound Many thanks for the quick reply. I was told that logic IC's are quieter than 556/555 IC's so I may have to build a LM386 amplifier. Or could I put a 2W mini speaker directly to the 4046 or will that damage the IC? thanks.
Using a higher wattage speaker will not increase the volume of the sound output. The speaker watt rating is an indication of the level of signal you can feed into it without distortion/damage. A LM386 amplifier would be a good way to boost the signal and get more volume out of your speaker. The LM386 chip comes in a range of wattage outputs so you can select the one that best suits your needs (and speaker watts). Keep experimenting, solving problems is a really good way to learn about electronics and how circuits work.
Might you be willing to explain what “CuSi” stands for/means? Just curious. 🙂
When I decided to put my synth projects on youtube I wanted a 'brand' name (I already have a channel under my own name for my prog rock music). The idea came to me that the sound is generated by silicone chips and is transported along copper wires. The chemical symbol for silicone is Si and for copper it is Cu. I didn't like the sound of SiCu but CuSi had the right feel. So the CuSi Sound DIY synth project was born. OK I'm a science nerd : ]