The Buzzclick Music Company: GIZMOTRON

If you're handy with a soldering iron and a pair of dikes, allow me to introduce what will soon be the latest offering in the 21st century analog module craze: The Buzzclick Gizmotron! What this handy-dandy little jewel does is convert a standard VC attenuating pot, or worse yet, a VC input without any attentuation (what were they thinking?) to a bipolar processing pot. Simply put, once the Gizmotron is installed, the center position will become null (no VC), clockwise from there will process your VC positively (like a 'normal' VC attenuator), and counter-clockwise from center will process your VC negatively (inverted), much like most of the VC processing on Buchla and Serge systems and some on Modcan.

Diagram 1 -GIZMOTRON functional diagram

It also features a trimpot so that the center null position can be set poy-factly. The Gizmotron is tiny - real tiny (It's about a 1/2 inch wide by about an inch long ). The main pot is soldered directly to the PBCA, which creates the faceplate mounting method of the unit itself. It will fit neatly behind the faceplate mounted processing pot and should cause no interference to other board mounted componentry within .65 inches of the pot itself. If your module-to-be-tweeked has its PCBA mounted parallel to the faceplate, the Gizmotron features a single mounting hole so that it may be cludged to the existing circuitry in some way (probably using one of its corner mounting holes. No fuss, no muss! Connection/power requirements: signal in signal out +v (5 thru +15) -v (ditto) ground These will be sold as kits only for about $10 a crack (don't hang me on this). You should be able to slap one of these together in about 1/2 hour, even if you have two right thumbs like me. Paypal is the vehicle of choice, but I will take a M.O. no problem. Cash or checks - no can do! I will ship anywhere in the world accept New Jersey. (just kidding about NJ). The boards will be in production very soon - please keep your eyes peeled to the buzzlcick site for ordering and availability information. So we all remain friends afterward, no advance orders will be accepted until the kits are in hand.

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! Some applications may require that the GIZMOTRON pot be ADDED to the faceplate (in the event you are adding this processing on an input that had no attenuating before). IT IS IMPERATIVE that you test the Gizomotron out FIRST, BEFORE you take a drill to your faceplate. Assemble the unit, connect the power with test leads externally and connect the VC to be tested into the GIZMOTRON's input, and its output into your modules VC input and play. If it works to your satisfaction: drill, baby, drill! I will gladly refund any Gizmotron if a customer isn't completely satisfied but CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE/DEFORMATION/ALTERATION TO YOUR EQUIPMENT WHICH MAY OCCUR FROM YOUR INSTALLATION

GIZMOTRON ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS: Holding a bare Gizmotrom toward you, so that the 50 pot graphic is on bottom: The I/Os (down the lefthand side) from top to bottom are:

LABEL FUNCTION OU Gizmotron Output +V + supply voltage (5 to 15 V) IN Gizmotron Input -V - supply voltage (5 to 15 V) OV Ground OV Ground

kk

Notes: The white horizontal line to the right of the 2k trim pot is a jumper. No room, and no need for an IC socket - don't worry about it, it'll work. I have the output impedance set at 1K. adjust as required for you own system. The Gizmotron PCB was designed specifically for the same 50k linear Panasonic pots used by Blacet (Digikey part number P3T9503-ND). If you elect to use this part, the two mounting tabs of the pot need to be bent in ever so slightly for it to fit . It's no biggy, they are easy to put in but take a little nudge.