FlatKeys
S10430 S10430 Divider Keyer
Update: 7th October 2021
Well, it's come to this....the global electronic component supply issue has finally reached us & we have had to pause this project - can't get the bits! As soon as we're able, we'll get back on it & put a message up to let you know. Thank you for staying with us!
Previous updates...
Update: 3rd April 2021
Here are some pictures of the jig we’ve made.
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We needed to make absolutely sure that our retro design is the closest possible match to the original devices. That also means when it is working with original devices. At the same time, we need to find out precisely how close the original devices are to each other, both individually and working together. Finally, we need something to test our new devices in production, because there are an awful lot of possible note output/key voltage combinations to check.
So what are we showing here?
The lower main board has a processor and FPGA to generate every note and every key individually. The key voltages are generated using a 12-bit DAC (4,096 different voltages) and the note outputs are generated by the FPGA. Every possible combination is thus possible to generate.
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The main board has USB serial port connectivity for us to output and save all the log data.
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The three top layer plug-in boards are all identical and are for plugging in the devices under test.
The four jack sockets you can see at the top left are the 2', 4', 8' & 16' outputs ready to go to a mixing desk so we can listen to it!
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25th October 2020
Blimey! This has been a long long time coming, but, as of autumn 2020, we're finally on the home strait, to bring to life a REAL S10430 replacement.
It's been a tricky one to create, because the original device does something really neat, and with modern parts it's very hard to replicate. We made one note about 6 years ago that was compatible, but the complexity for one note was so great we could never have built it into a useful part.
Then about 3 years ago we had the idea of making one that was close, but not matched to the original, so that at least you could get the instrument going by changing all the devices. Even that was too complicated to manufacture, so we put the project box back on the shelf!
And then, not very long ago, we discovered a new part had appeared, which, with a little magic and trickery, allows us to
- precisely copy the original
- fit in the footprint of the original
- reduce the number of component parts to make it affordable (not as affordable as we'd like, but we think it's a good fit, given the complexity of the unit)
- create a part that, should anything occur, can be fixed
The downsides....It's going to be quite a bit taller than the original; it requires FOUR four-layer pcbs, stacked on top of each other, using very tiny components (0204) that have to be very close together. So it will need strapping in with tie-wraps (we have a guide here for this operation). It will draw a little more standing current than the original, but not enough for it to be a problem.
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For those interested, the above picture shows our 'comparison jig', where we can test the new at the same time as the old. It's great to be able to use our own TOG on the prototyping of a new divider! For anyone who's wondering, we also made the prototyping parts ourselves, in the style of Mini Mount, which is no longer available. We call it 'FlatMount'.
There's still quite a bit of work to be done, but we're hoping for a spring launch, and we'll update this page accordingly with pricing and shipping information. As part of this project, we're also making the front-end of a Korg Lambda...
*in loving memory of the ELKA donor organ, RIP, photo below!
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