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idyllm modular idyllm modular

Welcome.

This site exists to keep track of my projects and share those designs. This is an effort built on a foundation laid by many talented and generous people to whom I am grateful.

Look in the Projects section for module designs, including schematics, PCB layouts, BOM, firmware, technical notes and assembly instructions. Each project lives in a self-contained repository with its own documentation. I primarily use KiCAD for schematics and layout.

The References section is a collection of guides for common design and build information, including part sourcing and mechanical details. Links to other useful resources are also collected there.

Recent Commentary

Patch Diagrams for Mermaid

Now for something different: progress on new modules has been slow in the new year, but I've been working on a tool to help diagram some of the patches that I've been experimenting with. Based on the Mermaid syntax, the mermaid-patch extension let's you embed patch diagrams in a page and it should be compatible with Material/MkDocs (which I use for this site).

2025 Year in Review

Time for a reckoning. After discovering this little corner of the universe a couple of years ago and getting some of the basics in place in 2024, I set a goal for 2025 to build a new module every two months. I figured that this would get me to the point where I had the core of a basic synth: VCO, envelope, VCA, VCF, and maybe couple of extras. Results and stats below the fold.

State Variable Filter

The last module for 2025! At the beginning of the year, I had a goal to build a new module every two months with the objective of having the core of a synth by the end. With this filter, I think that the basic pieces are in place (although I still have lots of ideas for 2026). The state variable filter is a very elegant textbook design that translates nicely into an analog circuit. The prototype came together well and the filter response fits the theory beautifully. However, there was one issue...