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Restoring a Soviet-era analog synthesizer

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Re: Restoring a Soviet-era analog synthesizer

#41

Post by TheOtherHobbes »

pilsetnieks wrote: post #20
myth_drannon wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not only Soviet built things would last longer. US washing machines, refrigerators made in 50-60s also last forever. The ones you buy now, the way the are made and painted will rust in couple of years and will be thrown to garbage in 5 years. And no, it's not because it's cheap to buy a new one, they are just simply bad.

You can actually buy decently made appliances nowadays, it's just that the majority of people don't want to spend that much money. A $300 washing machine in the 50s was much better than a current washing machine at the same price but that amount of money in the fifties is $3000 now. A $3000 modern washing machine would probably blow the 50s one out of the water.

Unless you buy insane super-appliances, long-lasting appliances typically cost 2-3 times the consumer average.

I bought a Miele washing machine in 1996, and it's still being used today. It was about twice the price of machines that I'd had to before that never seemed to last more than a few years.

Re: Restoring a Soviet-era analog synthesizer

#42

Post by renaudg »

agumonkey wrote: post #18
c-smile wrote: post #9

Yeah, that's where Open Source was born - in USSR. I do remember that each consumer device was sold there with its schematics, assembly/disassembly and installation instructions. And that was the law.

I think it was the norm at the time. Even toy Amstrad computers in the 80s came with Basic manuals. Manufacturers expected a lot more from the consumers, I guess because tech at that time was more a beautiful new thing rather than a product to sell regularly.

> Even toy Amstrad computers in the 80s came with Basic manuals

You're likely talking about the Amstrad CPC, I'm not sure why "toy" should apply to it : it was the best selling 8-bit in several European countries, and by far the most capable of all (the C64 had better sound but much worse graphics, and the ZX Spectrum well... let's be charitable and say that it had at least price going for it.)

For some reason, the Amstrad was underrated in parts of northern Europe (and especially the UK, its homeland), usually in favour of the C64 (fair), and the ZX Spectrum (IMO inexplicable)

Compare screenshots of Operation Wolf, Gryzor, Barbarian side by side on CPC/C64/ZX and you'll see what I mean.

Re: Restoring a Soviet-era analog synthesizer

#43

Post by agumonkey »

renaudg wrote: post #42
agumonkey wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it was the norm at the time. Even toy Amstrad computers in the 80s came with Basic manuals. Manufacturers expected a lot more from the consumers, I guess because tech at that time was more a beautiful new thing rather than a product to sell regularly.

> Even toy Amstrad computers in the 80s came with Basic manuals You're likely talking about the Amstrad CPC, I'm not sure why "toy" should apply to it : it was the best selling 8-bit in several European countries, and by far the most capable of all (the C64 had better sound but much worse graphics, and the ZX Spectrum well... let's be charitable and say that it had at least price going for it.) For some reason, the A…

it was marketed as a game machine for children, hence the toy, sure it's a full fledged computer but it wasn't really sold as a programmable device, yet it came with a basic manual

Re: Restoring a Soviet-era analog synthesizer

#44

Post by renaudg »

agumonkey wrote: post #43
renaudg wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Even toy Amstrad computers in the 80s came with Basic manuals You're likely talking about the Amstrad CPC, I'm not sure why "toy" should apply to it : it was the best selling 8-bit in several European countries, and by far the most capable of all (the C64 had better sound but much worse graphics, and the ZX Spectrum well... let's be charitable and say that it had at least price going for it.) For some reason, the A…

it was marketed as a game machine for children, hence the toy, sure it's a full fledged computer but it wasn't really sold as a programmable device, yet it came with a basic manual

Wasn't every 8-bit home computer marketed as such though?

Re: Restoring a Soviet-era analog synthesizer

#45

Post by thesmok »

ZenoArrow wrote: post #12
c-smile wrote: post #9

Yeah, that's where Open Source was born - in USSR. I do remember that each consumer device was sold there with its schematics, assembly/disassembly and installation instructions. And that was the law.

> "I do remember that each consumer device was sold there with its schematics, assembly/disassembly and installation instructions. And that was the law." That's interesting. I wonder if there's a archive of those schematics/documents for Soviet consumer devices somewhere.

There are websites created by enthusiasts of different categories of equipment: audio amplifiers, radio receivers, home computers, synthesizers. Easy to google "device_name схема".

Re: Restoring a Soviet-era analog synthesizer

#46

Post by thesmok »

dom0 wrote: post #28
zokier wrote: post #15

The upside-down mounted capacitors seem weird. They are particularly visible in the modulator board picture[1], but are also on other boards. Anyone know why that was done, or seen such assembly before? [1] http://i.imgur.com/VNEpWkS.jpg

Stress relief. Thermal / moisture expansion of the PC board (and this looks like shoddy phenolic paper) bends the leads a tiny bit and the bending forces go through the component. By making the leads longer, they are less stiff and require less force to accommodate, so less drift due to this. It was a relatively common method in precision electronics. There could be other reasons as well, e.g. if these were ceramic c…

I would add that there exists another standard method for stress relief http://we.easyelectronics.ru/Tools/formovka-opornogo-ziga.ht... (link in russian).
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