u/waxnwire

Just wondering if there are any potential issues with my footprint. This for a hobbyist PCB - adding a mod to a keyboard. There are two RAM chips out there, with the same pin configurations, features, but one is slightly wider than the other - so I made the "My Design" footprint that allows you to solder either the skinny Renesas RAM or the wider Alliance RAM depending on what you have access to. Any potential issues with this?

I’m modding an old 80s Casio keyboard, and wondering about the best wire (slowly learning not all wire is equal).

It is a ribbon from the original PCB (img 1) where it is soldered into exposed pads to my PCB (img 2) and with is 2.54mm spaced through holes.

The original was a ribbon cable (see img 3) of thin flat copper.

I’ve been using IDC ribbon cable. It needs to be able to bend, but also tin and solder nicely to boards.

Would you use stranded or solid? Ribbon? What awg? It is logic for a keyboard matrix. And I need to keep it relatively thin/

This FFC, which was an early attempt at soldering them for me, is stuck - I can’t open the little tab due to sticky flux.

Should I just keep brushing in isopropyl? Is it saveable?

I upgraded my old Sherwood amplifier for a NAD C135BEE I got 2nd hand. I listen to a mix of digital, CD, tapes and vinyl.

It runs quite hot, is inside a cabinet and has no phono preamp… what preamps would you recommend?

My turntable is also an old Sherwood (these were all my grandma’s) and I’d probably try and upgrade it at some point too

I’m thinking a preamp that could sit under the receiver so it doesn’t block airflow, and is therefore “full size”

These two boards are the controller/brain for my Casio SK1/5/8 mod and bend.

The encoder and 4 digit LED gives you control over 64 samples, MIDI IO (simultaneously), 4 ‘slow envelopes’ and a reclocking which allows for octaves and additional modulation/CV in (the 3.5mm jack), and a DuPont style patchbay for bending goodness!

More details to follow… casioskmod on Instagram and I’ll be making it all open via GitHub.

So I got some Holman outdoor, warm LED garden spike lights. There was only 3 lights in the rig, but it is a standard 12v, 3W LED bulb.

First question - anyone know what these connectors are called? the smaller one is what goes to the lights - 7-8mm the larger one comes out of the box in a T section.

Second question - Additional brand lights cost more than the transformer pack (of course!)... so I was thinking to get a 10 pack cheaply, but these are generally bare wires. Should I get lots of the connectors and do it all with this style of connector (I can solder fine, but would want it to be waterproof).. or do I just cut the connector, run wires to length, and solder & heat shrink the wires?

I saw someone online doing the heatshrink method and it seemed ideal if you run wires the right length

We picked up free Holman Warm Wifi White LED lights. 3W 12v system. It only had 3 stake lights.

I want to add a bunch more, and it looks like it is much cheaper to get additional no-name 3W LED stake garden lights that have bare wires. I can solder fine, but I mostly do guitar pedals and synths. So I'm wondering about the best system for outdoor, weatherproofness.

Do I make everything into the M8 system, or should I just do bare garden wire, cut to size, join (it all gets connected up in parallel) with heat shrink?

Any recommendations on either mode?

Any tips on making face plates easier and neater.
This is a 3D printed plate for the Casio SK8

That bit is fairly easy, but there are always weird plastic, unlevel but etc that make mounting a challenge. Been using a small saw (not very effective) drills, side cutters and now a dremel.

Wondering though if it would have been easier to actually instead of make a plate that sat on top, if it would have been easier to make a plate with side walls that slide inside and side mounted… probably just as frustrating tbh

My nylon/classical guitar tuner isn’t working, and when pressing the tuner or phase button it causes loud pops.

Previously I was noticing loud ground hums when plugged into desks or devices… but now I’m not noticing that as much.

I opened it up, and couldn’t see any loose wires (I was thinking maybe the piezo’s shield was loose/broken)

Hard to find schematics or wiring diagrams for these… but now noticing the clicks and pops I realise it is possibly in the actual preamp?

Any suggestions on a flexible, open source compact MIDI controller? I’d love at least one CV (5V) out too.

I’m thinking it’d be a a basic midi controller, but also could be a LFO (both CV or MIDI output)… but if it was open source, I imagine a simple design could allow a step sequencer, arpeggiator or anything you want.

Happy to get PCBs manufactured, and program MCUs etc.