> Yes, but the circuit design would be mostly complete, tested, and proven. By "other manufacturers", I really meant "an
> enthusiast with the passion to keep the sub-system alive", not a team of circuit designers with an established system for
> fabrication and their own idea of what features are necessary. I'm not an engineer, but I can design a PCB, source all
> the components, and build kits. I've just had a small batch of PCBs fabricated for a project I'm doing, so I wake up
> with a bit of confidence that anything is possible. Zöe and Nina might consider taking on this project also and would
> have more experience than I in producing a professional-grade result (front panel).
>
>
> The DIY community can support legacy projects, there just isn't always the capital to invest in bulk purchases to cut
> costs. If I were to attempt this, it would not be to profit financially, it would simply be to keep the system
> available as an option for future modular users and to provide those "missing pieces" to folks who didn't purchase the
> complete system from you (voiced/unvoiced, slew control, etc).
>
> Nick
To speak the truth I'd not recommend to copy the A-129 modules as they are. As already mentioned by you more modern VCAs (SSM2164)
instead of the obsolete and expensive Curtis VCAs CEM3381 should be used. And it would be also a good idea to use a better type of
VC slew limiter (not the controller/slew limiter combo with pulsewidth controlled VC switches and lowpass filters). After all it
would be a redesign. Only the filter stages could remain unchanged. Maybe we could collect orders. If 50 orders are reached we may
think about a new more compact vocoder, i.e. an all-in-one unit with analysis section, slew limiter, synthesis section. Each channel
linked via jumpers between analysis section/slew limiter input and slew limiter output/synthesis section so that it can expanded to
a fully modular version if desired by replacing the jumpers by output/input sockets. But I don't want to promise anything as we
still have a lot of projects to be finished.
Best wishes
Dieter Doepfer