SynthrotekPassive Ring Modulator Kit

It has been decades since I've put together a kit, but this is the simplest one I've ever built: four diodes, two transformers, and three TS jacks soldered onto the included circuit board. It took about an hour to build, and I'm very rusty on my soldering technique! This is a bare-bones, spartan, passive ring modulator that requires a decent signal on the input and carrier to make it sing (shriek?) I have had good luck with feeding it synthesizers, and have a shortwave radio on the way I can't wait to try. I'm very much into atonal/experimental music, and this will definitely find its way into my next project. Initial experiments yielded sounds very much in keeping with classic Krautrock bands like Can and Faust. Note that the kit doesn't include an enclosure, so you'll have to either build your own or get a project box for it.

Leg in transformer loose , company did suggest something but mix up that i got a bad transformer wasnt umderstood.

As someone with a little experience building electronic projects, I feel that this kit went together very easily. The sockets provided seem sturdy as well, and I suspect that if housed properly this effect will be quite sturdy.I was able to get this effect to work with normal line-level signals, such as my drum machine and keyboard generate, as well as "modular synthesizer level" signals. The kit includes germanium diodes. Silicon diodes would also work, but germanium is a more "classic" choice for this application, and I'm glad Synthrotek included them.Good examples of this effect might be the voices in "Star Wars: Episode 4" when the X-wings were "passing through the ionization layer". Also, the Daleks from "Doctor Who" sound like they were probably ring modulated, though that's speculation.Note: the word "ring" comes from the physical ring of diodes that make up the core of this circuit, though because it can also be used to synthesize bell-like "clangs", the other meaning of "ring" is not inappropriate, either. This device was originally invented to encode AM radio waves, but has proved to be sonically interesting as well.

Simple to build, does exactly what it is supposed to do - multiplies two signals passively in the analogue domain (= ring modulates them, via the diode 'ring'). You have to provide both signals (no internal oscillator), and the signals have to be hot (a few volts pp). But that's how a passive ring modulator is made, and this one works well and does its job.PS Even if the diodes in the kit are not hand-matched (not sure about this), I get very little bleed of the unmodulated signals.

the parts are standard and fit fine with a pair of needle nose pliers.

Great instructions, very helpful community, and sweet sounds. Took me 30mns to solder it together.