FPD Front Panel Design (making!)

[Macavity]

Associated with my Astronomy Activities, I often have occasion to build
small "electronics boxes" - Or rather circuit boards that take a long time
to migrate to boxes?!?! Part of the issue is the drilling / lettering of front
panels. Aside: This a long term Virtual Synth project with LOTS of holes:

Then I discovered "Front Panel Design" - They have a base in DE too!
https://www.schaeffer-ag.de/en/

They have a nice (downloadable) CAD tool which can be used to order
the panels... But I also find useful *generally*, for "random designs"! 🥳

Clearly the COST of drilling / lettering the above would be significant!
(And there's the possibility of mistakes!) so I decided to order smaller
sub-panels (which I can use to cover up occasional dodgy drilling! lol)

At the moment "order accepted..." so "We'll see...". But I am hopeful!
Around 30 Euro for small panel with holes for slider potentiometers.
A lot of that is a "setup" fee, I suspect? I should've had "demo" text!



But then it also saves a lot of hassle / time on my part! Notleast what a
day of "slot nibbing" did to my poor old back etc! lol 🙀

😸

[DaveL59]

wow, hope it works out well

I remember back in the early 80's when I used to build amplifiers etc, cutting the ally panel work with drills, abrafiles etc and then lettraset markings and finishing with lacquer spray to give it some longevity. Used to take ages and not easy to get nice neat cuts on long sliders or the alignment on circular division markings centered etc. Took more time getting a reasonable looking panel than doing the electronic side of things. Back then I built my own amp, scratch filters, equalisers, turntable and speakers. Saved a fortune and sounded pretty good as I recall. These days far easier to go ready made of course but I do miss those times...

[Macavity]

There is actually very little "real electronics" inside this one... just a whole load of potentiometers,
switches, rotary encoders and a couple of Arduino Megas! The latter read multiplexed ADC's and
generate MIDI messages every time something gets twiddled! There are (will be) a LOT of wires! 🥳

The "clever stuff" is done by (existing) VST (Virtual Synthesiser) software.
(This had only ever existed a Virtual Instrument... Until now... Muahaha!) 😎

Aside: I used to have an old Korg MS20 Synth. It got sold off to buy "other stuff" -- I have
always lamented that! OTOH, maybe it's being "gigged" by someone famous? Of historical
interest: I hear that some of these old (70's) 80's Analogue Synths are having their "aging
innards" removed and replaced by just this sort of (digital) MIDI thing... The *Front Panel*
is actually one of the more exclusive and valuable components! 😛

Of course there is the never ending discussion over the merits of analogue versus digital...
The (supposed) "Classical Sound" of electronics from the (my own! lol) past etc. etc. 😸

Edited July 1, 2020 by Macavity

[DaveL59]

oh yeah, analogue, valves, discrete components over on-chip stuff. The old NAD AV amp I have was always reputed to sound much sweeter than the more digital-chip varieties out there. I went the NAD route as to me it did sound better and was more HiFi geared with AV surround as a bonus feature. Currently it's boxed after I repaired it and awaiting my daughter to sort her place so it can go back into use once more. 

[StuartJPP]

I've always struggled to make homemade projects look like anything but a homemade project. Athough nothing quite as elaborate as the OPs project image.....which kind of reminds me of this project....😉

[Macavity]

Turned up (as advertised) promptly via UPS... "Hygienically" (clear film)
stuck to a THICK card. A really NICE thing! Measurements precise etc.
Must STOP fetishising this well-fabricated mechanical stuff, but... 😎

I shall now "spoil it"by incorporating it into one of *my* projects! 🤣

Edited July 10, 2020 by Macavity