There is a mailing list especially for users and builders of the Oakley Sound Systems' projects. Its a low traffic list that will enable members to swap ideas and ask questions both technical and musical. Go here to sign up to the list : Oakley-synths The homepage also allows you to search previous messages. If you are not already a member of any Yahoo groups, you will need to sign in and then get approval. But it doesn't take long. Sign up for 'text only' messages in the preferences section. If you select HTML your message may have large advertisements attached.
What is the difference between Oakley Sound and Oakley Modular?
Oakley Sound Systems is now a design and service company, specialising in the repair, modification and design of analogue music synthesisers.
Oakley Modular is a separate company selling products designed by Oakley Sound. If you would like to purchase any products made by Oakley Sound then you should contact Ceri or Julie Davies at Oakley Modular. See here for contact details.
Do you do ready made units?
Official ready built modules are now available from Paul Darlow. You can find him at his website: Krisp1
Do you sell whole kits?
Neither Oakley Modular or Oakley Sound are planning to sell full kits. However, component kits are now on offer at Elby Designs in Australia. Also other parts are available at Vintage Planet in the Netherlands.
Do you supply ready made cases?
Neither Oakley Sound nor Oakley Modular can provide cases. However, you may want to contact Jeff Toman at Custom Synth who can make bespoke cases and front panels.
Can I buy the front panels from Oakley Modular?
No. These need to be ordered from Schaeffer in Germany or Front Panel Express in the US. Both companies offer an excellent service and Kai Schaeffer speaks very good English. The new version of the excellent Frontplatten Designer software is a free download and features secure online ordering too. See the Schaeffer website for more information.
Can I buy schematics/PCB artwork for the Legacy series modules?
Schematics for any Oakley project are now available as individual downloadable pdf files for a small fee. The Oakley Modular schematics are available for 2GBP each. The larger and more complex rack projects are available for 4GBP each.
PCB artwork is not available for any of the Oakley Modular products. However, PCB artwork is available for the TB3031 and Filtrex for 5GBP each. The artwork files are RS274 [Four Gerber plots] with separate drill data and aperture file. PCBs are double sided with plated through holes. The data is supplied as a single ZIP file.
Please contact Tony if you would like to purchase any User Guides, PCB artwork or schematics. See here for contact details.
Note: Any payment made for schematics is not refundable should you then buy the PCB from Oakley Modular.
All information is only given to those who agree not to use our designs in non commercial applications. That is, we support those who wish to build modules for their own enjoyment and not for direct financial gain. You may not sell on the schematics or retransmit them in any form.
Are your projects hard to make?
This one is tricky to answer. It all depends on your ability. If you can solder reasonably well, and have the patience to read through all the user documentation, you should be able to manage. However, if you rush and find your project doesn't work, that's when you are going to need more electronic knowledge. Being able to read a circuit diagram is an obvious advantage. If you want to get started, perhaps, a good way is to start on something simple. The smaller modules like the Little-Lag and MultiMix are very simple, and easy to test.
If it doesn't work, what then?
Join the Oakley-synths Yahoo group and e-mail the list for advice. Both Ceri and Tony, and many other builders of Oakley equipment, are present on the list and should be able to help.
Please do not contact either Ceri, Julie or Tony directly regarding building problems or generalised parts enquiries. All enquiries for help must now come through the Oakley-synths Yahoo group.
If you still can't get the completed and undamaged module going, you can send it back to Oakley Sound to fix. You will have to pay for postage both ways, any parts required and Tony's time at 20GBP per hour. This service is taken up only occasionally, so it just goes to show how easy it is to get an Oakley project to work first time.
Are all your boards lead-free?
All new boards are RoHS compliant, which means they do not contain lead. Currently only one board remains with a lead HASL finish which is the power supply. These boards are existing stock and once they have been sold, any new boards will be lead free.
What sort of solder should I use?
This is entirely up to you on the newer boards. The new 'gold' boards can be soldered with either lead free or old fashioned leaded solder.
The older HASL boards must be soldered with lead solder, as mixing the two types can supposedly cause long term reliability problems.
Who are Oakley Sound Systems?
This is a small company set up by Tony Allgood and you can found out about me here.
Who are Oakley Modular?
This is a small company set up by Julie Davies in 2006 to supply Oakley Sound PCBs and parts.
What equipment do I need?
The usual electronic hobbyist stuff. The TM3030 and VCO project, will be the hardest to make, as they require precise setting up. A scope or a chromatic tuner will be very useful, but they are not essential.
Can I build these modules to sell to friends?
Of course, you can.
How much will the whole project cost me?
This depends on the case you have chosen to house your project. The case, knobs, pots and sockets are the most expensive items. Why do you think we rarely see synths with knobs on these days? The quality of these things will set the price of the project.
For Oakley modules, I generally reckon around 40 to 120GBP per module including the Schaeffer front panel. The SuperLadder is probably the most expensive module and the Little-Lag being the cheapest.
What is a GBP?
It is the currency of the United Kingdom.
GBP is a short hand way of writing 'Great Britain Pound'. This is the accepted way of writing our currency by the International Standards Organisation when you can't use the ordinary 'curly L' pound sign. Paypal and the webpages on this site use GBP. It should be noted that UKP, although more correct in terms of the countries that it represents, should not be used.
GBP is called 'pounds sterling' on the money markets. It is not affiliated to the Euro in any way.
100 pence make 1GBP. So 6-50GBP is six pounds and fifty pence.
Where on Earth is the United Kingdom?
Not quite a FAQ, but I have had it asked a few times now. The UK is England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is just England, Scotland and Wales. The UK lies north of France in Europe, but is not connected to mainland Europe. The English Channel separates us from France.
Tony Allgood lives in England, 20 miles from the Scottish border, and close to the Lake District. The Lake District was home to many famous people such as Coleridge, Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter and Ruskin.
Ceri and Julie Davies live in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland.
What standards do you use for controlling your modules?
VCOs are 1V/octave. Gates are positive voltages above 2.5V. The midiDAC is, of course, MIDI.
What power supplies do I need?
For more information about buying or building a suitable power supply for a modular system, please see the Powering Your Modular webpage on this site.
The TM3030 needs a 15V AC or 24V DC wall wart. The Filtrex needs a 15V AC wall wart. Be sure to check the user documentation before buying a power supply.
Can I make my TM3030 internally mains powered?
If you knew how to do this, you probably wouldn't be asking the question. Only fit an internal mains supply if you know what you doing. We cannot endorse this method of powering any Oakley product.
Where do I get all the other parts for the project?
In the UK: Rapid Electronics, CPC, RS-Components and Farnell. All have web sites, and you can order on-line or by telephone. In the US: Mouser, Newark and Digikey. Again these companies have websites.
Parts codes for most of the common parts used in Oakley projects can be found here. This is a PDF document with Rapid, Farnell and CPC order codes that you may find useful.
What's the Mouser / Farnell / Maplin (etc) part code for ....
Due to limited time we are not able to answer this question for every part you need to buy. The User Guides should give you sufficient information for you to purchase all the parts from your own suppliers without error. Help may also be obtained at the late Larry Hendry's excellent web resource at www.wiseguysynth.com. You will also find that the Oakley-synths mailing list will be very helpful too if you get stuck.
For UK buyers, part codes for some of the common devices used in Oakley projects can be found here. This is a PDF document with Rapid, Farnell and CPC order codes that you may find useful.
What is the form factor of those Alpha or ALPS pots you use?
0.2" between pins in one gang. Gangs are separated by 0.2". There are two gangs in a stereo pot and one gang in a normal mono pot. Shaft length varies but it may be cut down with a hacksaw or Dremel. Shaft diameter is 6mm and you can buy them in either slotted knurled shafts for push fit knobs, or smooth round shafts for screw fit knobs. The picture shown below shows a smooth round shaft.
What is the form factor of those Spectrol pots you use?
0.1" between pins in one gang. Gangs are separated by 0.3". Shaft length is about 12.5mm so does not need to be cut down to fit the MOTM or Maplin knobs. Shaft diameter is 6.25mm (1/4"). Spectrol 248 pots are used on all the Oakley Modular projects.
Do I get a paper receipt with my order?
No, all order documentation is sent by plain text e-mail only. These contain all the details of the order and you can print these off for your own records. All customers are given their own individual customer order number, and we keep a full record of all transactions.