Blog | JCS

Black Snow Eurorack Modular Jam

On Black Friday 2024, Erie Pa, my home town got a record breaking 22 inches of snowfall in 24 hours...

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Eurorack CV to DMX Stage Light Controller

A module that allows me to line in triggers or audio sources to a channel and then have that change act basically as a gate to turn various lights on and off...

Exploring the Iconic Moog System 55: A Legacy of Sonic Innovation

The history of electronic music is intertwined with the legendary Moog synthesizer. Pioneered by Robert Moog in the 1960s, Moog's modular synthesizers...

List_Of_Common_Questions_On_Modular_Synths_Design

Modular Synths: Common Questions & Answers

You may want a modular synthesizer to create unique and complex sounds, to experiment with sound design, or to make your own custom instrument....

Optimizing Eurorack Space: Navigating the HP and Inches Conversion

Eurorack enthusiasts and modular synthesizer aficionados recognize the importance of efficient space utilization in creating powerful...

Eurorack Dimensions: Horizontal Pitch (HP) and Rack Units (U)

One of the most important terms to understand in Eurorack is HP, or Horizontal Pitch. HP is a unit of measurement that is used to describe...

Angle view of a synchronizing delay module

Synchronizing Delay Eurorack Module

The PT2399 is a single-chip echo processor IC (integrated circuit) that uses CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) technology...

Mold Release Tester SCADA system

Going into this project, there were a few different ways we could have achieved the requirements. Design option one was using an arduino as a DAQ...

Synth Tips: Step-By-Step Guide On How To Make Mono-to-Stereo Patch Cable

Last month, we had some questions on the Mono-to-stereo patch cable. So here is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to make your own. Hopfully this helps!..

image showing how to use a straightedge to mark the chamfer’s depth

Design and Construction of a 6Ux140 HP Base Eurorack Case - Part II

Cutting the chamber onto the top panel was somewhat difficult. This required setting a circular saw to a 60 degree angle and aligning a guide using a 4-foot length of...

A good schematic makes all the difference when building something new.

Building a 6U Base Eurorack Case - Part I - Cutting the sides

Cutting the side panels is a bit more complex, yet went exceptionally smooth. Here are a few tricks from the playbook. When laser cutting the template, it helped...

Carving a Wooden Spoon

I love making euroracks and pedalboards for my clients. It’s a lot of fun and very rewarding. Every once and a while a maker must make something so useless that the...

Two and a half Moog System 55 Replica Cases.

Moog System 55 Replica Case - Revision D

The first revision of the Moog System 55 replica Eurorack Case turned out great. However I received a custom order request to reduce the thickness of the top...

System 55 bottom chassis glueing and clamping

Moog System 55 Replica Case - Bottom Chassis

This may be the most difficult project I’ve ever done. Cutting a taper on the side panels led to some complex calculations. To over-complicate things just a bit...

System 55 case: Top Chassis before stain

Moog System 55 Replica Case - Top Chassis

Right when I thought the design was complete and the CAD finalized for production, I noticed a minor detail overlooked on the original System 55...

Moog System 55 Replica Case - CAD

The Moog System 55 is a ground breaking modular synthesizer from the 1960’s. When it was released in 1964 it was sold as a complete, stand-alone musical instrument...

Drum Machine Part V - Final Product

This project has seen a lot over the 14 months it’s been in the pipeline. It is exciting to see the CAD models come to life. Assembling the PCB onto the...

raw box joints of the 3Ux84HP eurorack case

Building A Refined And Fully Equipped Eurorack Case

On Tuesday January 12th, I had an idea. Actually I had a lot of ideas while brainstorming new products for Jake’s Custom Shop. One, however, sounded...

First fully assembled PCB of the Drum Machine

Drum Machine Part IV - PCB Assembly

After a long two weeks of waiting for the Drum Machine PCB to arrive in the mail, I immediately got soldering. It took about three hours to assemble the first...

Exploded CAD model of the stator (Blue), rotor (Red), bar magnets (Silver) and shaft (Gray)

3D Printed Permanent Magnet Three Phase Synchronous AC Generator

Prior to implementing a CAD model, several basic design choices were considered. Functionality was the primary concern of this project...

Drum Machine Part III - PCB Design

Now that I’m on the 3rd PCB layout iteration, the Drum Machine circuit is nearly ready for printing. My original design was intended for matrix boards...

Plier Holder, 3 sections holding 5 tools

3D Printed Plier Holder

In my personal workshop, I keep my most important tools within reach and sight. I can instantly find whatever I’m looking for, and know if it’s missing...

DIY Spring Loaded Needle Nose Pliers

When you do enough of one thing, you begin to find that some tools work better than others. When soldering together circuits I find a pair of...

Building A Coffee Table - Part II: Process

Here’s the steps to build the top an overkill coffee table:...Cut each small section of refined wood using a jig to get the exact length on all...

AutoCAD drawing of the coffee table top made to aid in the assembly process.

Building A Coffee Table - Part I: Design

In my Senior year of highschool I took a cabinet making class. This was the advanced class in which my classmates had already made themselves...

Design and Construction of a Baby 8 Sequencer - Part II: Process

After spending substantial of time designing the Baby 8 Sequencer actually putting it together was an ambitious task. Unfortunately I designed...

CAD Model of the final design of an 8-step sequencer

Design and Construction of a Baby 8 Sequencer - Part I: Design

In order to create a melody, you must create a sequence of notes. My Triple Oscillator does a good job creating notes, but my eurorack lacked...

Laying out some scraps to help visualize the coffee table pattern

Starting a Difficult Project

If you have ever taken on a monumental task you probably didn’t go into it expecting it to be easy. If anything, it was put off because you...

Bottom of Dual Pedalboard showcasing the aluminum rods.

Building A Dual Pedalboard: A Case Study

Occasionally, a simple thing like a guitar pedalboard finds a way to become a system of great complexity. For an engineer, this Dual Pedalboard...

Building Jake’s Custom Shop Sign

About this time 2 years ago I started what I intended to be a simple DIY project. The idea was to build a simple sign that read "Jake's Custom Shop,"...

CAD Model of Final Design of a Dual Pedalboard

The Power of Visualization

For me, and for that matter, the rest of my electrical engineering classmates, the past two weeks have been possibly the most school packed weeks to date...

Building A Drum Machine: Part II - Tuning the Snare

After a rough time getting any sort of snare sound last week, I moved to step two; tuning. Slight circuit variations can dramatically alter a circuits...

Building A Drum Machine: Part I - Prototyping

This week I started the design process of building a simple drum machine. Likely, the entire module will be based around the classic Roland TR-808...

Building A Triple Oscillator

By nature all instruments make some sort of noise. Without an oscillation there can be no music, which is why my first eurorack module is a triple....

Dr. Joseph Paradiso's Homemade Modular Synth at MIT

Designing An Eurorack: A Beginning

What is an Eurorack? It's an instrument; But not one you play like a trumpet, or guitar. Sounds are unnatural and far from acoustic. To the untrained...