Designing a simple analog kick drum from scratch

[@NotJustBikes]

These videos are so great; they're explained so clearly. And as someone with an EE degree who was also a rave DJ in the 90s, this one in particular was incredibly well suited to my interests. 😉

[@eurabe1]

Was not expecting to see you here. I'm enjoying this video and I like your videos too. Both are very informative.

[@MoritzKlein0]

you got any old sets to share?

[@lkym2481]

@NotJustBikes #NotJustSynths, guitar culture has made music listening inherently unpleasant and cost inefficient, and we would all be much better off appreciating the nuances of classic analog filters than lusting after a $4000 "fake vintage" Strat. (PS i love your work, this is a joke for fun)

[@JoelLinus]

​@@lkym2481 Guitars are pretty expensive, and so are synths, I don't think "Guitar" Culture destroyed any thing.

[@emnigmamachine]

My interests are crossing over in a wild way right now lol.

[@madrigo]

Not only an absolute wizard of analog music, a talented lecturer and clever editor. Props to you again Moritz, superb video as always. Cheers from Brazil!!

[@kappikcz]

Nebo y 3322😊,QAàa

[@GregAllison]

This just isn't the type of content you usually get on KZbin. This is the quality and type of content I would expect in a private masterclass. Super cool!

[@NadoSecretAsianMan]

After going to college for electrical engineering, I've transitioned to only software/firmware professionally. Videos like this scratch the itch I didn't know I still had for hardware beeps and boops. Keep up the great work.

[@souv1k985]

Haha... same. Was an electrical engineer grad, now a devops guy.

[@ferro_liquido]

One more here... Gold content for us!

[@jnkmal9519]

This is phenomenal. Dude goes through the schematic and explains the purpose of every component, even explaining their values. SUUUUBED!

[@Xsiondu]

Read your comment before watching the video. I subbed because you said all the right words

[@jlucasound]

Moritz Klein is the Man! What is a 1985 Sequential worth these days? 😅

[@chaselewis8473]

lmao so true

[@ericlazbin1930]

My first time ever leaving a comment on KZbin in my 23 years of living. This is absolutely amazing content and I am so thankful for you putting it on youtube for us. THANK YOU.

[@kartikeyak3425]

As an EE student gaining interest in analog, this content is godsent ❤

[@cmosorchestra]

I cannot stress how much your videos are such great learning tools. I built the kick my own way on proto board for my little DIY modular system and it is showcased in my last demo videos on my channel. Thank you again.

[@eddododo]

I just randomly ran into this when I got the wild hair to look into synth architecture while I’m in search for inspiration for a new project. I’m amazed how much of this I followed, and while I pat myself on the back, its REALLY a testament to the unbelievable quality and the top-tier combination of the explanation, the carefully curated simplicity of the project itself, and your visual elements and style. Unbelievable, I’m so happy to have run into this AND somehow I found good KZbin content that’s 2 weeks old instead of 9 years. Thanks so much, I can’t wait to watch all of our videos

[@wheelyman81]

I think I understand roughly 0.1% of that but it was fascinating to hear such a clear explanation. I will never achieve anywhere near this level of knowledge and I have renewed admiration for electronics engineers everywhere. Thanks for sharing.

[@nicolasfgt45]

I started building DIY synth modules a year ago and I’m not sure I would have without your videos. Most of the modules I’m building are combination of knowledge gathered from you, the audiophool and lantertronics. Anyway I’ll name one of my modules MK-something because that’s the least I can do.

[@jesp4975]

Loved this video, I'm a telecommunications engineering student and it felt like a new way of understanding electronics other than just analyzing circuits.

[@portagenial]

As a person who loves music but knows nothing of electronics, this was soo helpful. It helped me understand what capacitors and transistors do in circuits by relating it to music, incredible!

[@codefrite]

Just wow ... This is what we call a master class ... Clear content, beautiful video editing ... and the history bit is a delicacy. Thank you !

[@peterevenhuis2663]

After 53 years in this world playing with electronics, I learned a amazing interesting lesson here. WOW this opened my world, time for testing....😂😊

[@hummusdude]

I came to your series because I'm interested in modular. I'm new to electronics....only finished technician's school a couple of years ago. I'm so appreciating the way you dive down into how the sub-circuits interact and how a single component can be used to create different outcomes. My job deals with troubleshooting and repairing analog audio circuits. Naturally, there's no such thing as a theory of operation available, and schematics are few and far between. Your DIY synth series is making me a better technician....thank you!!!

[@Daniel1987H]

That was amazing. Graphics, design, didactics, pronunciation... Top notch!

[@manasnikhil]

As an electronics engineering student and a music producer, I see this channel as an absolute win. I instantly subscribed and I can't wait to try each of these circuits myself. Thank you for sharing this!

[@ToddHenderson]

Built mine from scratch this weekend following the steps you did in the video to hear each stage of creating and then shaping the sound. Thanks for all your effort putting this together! (Now, on to a VCO, then a sequencer.)

[@cusemoneyman]

Do you happen to know if you were using BC558A's, BC558B's, or BC558C's?

[@kellymerrill5294]

I'd love to see a series of DIY modules utilizing CMOS chips, so many possibilities!

[@MoritzKlein0]

sounds fun! what were you thinking of specifically?

[@Sarahbuildsstepsequencers]

Agree! I love CMOS!

[@joshuacogliati6085]

Hm, the main point of CMOS was that you can make things like NAND gates that only use power during signal transitions allowing you to use more gates for digital circuits with the same amount of power. That said, using a voltage controlled FET instead of a current controlled PNP or NPN transistor might be useful sometimes for analog circuits. JFETs might be easier to use than the MOSFETs used in CMOS since they are usually a bit less sensitive to electrostatic discharge.

[@VladoT]

I have seen devices that use the logic gates in CMOS ICs as analog amplifiers! I even tested an AM radio built entirely around 4 NAND gate chip that worked great.

[@nataliealliepage7155]

I love your explanations and illustrations. I am going to build my own.

[@ashadrashad6914]

Bless you for sharing your masterpiece! Really clear adaptation for non-schematic-friendly persons of musical synth community

[@uglyflower608]

It’s crazy how all the things i learned in school (and at that time thought were useless) now make so much sense and be extremely useful 😅

[@stratfanstl]

These videos are fantastic means for understanding passive components, semiconductors, integrated circuits and practical circuit design. These would have been much more educational material in EE core courses than what was taught back in 1986.

[@allenpaley]

Holy sheiz, Mo. Nearly 400k views? This one's a high-water mark for you. Congrats on the snowball of success!

[@Scrogan]

Really cool stuff. I find half of those old synth schematics impenetrable with their tricks and shortcuts, great to see you tackle one, and make such great showing of it. I’d like to see a longer series, where you pick a machine, and pick apart a different section of it each episode. Maybe with the goal of recreating one faithfully, or making an improved one, or just for education. Hope you keep at the 606, those noise circuits are fun. Personally I’m fond of circuits with strange components in them. If you see any audio circuits using H11F analogue optocouplers, UJTs, or mixer ICs, please make a showcase of that. Unbuffered CMOS logic is neat to see, but I’ve seen it often enough that I don’t consider it particularly rare. PLLs in audio on the other hand…

[@CatFish107]

Seconding the curiosity regarding PLLs. Strange magics in there.

[@MoritzKlein0]

oh yeah. gonna look into PLLs for sure.

[@psuedoscience6943]

Some stylophones are ujt based

[@kiehtoo]

I'm really crap in physics dealing with electricity, and even I kind of understood the principle, when broken down like this. Thanks - subscribed!

[@vikenemesh]

I recently built Eric Archers 808-kick adaption on protoboard and was researching ways to put more CV inputs in the circuit: Thank you very much for the insight, very helpful!

[@MartinVincentBloedorn]

Never felt a 40min video whiz by so quickly. Incredibly clear and engaging, thanks a lot!

[@professionalhuman4429]

Someone imparting TRUE KNOWLEDGE to the masses. Thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤️ to the top of my brain 🧠.

[@Galova]

I am surprised and amazed at the same time. Such a great lesson. I haven't seen anything as informative and clear yet I was wondering how drum machine is made and didn't find anything smart enough to read or watch to understand how this thing works in reality. High grade engineers use moonspeak and exclude vast information that would made it clear. Hobbyists show mumbojumbo as they don't have pure knowledge or do not know to explain as well as they dont wanna share what they learnt trying to sell some pcb boards they ordered in china. This video is a gem. Again thank you so much Moritz for your efforts

[@VladyYakovenko]

😊 The way you visualise and explain this hard to understand stuff is nothing short of miracle. I really do love everything about this video. Gold!!!!❤️

[@nannue]

I am fascinated by analog synthesis via interface design and this is way deeper than what I previously knew so it’s amazing for bedtime listening. Feel like I m back in the Audio Engineering class again.

[@Schwalar]

I've been looking for " the This-old-tony-channel" of electronics, and this is it! Absolutely brilliant, thank you!

[@carnage77]

I have designed built my own guitar effects for years, self taught. Your videos are (for me anyway...) at the sweet spot of instructive and intuitive without all the mathematical baggage where I can guess what might come next, or intuitively know why we need to make something in the way you describe. Fantastic!!!!

[@pdhm7521]

ok this is my new fav youtube channel, massive thanks to you dude

[@sprengar]

I've been itching to make my own DIY analog system and drums are one of the main things I want. So excited to try this.

[@user-pd5ot4zd4b]

This is really great! Had an old Sequential Circuits synth and played around with some old Moogs in the 80s into the 90s before everything was sampled and emulated and they were just marvelous devices. The classic percussion is a revelation, thanks!

[@lordflatworm]

These videos are brilliant. The visuals are amazing and you explain everything perfectly. I get +1 smartness every time I watch one.

[@sujalmakwana3270]

This just phenomenal man.... kudos to you this the next thing I will be making after my semester exams... once again, epic content....

[@tmantekkit8469]

Awesome video as always! If you're exploring more analog drum circuits, I think a great set to look into next are cymbal circuits, as those seem to have a bunch of unusual circuitry to achieve their sounds

[@MoritzKlein0]

currently working on a hi-hat - will most likely be the next video!

[@AppliedCryogenics]

Thank you, having been stuck into digital samples for so long, this video was one big "Aha!" moment for me.

[@JesseSep.]

I love the question/answer, or call/response structure of these videos:) so much knowledge!! Thanks Moritz❤

[@luuk341]

I have never considered how analog equipment like this works. But now you have my attention. This video is crazy good!

[@hiimthelegend6644]

Whoa what a wonderful channel, going to stay here for much longer.

[@princequestly2218]

It’s pure magic. Amazing craftsmanship.

[@SherlockOHMS2k]

As always, masterfully explained. Great video.

[@FreejackVesa]

Thanks Moritz, I always appreciate your detailed and laser focused videos. Greetings from New Orleans

[@emmathyst]

Stunned that KZbin handed this to me. Amazing rundown of your build process! ❤

[@planker]

This is awesome. The circuits are interesting. For me this means no more opamps comparing stuff, we are going to make noise, cool noise.

[@meepk633]

Yoooo these are so cool. I've created a huge stockpile of components over the years. I just never got interested in project ideas. Audio never even crossed my mind, even though I grew up in the late 80s and early 90s.

[@favoriteblueshirt]

That was pretty impressive, I've been soldering modules together for years, and never had much of a clue, I still don't really, much, but that was a lot of fun following the trail.

[@skatedoof]

Thank you so much for this video. My passion for bass guitar and the amplifiers that go with it is what spawned my interest in electrical engineering. I was disappointed through my time at university that we discussed the mathematics and physics of these components instead of the implementation of design. Your use of schematics and animation made it easy to follow what was happening. Looking forward to your next videos.

[@McTroyd]

Even with Roland's leg up, that still must have been one heckuva research project. Very well done. 👍

[@joemck85]

Great explanations! A fair deal of the thinking about designing it went over my head since I'm still pretty new to analog. Amazing how simple that little distortion circuit is, yet how much it adds to the final sound.

[@savado]

So much of this was way beyond my knowledge, yet I watched the entire video with great pleasure!

[@baukevanderkooi8712]

You sir, got another subscriber. Amazingly clear and understandable explanation about the circuits. Even as an engineer, I learned allot. Thank you.

[@ottermods3212]

Stellar circuit. As always, really appreciate the step by step explanation of how you chose to construct the circuit. It's great to learn how to apply some of these sub-circuits like the bridged-T oscillator. As far as suggestions, I would be really interested to see how you approach using this kick as a starting point for making a hi-hat circuit. (which I would assume involves adding a noise source and maybe refining the envelope shaping). Thanks again for sharing, really look forward to more!

[@MoritzKlein0]

i‘m actually working on a hi-hat circuit right now. will probably be the next video!

[@emiliomartinez417]

Hi bro, thanks for make this videos, I’m a EDM producer and electronic student, and it’s very wonderful see how both things work together. (And I’m practice my English at same time jaja)

[@MicahBratt]

This gives me an appreciation for what goes into making an analog synth

[@pedrova8058]

Remarkable !!! It's always fun to see how those simple tricks solve complex issues in a efficient way. To try different "flavors" in the overdrive section is fun to use different diodes (red/green leds) or make it asymmetrical, with 1 diode in one direction and 2 in series in the opposite way

[@MoritzKlein0]

great idea! though you‘ll have to drop the resistance to ground a fair bit for the LEDs to actually conduct.

[@dorianrustik6880]

Yeaaaah... it doesn't matter how well you explain it. It is still magic in my book.

[@MechaStreisand1]

Analog designers are wizards. Amazing!

[@BottleMakesMusic]

Fascinating insight into a bit off a black art - making the best analogue kick design.

[@Afrorack]

Goes to show how brilliant the Roland engineers were. Thanks

[@jamesmcasey]

Thoroughly enjoyed this video. Such clear walkthroughs

[@Koen75NL]

This is not just a kick drum, this is a 'sick drum'.

[@lucasmazzola6008]

Astonishing job

[@ithaca2076]

this is the type of video that makes me extremely happy i absolutely love this

[@QuantumKatmusic]

you are incredibly intelligent. its extremely clear to see, and these videos are awesome, they answer questions that almost certainly wouldn't get answered otherwise, the way i see it is that although there are plenty of smart people around the world, the people who came up with the most fundamental inventions and devices, those who made discoveries that changed the world or created entire companies, those people usually don't share their secrets to the open web for all to see, that knowledge is kept away to keep a companies' inventions to themselves so that they can continue to make awesome products (and charge accordingly for them) like its not just some passing thought that creates these instruments, they are often well packed up secrets, blueprints, closed source and its understandable. i mean just these kicks, that was 40 minutes of intricate explanation , imagine what goes into things like the MPC or like the polybrute, hell maybe you have a good idea, the point is: we all appreciate that you share it with all of us, thats super open source of you and very badass. you deserve positive recognition for your contributions, they mean more than just a simple video or a simple DIY project, they sprout the seeds of tomorrow's ideas that maybe wouldn't have taken off if not for some extremely important piece of information that you just happened to donate to us, you never know what might end up being the missing link between interesting ideas and revolutionary new engineering anyway..uh..in short.. thanks, good show, yes

[@Setsuna_Kyoura]

Wow, surprisingly powerful and great sounding little piece of circuitry... LOVE IT

[@marioptoledo]

Man! Im just waiting for this circuit around 4 years! Thank u so much!

[@CykPykMyk]

Amount of work that you've put into this video is... "impressive" is like saying nothing. Absolutely brilliant. The anomations, the focus on the detail, the whole narration, guiding by the hand... This is the best electronics series not only on youtube, but I'd be pretty sure that anywhere. Universities could teach stuff this way, but (obviously) they hardly ever do it like so. I wish you long, good, wealthy happy life (so you can teach us more ;) ) :D

[@AlexisG73]

Just built mine this weekend! Took just over 2 weeks to get here to Texas USA. The online manual is amazing! Only thing I found was the R16-22k resistor wasn’t in the resistor check list but was included in the kit. I’m already wanting to build another kit! Thanks for all your hard work!

[@RayMcNamaraMusic]

Does your kick drum have random fluctuations in it if you turn the decay up? Asking because I've been troubleshooting mine for hours and I'm starting to suspect that random changes in sound is just how this thing works.

[@topbadgun]

Dude, this is impress!!! I mean any Osc in digital VST (virtual instrument) in DAW (like FL studio, Sonar, Cubase...). It have basicly immitation the old analog instrument. Technicaly, this video explain every process of soundwave making, analog circuit but it work the same on VST(simulation). Dude, it improve my knowledge for sure. It's like i trace back why they name those like that, and how it work in digital simulation instrument.

[@MisterRorschach90]

I want to put together an entire massive band comprised of your standard band instruments, folk instruments, orchestral instruments, and maybe even weird instruments, but all instruments are actually hybrid midi controllers that connect directly to a purpose built modular synth designed to sound like and work with their instrument. So the drummer would have a big modular synth with a module for each drum, playing an electric acoustic set. The signal can be completely synth or mixed wet dry kind of thing. Even the vocals would be using a vocoder, talk box, and other interesting synth microphone type devices. Like that telephone microphone. A band like this would be so freaking cool. And seeing a stage filled with dozens of massive modular synths would be epic. Like the engineering section of starship enterprise.

[@Dripht]

Omg I love love music and am a freshman majoring in EE and this is so interesting, thank you for this sacred knowledge and thank you RDJ for inspiring me

[@AMTunLimited]

Shoutout to the subscription list @0:15, solid selection right there.

[@deadmusik9969]

This is absolutely brilliant, the motion graphics really nail down what your talking about, you making me think about trying to build a synth :D

[@mikosoft]

It's so cool to finally understand (in my capacity) how that worked!

[@timoruohomaki]

A perfect project for a rainy day! Thanks for all the effort, this was explained very well

[@rovhalgrencparselstedt8343]

I spend alot of my free time making kicks snares, and trying to approximately model hihat and other cymbal noises in a subtractive synthesizer, so seein these as actual analog circuits will be highly interesting.

[@atom6_]

I have no idea how to read these electrical circuit schematics, but the way you break down every step is amazing - these videos should be stored in the human heritage archives :') I will stick to vcv rack for now :D

[@psychosomatiqueofficial]

He is a wizard beyond our time

[@janberentsen9890]

Absolutely amazing video as always! A quick suggestion for a future video, maybe do something with BBD's? There are not a lot of beginner-friendly resources on them. BBD based chorus/phasers are some of the most iconic effects from the 80s (especially the chorus on the Juno line of analog synths), so a DIY version of that would be very cool!

[@MoritzKlein0]

agreed! i‘m already talking to erica synths about that. will surely happen at some point!

[@hypersentient]

perfect timing... I've been working on my kick lately... this was so helpful! thanks for these videos...

[@matirojasc]

Those examples at the end sound sooo good!

[@NickT6630]

Iv'e been working on a kick drum circuit recently. This is a really excellent and helpful video that explains everything.

[@MoritzKlein0]

fun - care to post it on my discord once you‘re happy with it?

[@NickT6630]

​@@MoritzKlein0yes I will share it... most of the circuit is the same as yours but im trying to make it work on just a 5V supply. I use two 10K resistors to give a mid point ground so effectively creating +/-2.5 V rails. Im using Microchip MCP2021 op-amps as they work at 5V. I previously built a synth circuit as part of a larger computer project running on just 5V so I know it can be done.

[@NickT6630]

Iv'e been working on the circuit at with 5V supply (+/-2.5V) and experimenting with different resistor values but some parts do not work very well.. so iv'e decided to go back to +/-12V supply and replace the op-amps with TL084 and build it the same as yours.

[@injeolmi6]

What a thorough and great video! I wanted to do something like this (at a MUCH lower scale) for my electronics class but got turned down pretty quickly by my teacher, maybe he did not have the expertise to figure out any possible questions. Anyway, I will watch your other circuits, they are fascinating!

[@GeorgeFoot]

Such a great tour through the construction of such a circuit, explaining each step along the way really well - thank you!

[@ToddHenderson]

Damn it. I don’t need another hobby! I’ve resisted the pull to head down the DIY synth rabbit hole for years, but this drum circuit is just too cool to ignore. I’m hooked; you win. :-)

[@ThingsMadeSimple]

Bravo! You truly are a master at making the complex understandable.

[@yassinesafraoui]

I WISH i stumbled upon your channel when I was studying electronics in grad school

[@theindoctrinated6936]

I build pedals, and I've needed a new project for a while. Looks like I'm going to be making synths now

[@LikeDotAudio]

A master class. Well done sir

[@5pac3man]

Extraordinarily impressive breakdown.

[@Peronioz]

Seeing a full song made in a kit of these for different parts and instruments like a Modular Synth but jankier would be incredible. Incredible to the point I bet there would be comments saying it's fake... but I still want to see that!

[@jacobsteel]

Now this was an exceptionally nice walk through! Much thanks! :)

[@RealCadde]

You know, the best bit about this video is that i actually semi understood what the circuit was doing when you built it up piece by piece like this. Normally i am totally lost in any circuit diagram and when someone tries to explain it all i hear is "FIZZZZZZ". Actually listening to and seeing the voltage and how it is affected by the various components made me understand what the frick was going on.

[@rogrevs]

This is a great video. I have had a kick drum build on my to-do list for some time, but hadn't really found a design that ticked all the boxes for me. Looks like you have solved my problem. I will need to add a flashing LED of course!

[@nitrosake]

Beautiful video! Thanks for igniting my interest in simpler analog circuits. I'll start experimenting with synths instead of RF circuitry. This makes my head spin a lot less than the black magic arts of RF.😆