SpaceStation newsletter #1
Hello friend!
This is the first newsletter for my take on the SST-282 SPACE STATION audio effect unit. Thanks for the interest and sorry for taking so long to get this out.
TLDR
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Its not a big commercial/business project, more like advanced synth diy with lots of personal love and attention
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I'm not doing DIY kits but plan to do a few short runs of fully assembled units (no price yet but <£500)
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It sounds pretty good and is nice to play
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The unit is still in the pre-production phase and the chip crisis is killing any immediate plans to get more than a handful of units available.
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I'll post here as soon as I have units to sell or interesting update
About
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The project is a knock off of the SST-282 SPACE STATION, a legendary early-digital effects processor invented by Christopher Moore's Ursa Major company in 1978.
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The idea of the newsletter is that once I finish it and units become available I'll post here first so that interested folk get to hear about it before the random Instagram algorithms decide you should.
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I'll also post a bit more detail here than I do on Instagram.
Background
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I watched SECRET WEAPONS with HANNES BIEGER and decided I needed my own SPACE STATION.
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When I went looking I found they're super expensive and difficult to keep so thought I'd have a go at making one.
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After a while I got a copy of the EPROMs from an original unit, this let me decode the special delay taps timings and reverb modulation schemes.
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Although it's not a full-on replica, its using a modern micro-controller to replicate the exact timings and functions of the original unit.
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The original unit was a big 3U 19-inch rack full of analogue and early digital goodness - these new units will never match the grungy sound of the old unit but they get fairly close.
Development
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I've been developing it on and off now for almost a couple of years, the latest version, which to me is version 5, is just about there.
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On reflection, I'd have been cheaper just buying an old one but its been fun developing the new unit and it should be easier and cheaper to live with.
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I've replicated the core features of the original in a knob/button per function style and added some new extra features to extend the original.
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All the original programs are available - the ROOMS, COMBS, CLUSTERS and REPEATS - millisecond accurate to the originals.
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You can have a look through the old manual for a better understanding of how it works and the sorts of use you make of it.
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All the original features are implemented so if you see it in the manual you should be able to do it.
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I'll add a few additional extra features to the firmware but I plan to keep them all off the main 'page' so they don't get in the way of the original.
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The new hardware has a higher sample rate, bit depth and bandwidth than the original but I've also added a 'Classic Mode' to match the original.
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I might extend the'Classic Mode' to also lock out the new extra features to keep it as close to the original functions as possible for those that want that.
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The unit doubles up on AtoD and DtoA convertors to do analogue feedback for echo and reverb like the original which adds a little something.
Status
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The electronics and case work on the prototypes are finalised I think.
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I'm finishing off the manual and some overlays for preset examples and extra feature controls.
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The firmware is totally complete for all the original features.
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I've added a few extras to the firmware : pre-delay, gated reverb, tap tempo and a reverse reverb.
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I might add a few extra extras in the future.
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Overall the firmware if fairly stable, I'm still finding the odd case where I get a bug but will sort that out once I get a few more pre-production units in peoples hands and have some more feedback from them.
Production & Chip Crisis
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As I said these are handcrafted, with a professional attitude and individually built in my garage. I don't have the resources of the big companies and the chip shortage has really had an impact.
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I'm sure you've heard about the global shortage of microchips. Other than the stock I have to make a few more pre-production units I'm really struggling to get good quality supplies of some of the parts.
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The chip shortage is putting any plans for larger runs on hold until the supplies become available again.
Thanks for reading, cheers Paul.