Plenty of DIY synth projects end up as loose modules with nowhere to live, and then you still need something to play them with. This build sidesteps that problem: it is a self-made analog monosynth in Eurorack format, and the enclosure also houses a KeyStep controller, so as a whole the unit works as an integrated portable workstation you can pick up and play.
The case is poplar with a walnut stain and reads to me as a really handsome natural brown finish, offering around 96HP of space. On the audio side there are three oscillators, a single modulating LFO, a 24dB/oct filter, a noise generator, a mixer, a pair of ADSRs, a 2164 dual VCA and an output adapter/attenuator. Power comes from an old Elpac computer power supply.
The circuit mix is what stands out to me. Electro-Smith breakout boards handle the VCO, VCF and VCA, the Mixer, LFO and ADSR follow schematics, and the remaining circuits are built on stripboard. Vintage Becker Duo-Dials sit on 10-turn pots, the faceplates were made by the maker, and close to a year of work went into it. The cost landed near $400 before the KeyStep. The maker is clearly pleased with how it turned out, and the design does read as really nice.
One loose end worth flagging: the 5-pin DIN connector on that power supply poses a genuine danger to MIDI equipment. That is the one thing I would want dealt with before patching any MIDI gear into this machine.
Project by Ipsum Audio. Watch it on their YouTube channel: