Alfa AS3109 VS IR3109N Quick Comparison

Many have commented about my last video why I fool around w/ reclaiming the old chips when Alfa has some remakes on the market. So here's a quick comparison of the Alfa AS3109 remakes vs. IR3109N OTA chips in my 101-VCF tester module. For me the Alfa behaves quite differently with regard to signal clipping and output magnitude. Enough as to not recommend them as a 1-to-1 replacement in vintage synths and the reason I don't use them in my own modules. It's too bad, I enjoy using other kinds of Alfa chips 3320/3340/3350 in other filters and my 101-VCO.

Be sure to check out my cool Eurorack Modules available in my Reverb Store.

Time-Saving Methods of Rescuing IR3109N OTAs from 80017A Wafers

Today I am sharing spilling the beans on my 80017A wafer-stripping and chip reclamation methods. Over time I have developed my own system for improving the speed and success of reclaiming coveted IR3109N SMD OTAs in decent quantities. These OTAs are used in my 101-VCF, JP6-VCF, and JU60-VCF eurorack modules. Even with time-saving measures, I easily spend way more time reclaiming the chips than actually building these modules. And the main reason I call my endeavors a labor of love, it's all for you my friend.

0:00 | Intro
0:31 | The 80017A Wafer Encapsulation
1:52 | My Method for Removing the Black Resin
4:21 | Extracting Chips from the Wafer
6:26 | Mounting the Chip to a DIP ADAPTER

To purchase a 101-VCF, JP6-VCF or JU60-VCF and other cool eurorack modules visit my Reverb Store to check availability.

JU60-VCF Eurorack Filter Adaptation Roland Juno-6/60 Jupiter-8 Now Available

JU60-VCF is an analog 4-pole low pass filter adaptation of Roland Juno-6/60 using a vintage IR3109 chip with a BA662 OTA chip in the resonance feedback loop. This topology was also used on the Jupiter-8, with a switch for tapping the 2-pole mode. Resonance will self-oscillate and produces a nice sine wave alone. JU60-VCF won’t turn your system into a polyphonic synth, but it has a classic sound at a sweet price. Time to get out your favorite stereo chorus modules and pedals!
Full details on Modular Grid
Check my Reverb store for JU60-VCF availability