I previously said that I was going to build as much of this synthesizer as possible. I decided that one exception to that would be the power supply unit (PSU). All though I understand the electronics of power supplies and could probably build one that provides the +12v, -12v and +5v that it requires, I decided to buy a commercial product.

If there’s one thing that needs to be good quality in any electronics product, and especially music synthesizers, it has to be the power supply. It turned out that I can buy a commercially made unit cheaper than I could make one myself, and it is more likely ot produce the voltages I want than one that I made myself.

I have chosen the Meanwell RT65-B. This produces the required 3 voltages up to a maximum power output of 65 Watts. This is more than enough for my initial needs. If I find it struggling later, I’ll replace it.

I decided to use a commercially produce PSU as all the other modules will be plugged into it. I’m not sure I want to risk using a home-built PSU at this stage.

My only concern about the chosen unit is that it is a switched mode power supply, which can affect audio circuits with its high-speed switching. I shall add some filtering in an attempt to counter that, and if all else fails, I’ll swap it out for a linear power supply. That’s the advantage of building things yourself – you can change your mind, or upgrade at any time.