Looking for a good schematic to follow for my first audio sstc coil :3

[ItsChloeUwU]

Hi,
i was designing my drsstc, and with the help of the forum i got pretty much the 3d project done and i was ready to start doing the bridge but then i realized that i knowed just a little and instead of starting with full on bricks i would have liked to start with something smaller in a TO-247 format  .

So here i am asking for a good yet affordable schematic to make an sstc with good henaf spark lenght and that is audiomodulated, preferibly high quality (with midi and cheap optic cable perhaps?).

Im a bit on a budget so i cant really spend all my moneys on this project but i would also like to have around 30 to 50cm of sparks if is possible..
i was following a youtube channel that really had some nice resolts! im gonna leve the link at the end of this post so that you can have an idea of what i would like to have as a spark lenght.
i was planning to use some 60n65 since they are pretty easy and common to diagnosticate if it fails..

please leave me some good schematics that i can follow/edit to my needs (i would need help for that tho).

this is the yt vid (around 20secs in):

[AstRii]

I highly recommend using CD4046 to drive an SSTC, it's quite reliable, easy to modulate with analog audio and in case of feedback error it won't destroy your transistors.

I have built such coil with schematics https://www.uhvlab.org/sstc-ii



My coil is just slightly modified version of https://www.vn-experimenty.eu/teslov-transformator/sstc/sstc-5.html (not available in english)

[ItsChloeUwU]

I highly recommend using CD4046 to drive an SSTC, it's quite reliable, easy to modulate with analog audio and in case of feedback error it won't destroy your transistors.

I have built such coil with schematics https://www.uhvlab.org/sstc-ii

My coil is just slightly modified version of https://www.vn-experimenty.eu/teslov-transformator/sstc/sstc-5.html (not available in english)

well yeah... this looks good.. but i was looking for something less "noisy" with the audio and a bit longer sparks with audio... so something a bit more.. midi style lets say.. also i looked into the schematics and buildings.. it not THAT easy haha a lot of transistors etc... im looking for something simpler with the driver too.. i mean.. i have a ud2.7C driver so maybe i could use that.. but i need to check if its in good shape...
if its not i need something more simple to do...

this said.. i would like to ask for something with less transistors.. easyer driver.. and more clear sparks with audio modulation :3

[ItsChloeUwU]

something exactly like this one

[AstRii]

UD2.7 can drive an SSTC but DRSSTCs usually run very short duty cycles, for continuous or long duty cycles, adding a little more DC capacitance to the driver board might be a good idea. Also those small SMD packages with Gate drivers might overheat.

Before creating my first SSTC, I wanted the exact same thing as you; a simple, easy to build driver but those drivers are usually unreliable in one way or another. I ended up building 4 different drivers until I finally decided to build PLL CD4046 driver which finally solved everything. This driver can also be easily modified for using MIDI instead of mp3 audio. For example using ENABLE pin of Gate drivers.

But in case you don't want to get your hands on phase lock loop I suggest you try following driver:

From https://www.vn-experimenty.eu/teslov-transformator/sstc/sstc-4.html

It uses 74HC14 in combination with capacitor and resistor to create a simple oscillator which drives the coil before an antenna/CT feedback is up and running.

Also, there is no need to use so many transistors as I have used in my coil. My coil was drawing over 3kW of power, in case you're aiming for lower input power you may build a single full bridge or even a half bridge.

[ZakW]

Hello,

This topic has been discussed a lot before and there are a lot of great starter SSTCs out there (also forum rule #2...). Have you tried looking for similar questions on the forum? Which circuits have you considered building?

Here are a few great links that have several builds and varying levels of power and complexity. Most of them can be modified slightly to add audio modulation.

https://kaizerpowerelectronics.dk/
https://www.stevehv.4hv.org/SSTCindex.htm
https://www.loneoceans.com/labs/#

-Zak

[ItsChloeUwU]

Hello,

This topic has been discussed a lot before and there are a lot of great starter SSTCs out there (also forum rule #2...). Have you tried looking for similar questions on the forum? Which circuits have you considered building?

Here are a few great links that have several builds and varying levels of power and complexity. Most of them can be modified slightly to add audio modulation.

https://kaizerpowerelectronics.dk/
https://www.stevehv.4hv.org/SSTCindex.htm
https://www.loneoceans.com/labs/#

-Zak

Hi Zak,
yes im aware of role 2 but tbh i could not find any good MIDI interrupted sstc and with great sparks like the Fabricio one... so yeah... :c

[ItsChloeUwU]

UD2.7 can drive an SSTC but DRSSTCs usually run very short duty cycles, for continuous or long duty cycles, adding a little more DC capacitance to the driver board might be a good idea. Also those small SMD packages with Gate drivers might overheat.

Before creating my first SSTC, I wanted the exact same thing as you; a simple, easy to build driver but those drivers are usually unreliable in one way or another. I ended up building 4 different drivers until I finally decided to build PLL CD4046 driver which finally solved everything. This driver can also be easily modified for using MIDI instead of mp3 audio. For example using ENABLE pin of Gate drivers.

But in case you don't want to get your hands on phase lock loop I suggest you try following driver:
From https://www.vn-experimenty.eu/teslov-transformator/sstc/sstc-4.html

It uses 74HC14 in combination with capacitor and resistor to create a simple oscillator which drives the coil before an antenna/CT feedback is up and running.

Also, there is no need to use so many transistors as I have used in my coil. My coil was drawing over 3kW of power, in case you're aiming for lower input power you may build a single full bridge or even a half bridge.

Seeing the Fabricio one (the video above) his coil is easy and small packaged wich is another thing im trying to aim for... so yeah... idk... i guess a drsstc then? :c

[ItsChloeUwU]

UD2.7 can drive an SSTC but DRSSTCs usually run very short duty cycles, for continuous or long duty cycles, adding a little more DC capacitance to the driver board might be a good idea. Also those small SMD packages with Gate drivers might overheat.

Before creating my first SSTC, I wanted the exact same thing as you; a simple, easy to build driver but those drivers are usually unreliable in one way or another. I ended up building 4 different drivers until I finally decided to build PLL CD4046 driver which finally solved everything. This driver can also be easily modified for using MIDI instead of mp3 audio. For example using ENABLE pin of Gate drivers.

But in case you don't want to get your hands on phase lock loop I suggest you try following driver:
From https://www.vn-experimenty.eu/teslov-transformator/sstc/sstc-4.html

It uses 74HC14 in combination with capacitor and resistor to create a simple oscillator which drives the coil before an antenna/CT feedback is up and running.

Also, there is no need to use so many transistors as I have used in my coil. My coil was drawing over 3kW of power, in case you're aiming for lower input power you may build a single full bridge or even a half bridge.

Seeing the Fabricio one (the video above) his coil is easy and small packaged wich is another thing im trying to aim for... so yeah... idk... i guess a drsstc then? :c

[AstRii]

DRSSTC adds a bit of complexity as you need to design an MMC (which can be costly) and there is much higher chance of over-coupling creating racing sparks.
DRSSTC offers much higher efficiency due to zero current switching, that's why DR coils are usually quite "small packaged", there is no need for big heatsinks. However SSTC can be compact as well, it's all about layout design.
If you're aiming for smaller design, you just have to accept you'll be switching lower power.

Pretty much any SSTC driver is able (or can be modified) to play MIDI. But being able to play MIDI is not just a matter of having a coil, you also need a good interrupter and MIDI files which sounds good on the coil. Not every MIDI file can be played on a Tesla coil.
Franzoli is well known for creating his own MIDI files with special features which allows him to play great sounding MIDI on his coils.

[Mads Barnkob]

Franzoli is well known for creating his own MIDI files with special features which allows him to play great sounding MIDI on his coils.

AFAIK he is not even using MIDI files.

He prepares stereo audio files in Fruity Loop and uses each positive and negative side of a audio stereo signal as a channel, so he has 4 channels/coils in a stereo signal. So all his signal processing is done in Fruity Loops.

[ItsChloeUwU]

Franzoli is well known for creating his own MIDI files with special features which allows him to play great sounding MIDI on his coils.

AFAIK he is not even using MIDI files.

He prepares stereo audio files in Fruity Loop and uses each positive and negative side of a audio stereo signal as a channel, so he has 4 channels/coils in a stereo signal. So all his signal processing is done in Fruity Loops.

hewwo Mads!
nice to have you in my comments!

I knowed franzoli since i was really young, and yeah.. i knowed about that... but dang it sound complicated haha.. i mean.. i used FL Studio before.. and its oky.. but the composition to make it sound so good i never understood how he did that hahahaha... perhaps any suggestions? also would like to know if you have any good coil to suggest to me! a nice sstc that is not SUPER complicated that plays midi with nice lenght of sparks.. otherwise i sould go back to my drsstc but im a bit scared to start with a full on brick dr LoL

[Magneticitist]

Recommending a PLL setup also. I have found it to just be a really handy setup.
You have a VCO that is always running, if allowed, to make feedback easier to accomplish and running fixed frequency is also kind of nice with the chip because you can use trimmers to adjust a window of variation in your frequency range. I found that tuning for audio is almost as easy as just setting a range on this window of tuning where a compromise is found between volume and switching. You want the frequency to shift around enough to give you nice volume in the plasma but you don't want it shifting so much that it causes bad switching too much of the time. For me the smaller I tune this window the less I allow the VCO to shift relative to the audio signal which has been from a little battery powered bluetooth module+phone.

[Mads Barnkob]

Franzoli is well known for creating his own MIDI files with special features which allows him to play great sounding MIDI on his coils.

AFAIK he is not even using MIDI files.

He prepares stereo audio files in Fruity Loop and uses each positive and negative side of a audio stereo signal as a channel, so he has 4 channels/coils in a stereo signal. So all his signal processing is done in Fruity Loops.

hewwo Mads!
nice to have you in my comments!

I knowed franzoli since i was really young, and yeah.. i knowed about that... but dang it sound complicated haha.. i mean.. i used FL Studio before.. and its oky.. but the composition to make it sound so good i never understood how he did that hahahaha... perhaps any suggestions? also would like to know if you have any good coil to suggest to me! a nice sstc that is not SUPER complicated that plays midi with nice lenght of sparks.. otherwise i sould go back to my drsstc but im a bit scared to start with a full on brick dr LoL

I think there is some post-processing to remove noise, peaks, scratches and maybe some added effects. There might also just be more natural echo around his house/buildings