TK.

This is definitively the MIDIbox of the Week! :D Best Regards, Thorsten.

Hi, you could search for your local ALPS distributor. Alps manufacturs many kinds of pots and faders, detended types should also be available... http://www.alps.com Best Regards, Thorsten.

Hi Rogic, I'm only using the Linux version of Eagle, but it should also work under Wintendo: select File->CAM Processor, load a predefined job (Gerber) and change the printer device for the "solder side" tab to "PS". Finally click on the "process section" button. (.eps is a compatible variant of postscript .ps) Best Regards, Thorsten.

Hi Dave, This is really a critical issue. Currently only two screens are visible (if you are not in the menu). One main screen if no pot is moved: which shows the selected layer, bank, sequencer position of the current track, a track overview (selected/muted) and in the second line an overview about the muted pot columns The second screen will be activated when a pot is moved: the values depend on the MIDI event type (here: Note event), Track Mode, etc. I think that for an encoder solution a larger display is mandatory, which should show at least the status of 8 encoders - here for Layer A (assigned to Note Number), B (assigned to velocity) and C (assigned to Gate Length) of Track 1: Maybe it makes also sense to show the note and velocity (as moving bar) at once... however, I've planned a "Display Plug In" feature for MIDIbox NG which would allow everybody to design his own screen layout (your private MIDIbox skin... ;-)) I develop on my ultimate MIDIbox since four years and fortunately find enough time for my job, leisures and other pleasures ;-) Here: :-) http://www.midibox.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=news;action=display;num=1034254654 Best Regards, Thorsten.

Hi Rogic, yes, it runs with the "old" PIC16F - after I removed all the dedicated routines for motorfaders and the sequencer, I had enough free memory for some new extensions. And I think that I will add some more features in the future, for example some predefined meta events which simulate a "mute channel" and "solo channel", and a function which allows to define pot/fader groups. But before the other firmwares will be updated. Best Regards, Thorsten.

I think this is not really the final version - but it's running fine :) http://www.ucapps.de/midibox/midibox64_v100.zip Changes: Sequencer and Motorfader parts removed Support for 64 pots, 64 buttons, 64 LEDs a device ID from 0 to 7 allows you to address up to 8 MIDIbox64 in a long MIDI chain Device ID and MIDIbox-to-COM option can be patched directly in the .hex file (see README.txt) navigation buttons can be optionally disabled these 4 buttons are automatically disabled if no LCD is connected 5 new display modes banks can be named MIDI time code (MTC) will be displayed at page #5 several minor bugfixes and improvements new mk_syx script and MIDIbox64 editor See also: http://www.ucapps.de/midibox64_changelog.html Thanks to Serge for the good cooperation in the last days regarding the editor updates! :) Best Regards, Thorsten. P.S.: the MIDIbox16E and MIDIbox MF will be updated with similar features in about 2 weeks

Hi, This is not quite correct - currently you need 3 cores for the MF section and one core for the encoder section. And thats all - these cores have to be connected in a MIDI chain. The MF firmware as well as the encoder firmware support 40 buttons/LEDs and in the future 64 buttons/LEDs, so that an "main core" for additional IOs is not required. LCD: for motorfaders you don't really need a LCD, for encoders it makes sense. If sometime the MIDIbox Link works (I haven't started to evaluate this solution yet), it will be possible to display informations of every core at one central LCD. In an unreleased MF version (*) I realised SFB events to stop a fader. These events can be assigned to button inputs, so that you can: a) use buttons to stop faders (one button for each fader) b) use capacitive touch sensors instead of buttons (*) I don't release immediate beta versions, but they are available via mail If you have programming skills, you can try to develop something near it with a bigger PIC (see the Microchip page for the wide choice)... from my experience it makes no sense to spent a lot of effort just to save one PIC which costs you about US $8 ;-) Best Regards, Thorsten.

This time from Roberto / Australia - a really cool design with a professional touch! :)

Hi Matthias, I think that your PIC is damaged. The diodes might help, but I cannot give any success guarantee... don't waste PCB area for the diodes, just solder them directly to the buttons. Best Regards, Thorsten.

Alright, banknames would really be usefull. Another suggestion was to display the MIDI Time code like known from MIDIbox Plus. The next firmware will support both. :) Best Regards, Thorsten.

Hi Dave, a great idea! Since three layers are assigned to each pot-row, encoders would improve the handling. I think that 16 encoders are enough, and of course, I could use the MIDIbox16E firmware as skeleton for a MIDIbox16E-SEQ ;-) On the other hand I don't want to spent too much effort on the old firmwares anymore - just wait for MIDIbox NG, it will support both: pots and encoders. And with the plugin capability it will be possible just to "load" a sequencer module into the PIC when required. Best Regards, Thorsten.

Hi Tristan, you could build the LTC module of the MBHP, it can also plugged on the Rx/Tx pins of MIDIbox Plus. Best Regards, Thorsten.

Hi Mandingo, A MIDIbox-Plus like controller can be built with a core module, two 4051 analog multiplexers and one 74HC165 digital input shiftregister. The PIC must run with MIDIbox64 firmware. Best Regards, Thorsten.

Hi Tristan, yes, you should use simple Push buttons, the functional behaviour of the button can be changed in the MIDI Learn menu (or with the MIDIbox editor): "On/Off value" (it's like in your description), "On value only" and "Toggle". Best Regards, Thorsten.

Hi Juanjo, the Exec/Left/Right/Snapshot button should be soldered on special pins - all others are free assignable with special functions or MIDI events. Here the schematic for the first 32 inputs: http://www.ucapps.de/mbhp/mbhp_dinx4_32buttons.pdf Best Regards, Thorsten.

In the MIDIbox64 firmware a lot of tasks are running in parallel (Pot driver, Display driver, Button/LED Driver, Bankstick Driver, MIDI Handler). The sampling period for the buttons is only about 10 mS - thats not fast enough to detect the transitions (falling and rising pulse edges) which are sent by the encoder. The MIDIO128 firmware is optimized for digital IO, the sampling period is about 1 mS and works better, but in my oppinion it's much easier and more fail-save to use a second PIC, running with MIDIbox16E firmware, because the required adaption circuit for each encoder is complex and expensive. Or wait for MIDIbox NG - it will scan up to 128 digital inputs like MIDIO128 and will come with a built-in encoder driver, so that every single input can either be assigned to a button or to an encoder (every encoder requires 2 digital inputs...). Best Regards, Thorsten.

...but it's only available in a SMD package :-/ Best Regards, Thorsten.

Currently I'm rewriting the different display pages of MB64 since some more memory is available after I removed the sequencer and motorfader parts. So, if anybody has a good idea for an usefull layout for 2x40 displays (which additional informations should be displayed?), just let me know. At the moment the layout is similar to the MB16E http://www.ucapps.de/midibox16e_tutorial_en.html (Display Submenu) Best Regards, Thorsten.

Hi Mickey, unfortunately this is a preprogrammed ROM chip which is useless for MIDI. It's a pity that they don't offer the AN2131 of Cypress, because this derivative comes with a bootstrap loader - this special mechanism is activated when the USB cable is plugged in and allows to load the right descriptors and some additional code into the memory so that the device will be recognized as "Standard MIDI-USB device" by Windows, Mac OS X, Linux... without an selfwritten MIDI driver. Best Regards, Thorsten. P.S.: the AN2131 has 2 UARTs (=2 MIDI INs & 2 MIDI OUTs) and costs about US $3 --- but w/ a minimum purchase quantity of 1k devices :-/

Ok, under this circumstances I would do it on the same way. Hm No, I would replace the StudioMix fader logic by the MIDIbox MF driver ;D (Just kidding ;-)) Best Regards, Thorsten.

Hi Dimitris, thats ok - RB0-7 are high impedance digital inputs. Best Regards, Thorsten. P.S.: nice trick! :)

Hi, did you really try it with a PIC16F877, or is it a PIC16F874 with half of the required program memory? When you read back the memory content with IC-Prog, do you see program code the program code from 0x1000-0x1fff? Best Regards, Thorsten.

Hi Christoffer, no, the extended MIDI In is not standardized, but it's usefull :) I only know it from the Atari ST. The 15V input is ok for both modules - since no LCD, no pots and no LEDs are connected to the core module, the 7805 will not get too hot like on common applications. Best Regards, Thorsten.

Schade dass IC-Prog die Fuse-Informationen nicht direkt aus dem .hex File extrahiert, das wuerde solche Fehlerquellen ausschliessen :-/ Die Probleme mit dem BankStick resultieren wahrscheinlich auf der letzten Aenderung in der Dump Struktur. Wenn Du den Stick formatierst, sollte es eigentlich wieder funktionieren. Es lohnt sich allerdings noch nicht, dort Sequenzen dauerhaft zu speichern, da ich die Struktur nochmals aendern werde (jeder Layer soll seinen eigenen Min/Max Werte erhalten). Zu den LEDs: die 64 LEDs werden konfigurierbar sein. Idealerweise setzt man unter jedes Poti eine eigene LED, ge"mute"ete Tracks werden dann so angezeigt wie momentan die ge"mute"ten Poti-Reihen, also invertiert. Da ich meine eigene Box jedoch nicht so ohne weiteres umbauen kann, wird es auch eine alternative Belegung geben, bei der 16 LEDs den Status einer selektierten Poti-Reihe anzeigen, und die restlichen LEDs den Status des SFB's. Mit dem PIC18F kann man spaeter dann bis zu 128 LEDs ansteuern - eigentlich sollte ich die erste Version noch vor Weihnachten rausbringen, die vielen blinkenden LEDs machen sich bestimmt prima als Christbaumschmuck ;-) Gruss, Thorsten.

Hi Christoffer, yes, thats correct. :) I realized it on the same way on the first days. Later I built my SIDs into two seperate boxes, so that I'm able to lend one to friends and to use the other for my daily pleasure :D A particular variation is the way I realized the MIDI In - it comes with an integrated MIDI Thru on the outer pins, also know as "Extended MIDI In" (Atari ST). Here a schematic: http://www.ucapps.de/midibox_sid/mbsid_stereo_midi.pdf Best Regards, Thorsten. P.S.: I song I made with those two SIDs can be found under http://mp3.de/frequencies (Lovesong for my SIDs ;-))