ilmenator

Simply attach them to your new posts in this thread.

The PDF documentation is back online again, but this is only in German language. You may want to try Google Translate for some funny reading. ilmenator

I would go that way and make the resistor adjustable, so that you can adjust the brightness any time you like (or need). ilmenator

Ich habe hier noch eine Runde 24LC256 von Microchip herumliegen - hatte ich wohl mal bei Farnell bestellt, aber so wie mein Zeitbudget gerade aussieht, werde ich auch die næchste Zeit nicht dazu kommen, etwas damit zu machen. Bei Interesse PM an mich, ich bin mitte Mærz mal in Berlin, dann sind die Portokosten auch geringer (Post aus Norwegen ist eher teuer). Gruesse, ilmenator

Well, you will have to open your unit to actually find out. I would suspect that you need major modifications. If you're lucky, then there are separate boards for the buttons and encoders, and those are connected to a logic board via cables. Then you could just replace the logic board with MIDIbox parts. But then, this is just speculation, and from my experience I would say that chances for this are actually slim. In most controllers, the logic parts are on the same PCB as the buttons and encoders. Another thing to worry is the type of motorfaders used in the Houston. The MF module can only handle certain types of faders, so there is no guarantee that those in the Houston can be driven by the MF module. Again, you have to open your unit to find out. If you are unsure how to tell if the faders are compatible or not, take high-res images and post them here. We might be able to tell. Best regards, ilmenator

Once they start using the metric system I may get enthusiastic as well... On the article pages it can be set to mm! :frantics:

In the mid-nineties, as a student, I worked at an institute where we were trying to develop a voice-controlled wheelchair. That was the time when "Dragon Naturally Speaking" was the software to use. You were supposed to give one-word driving directions to the wheelchair, like "left", "right", "stop". No embedded system, but a PC attached to the wheelchair, and a truck battery underneath. We were testing the system in a large hall with a number of pillars to support the roof. The point was that whenever the wheelchair approached one of the pillars, as a user you were afraid of crashing into the pillar, which altered your voice, so that the system would not recognize your commands any longer... (Yes, it's impossible to relax when you see that you are driven against an obstacle.) Fun for us it was, but not very close to application in real life.

Expect to pay between 200-300 Euros for an Oasys PCI. There was one on ebay a few weeks ago, that went for 200 - and that was cheap. There are people out there who dedicate a whole computer just to this beast. Sound quality is superb, but support is non-existent. Korg even removed the drivers and all from their website. Remote-controlling the thing via MIDI is possible, but if I remember correctly, that was not really straightforward - but it's been a while... and you don't get anywhere without a PC monitor connected. Good luck with your project! ilmenator

Hehe, hvor er du fra? Hilsen fra Trondheim, ilmenator

Why post this bit of information here? :yawn:

Relax - nothing is lost :). Joris has managed to find out who was working on the project and has contacted me already. The status of the project is still the same as it was two years ago. I have left Ilmenau University in the meantime, so the project was not further developed. Also, I doubt that one should build the hardware as it is described in the WIKI, using two PIC cores - we now have Core32 with SD card connectivity, which is just perfect for the cause. Everything can be made so much easier now... I will put the documentation back online again, but this will need some time - I have a few (job) deadlines to meet before Christmas, and I need to find the files. If you are really interested in bringing this back to life, I am most willing to provide support, but my resources (=time) are limited. This is not a walk in the park, but a complex project - although, using a Core32 WILL make things considerably easier. Best regards, ilmenator

Very inspirational project - great! I love it when MIDIbox is used for the not-so-obvious! ilmenator

*sigh* Shipping to Norway is almost as much as the unit itself... :blink:

Das sind nicht die RGB Displays, sondern die RG Variante - steht auch deutlich drin. Und es ist eine Auktion, also ergibt sich der Endpreis erst noch! Bleibt's bei EUR 30, dann ist das allerdings günstig (wenn man die Dinger anzusteuern weiß).

But then the HR-16 pads were a real PITA. I don't know anyone without problems with these pads, including me. They would "fire", or they would not - you could never be quite sure. This might have been an issue with the pad mechanics, though, like the pad being stuck in the bezel. I do not remember the details, I only know that I got rid of the damn thing (though the sounds were nice at its time).

Very nice! What I don't get is why you have cut out the opening for the display? Best regards, ilmenator

The less tolerance the better. They are perfectly okay in terms of tolerance!

Hi Mike, nice to see that you do this! I am in for one (did I say that I am located in Norway :D ilmenator is the doing the no-VAT-dance)! Best regards, ilmenator

There was a C project around that was called "MIDIbox MM", with MM standing for Motor Mix, which basically emulated the CM Motormix (which works excellently with ProTools). Here is the forum article. As it is not listed under projects any longer, it is discontinued, and I guess TK will not provide support - but if you ask him nicely he might be willing to give you the code so you could fiddle around with it? Best regards, ilmenator

Hehe, now your fingerprints are on the web. They'll get you :P

As a senior around here, please let me make a suggestion and please consider this seriously: offline-documentation is nice, but it tends to get lost over time. We do have a Wiki (see the button on the top of this page), why not create a user page there and document your findings where it is obvious? Or as stryd_one would put it: <broken record> offline-docu bad.... </broken record> ;) Best regards, ilmenator

Hello Japanese midiboxers, I'm staying in Kyoto until next weekend, anyone wants to meet up for a beer or so? :D Best regards, ilmenator

That is very true!

Basically that means that there are different types of 595s out there, with specs depending on manufacturer. Unfortunately, this merely means that it is unsafe to rely on the Fairchild specs, as they exceed what is (commonly?) specified elsewhere. So, when you published schematics, you'd have to further specify the brand of 595s that this schematic is valid for, which is bad, because it is common for mail order shops to provide customers with seemingly compatible devices from other brands.

Bourns encoders were used in EMU equipment, the ESI and E samplers have them for the data wheel. They are a bit stiffer to rotate than other encoders I have come across, and the metal hood shown on your pictures is not always included when you order, so I had to hot-glue them to the PCB. The shaft is usually 1/4". They are not necessarily higher quality than other brands, in fact I have had an EMU on which the encoder had gone bad (albeit after heavy use). DSCF0006.JPG DSCF0008.JPG DSCF0006.JPG DSCF0008.JPG