smashtv

I'll do my best, but keep in mind that these were emails from two different people who never became customers, so I might not even have thier email addresses anymore. I get over a hundred non-spam emails a day so trying to put an approximate timeframe on either of these hurts my head, but I'm thinking one was this year and the other was about this time last year. I'll do a mail archive search for "slov" tonight and see what I can find.... Best! Smash

Constructing something like this baby filter thing requires one or more issues.....or at the very least one spare personality! Dude got it wrong, to be a freeek you need a website dedicated to naked performance with your synths, not your performance with naked synths..... ;D

Keep in mind that's $18 for 15 encoders, or $18 for 15 encoders and 6 kits, Or $19.50 for 15 encoders and 13 kits. That $18 covers the first pound of package weight, one additional pound is $1.50 more, etc. I don't mark up the shipping, That is what it costs me. :-\ For people buying one or two parts, not a good deal at all. For people placing an average order, not so bad. Of course there are cheaper (ground service) shipping methods, but I can't insure those, and they can take up to two months to get from me to thier destination. Air Parcel service will have it in your country within a couple of days, and then it's up to your local postal service how quickly you get it. The "last mile time" ranges from one day to 10 days depending on the country you are in and your proximity to a major city, but is 5 days on average. Moneybookers: Sign up, they give you bank info that you need to do an electronic funds transfer from your bank, then they cut me a check in US funds on demand for around $4.30 my cost regardless of the amount of the check. (meaning it does not cost me $4.30 for each payment, just $4.30 to pull any amount from my moneybookers account) Part of this service is the change of local currency to $USD at a fair conversion rate, etc. They also charge me a small per-transaction fee and percentage, roughly comparable to the PayPal's costs. Moneybookers is far and away cheaper than doing bank transfers with only the banks involved (for anyone outside the Euro zone). The normal fee for receiving a Euro bank to US bank transfer is $25-$30 depending on originating country, the conversion rate is much worse, and it's a pure headache. I wish our bank to bank transfer system was more like the Euro setup. If you know of anything as reliable but cheaper for any part of this process let me know! Best.... Smash

Interested possible builders at least, not sure if they did or not since I had no way to sell to them.... :-\ Should be the same as with most other countries, Customs officials on your end look at the form I put on the outside of the box to decide how much VAT tax or import tax (not sure which you have there if any). There should be some kind of website for Slovenian customs that can tell you VAT rates for your country. The expensive part will be shipping & handling, looks like it will average around $20USD for shipping($13USD), parcel insurance($2.80USD), and the moneybookers fees ($3.00USD) for an average sized order. Best! Smash

I have two questions: 1) Did these chips come in anti-static foam that's not shown in the photos? 2) Where are the mounting holes on the PCBs? I'm not trying to start a fight or make anyone angry or anything like that, but where is the logic in shipping a "drilled" board that you can't realistically mount, or chips that might not survive the trip due to no anti-static packing...... :-\ Please don't get the wrong idea with this post, I'm not perfect either, quite far from it, but these pictures bother me. Anyone who has opened a package from me or ever had static kill a chip probably understands. Absolutely no bad wishes upon Mike or anyone, this is not a bash to gain sales etc. (I have enough thank you guys!) Mike's shop and my shop have peacefully co-existed for years now, as it should be. But if this showed up in my mailbox, I would not be happy. Back on topic...... I love these "making of" threads......Way too cool to see the build as it happens. :) Hehe even most of those had legends, any non-green/old boards from me had the legends done here with either toner transfer or silkscreen. The real prize is the current MF board, with it's cool cutting edge process two color legend (meaning the pro white silkscreen legend is there -and- my corrections with a black sharpie marker for the stupid error I made) ;D Best! Smash

Honestly, I am working on it, and almost there. The reason Slovenia is not on the list is that PayPal would not allow me to accept a payment from there up until a few weeks ago. Not happy with the countries missing from PayPal that I could ship to, I started up an account with Moneybookers, who does bank transfers in a lot of the countries PayPal won't touch. As with all things that should be fairly simple, That caused the need for a new shopping cart setup (the current one does not speak moneybookers) and all of that associated work/ issues. When I say I'm almost there, I mean it's not done but it is working..... ;) Not all countries have all of the products etc. and there are a few more bugs to hammer out, but store1 is very close to done, and it serves Slovenia via Moneybookers. http://www.avishowtech.com/store1 Please come be the first to test it, since it is there partially because you asked...... ;D To be fair It's open to anyone shipping to Slovenia. (other Slovenians have asked also, and I am adding a lot of new countries with this move). I'll ask that everyone else please hold off on ordering from this link as I'm still getting everything set up, but feel free to poke around a bit if you are curious........http://www.avishowtech.com/mbhp/select.html........I would appreciate any comments/feedback anyone might have, I'll switch over to this new cart setup completely soon......Not dropping PayPal just trying to fill in the gaps they have. Best Smash

Thanks guys for all the answers, we need to roll all this into a page on the wiki..... :) I'll add: Don't ever go by the shape of the pins inside the substrate, as this varies greatly from one factory to another. It's all about the direction the die is placed, and assuming the operator was not asleep loading the die tube it will always follow the lead length and flat side of the package. Unlike high brightness leds, these won't supernova (go super bright) when you give them too much current, they die a relatively quick and quiet death. Unless you wire them to mains voltage, then you are in for a show that includes sparks and smoke.....These could make a cheaper alternative to the squibs pyrotechnicians use to electrically ignite pyro devices.... ;D --do not try this, it's dangerous and will stink up your house if it does not burn it down-- Best! Smash

The change to dual row headers for the input pins on my AIN boards is to facilitate the use of IDC connectors and ribbon cable, rather than the tedious crimping of SIL connectors. I had the space and route, so I ran +5 there as a convenience (since you need +5 and ground there to read the pots, But adding a ground on the same connectors would be a ground loop nightmare for an inexperienced builder or those with a plastic front panel) Be sure to take a look at my AIN info page..... I'm not sure what everyone is doing.....On my only "half" AIN I made up two connectors with one wire to each leading to J7. My two remaining brain cells clanked together on accident and reminded me that I had babbled about this before in a past thread. ;D Best! SmashTV

Hehe I hear ya, without dual reading calipers I would be in trouble....... ;D Best Smash

The only difference worth noting is the diameter of the shaft. On the pots with the round shaft (19b) they measure 1/4 inch diameter, and require a knob with a round 1/4 inch hole for the shaft. For the D-shaft pots (19a), the shaft diameter is 6mm. A knob made to fit one won't fit the other. All of the other measurements of the pots besides the shaft size don't really matter. Spline shaft knobs won't fit either pot I sell correctly. Just find some knobs you like, and if they have a 1/4" round hole with a set screw use 19b, if they are 6mm with a D-shaped hole or round hole with a set screw, use 19a. Don't be forced into anything, the info is out there if ya dig or ask..... ;) Actually that should read "the other 1/4 inch, simple as that"......3/8" is the shaft lenght, they are 1/4" diameter..... :) The constant jumping between Imperial and Metric measurements makes me a bit spin-dizzy on sizes too! ;D That is my story.....and I'm sticking to it...... ;) Eufex has it right, in the past people were using either pots or encoders on thier boxen, now people are starting to use both on the same box.To avoid confusion I changed the 3/8" size to 1/4" in the quote above, edits in blue.... I'm still on the hunt for cheaper quality pots, but it seems a majority of the cheaper pots are spline shaft, so if I add any spline shaft pots to the store I will have matching knobs also. I'll never trade quality for price though, so don't worry if I throw the "cheap" word around a bit. Best! Smash

At my store #19a has a 6mm D shaft while 19b has a 1/4 inch round shaft...... Best! Smash

Yes, as long as the shaft/knob is the correct size (1/4inch, 6 mm, 10mm, etc.)Most knobs designed with a set screw will work with a D-shaft pot -if- the sizes match. 7mm does the trick for me. ;) Unfortunately spline shaft design pots and knobs vary greatly from different manufacturers. Apparently there is no standard for this....... Best! SmashTV

Heya tgp Are you planning on using the LC app? If so this list might not get you there..... For 24 channels on the LC app think 3 separate 8 channel LCs. Think 96 meterbridge LEDs (12x8ch) + 88 ring LEDs = 1 x DOUT per group of 8 channels.... See:http://www.ucapps.de/midibox_lc/midibox_lc_ledrings_meters.pdf If you are writing your own app, you could do 24 channels of multiplexed meters/rings from one core, etc. Best ;) Smash

Heya Jidis! You have a unique position on this, since you are going through the process now you can see where more documentation would help..... Even if what you are doing does not work, take notes about the process. They don't have to be ready to publish, or anything like that, but we can form these notes into a fresh doc that might cover 50% of new builders questions, and through additions from other builders here we should be able to come up with a solid guide. Plus the notes will make it easy for others to help you through sticking points........ : ) Agreed, a lot of the questions in my mailbox are along the lines of "what modules do I need to build app X?" so some new docs that focus more on building (and modding) specific apps would be a great addition......I'll help if you are game for a little note-taking and writing..... ;) Amen on that! This community always amazes me, reminds me of the BBS days more than the spamfest that is today's internet. Best! Smash

Heya SounDuke! Not that this is the cause of your issue, but it reminded me to post about this: I was building a DINX1 the other day, did not install all jumpers on the pcb (just the one at the first chip) then as I wondered why it did not work, I remembered that the clock line to -all- of the shift registers is carried through the jumper closest to J2. (marked below) Not that this will present an issue for anyone, most are more careful than me with construction (thank goodness!) but it could be a troubleshooting time waster for anyone building an DINX1 with my layouts who forgets that jumper...... Best! Smash

Yes. Due to this post I just realized that the silkscreen is wrong. What is -really stupid- is that this is the second silkscreen error for me on the MF board. The good thing is they don't sell well, so there are not many of them out there. :-\ The paint fumes must be on this end. Some days it's a wizard hat, some days a dunce hat..... ;) Probably not good, but I will replace your hardware. My apologies for this -really stupid- error, look for an email from me if you are one of the three people with this board. Best SmashTV

Whoop! Looks like I need to say "I have only seen one MIDIbox.....blah blah blah" in the future.... ;) Just curious: Prototyping on a breadboard or PCB? (Nothing works on a breadboard without bypass caps for me, but I'm less than a mile from one of the most powerful AM radio transmitters in the US, so interference creeps in from the power line, the airwaves, and the earth ground.) What brand and exact number are the '165s you are using? (Curious about this because some people have had issues until changing over to TI made chips......makes me think that even though they are HC class and performance should be the same that some other brands do not perform well.......) :) Best! Smash

No. Too many DIN modules out there (and here) working fine without bypass caps. Where did this "absolute requirement" come from? I agree it is good practice, etc. but your MIDIbox will run fine without them. I'll say this again: if you are a customer of mine, and you did not get bypass caps in one or all of your kits, and you want them for whatever reason, send me an email and I'll send some your way at my cost. Best Smash

This is the way, in the PSU doc. It's better than connecting all 8, as that can present a ground loop (can cause hum in the output) depending on your other wiring. That's the old way, before MIOS v1.7 changes required moving CORE J10:SC to J10:MD. It was a 1:1 cable before the change, now it's not (and performance with LEDs is much better!) See http://www.ucapps.de/mios_v1_7_hardware_mods.html for the changes..... You got it right, no other connections needed. Well, at the risk of starting another flame war, it will work fine without bypass caps. I have been slowly packing them in with new generations of kits as I run out of what I had made up on the shelf, but only because of new builder insecurity due to posts here on the forum. (I'll happily send you some at my cost if your kits don't have them)This has been a sticky issue for me for quite some time, as some would have you believe that every chip needs a bypass cap in every situation. That's simply not true when dealing with a relatively clean linear power supply (like what we have on the core). The idea of a bypass on every chip is a product of moving from linear to switching power supplies. I have quite a few examples of fully functional designs from respected manufacturers with hundreds of chips per board that run fine without bypass, should anyone feel the need to debate the issue (In private this time please, no more flame wars on the forum because I don't follow the latest basic electronics course study book -theory- please.......) ;D There are thousands of working MIDIboxes around the world without extra bypass caps, and I have not seen one time where a bypass cap solved any issue with a MIDIbox other than a self-created wiring/interference/jitter issue. Attention to wiring and grounding is much more important. No "J3" jumpers required. My boards are routed like if you had all 5 jumpers there and installed. J3 is a throwback to before the bootloader days, when you had to burn everything as a hex file with the JDM module or other burner. That meant for an update or to put the app on you had to either pull the PIC, or connect the JDM module via J3. Now life is much better, with everything but the bootloader done via sysex and MIOS studio.....Thanks again TK! (whoops and Meeshka for MIOS Studio!) Best Smash

Heya Roger! Put me down for: 24x RSAON11M9, N-Type Motorfader 24x FK13x25 silverchrom :) Best Smash

Whoop don't get the wrong idea here, I'm not working on a new AOUT design myself, But the goal of a dac using a cheaper part or different technology (r2r ladder) has been talked about here on the forum before. Also keep in mind the SHX8 uses chips that are out of production/NLA so any candidates for replacement are welcomed, and it does not make sense to design anything new around them. I was thinking along the lines of a small run of the current AOUT and SHX8 on the same board. Best Smash

Well, I used to have bare PCBs for the 2131 based USB interface, but with the USB/PIC interface on the horizon (before we knew there were issues with the new USB PICs) I pulled it from my lineup. Several reasons I was not sad to remove it from the store: It needs a re-design (my fault, mounting hole too close to a trace) Demand is very low (I had one run, about two dozen, for over a year on the shelf) Difficult availability for the 2131, it's probably near EOL anyway as embedded USB technology advances I don't have any left from the last run, but if there is sufficient interest (in other words, get 20 people together that want one for $10 each) and I'll have a new run fabricated. I wish I had a better answer for you.... :-\ Best! Smash

In the interest of keeping commerce out of the forums I put an explanation on my status page: http://avi.dezines.com/mbhp/status.html Best! Smash

hehe....Buckwheat reference, +1K ;D

Real quick (I'm on a mobile thingy): Click applaud if you like what someone says, Click smite if you disagree. I don't think it's anything that sinister, think of it more of a way to agree or disagree with someone without having to explain yourself. ;) Even though it's more for fun than anything, someone with a high + karma level is in everyone's favor, Someone with - k has unpopular ideas, ethics, or other posting behavior. Best! Smash