DrBunsen

Well how about an analogue sampler?? http://www.aplusinc.com.tw/RECORDING%20&%20PLAYBACK/APR9600.zip Low cost solid state 60 second voice recorder IC - warning link is to a ZIP/PDF file Yes, that's right - analogue. It records sound as voltage levels in the capacitors of 256k of Flash memory. It's pretty lofi. There are lots of kits around using this IC, and I have been thinking it would be good to use in a MBHP system. Can be used as 8 separate samples (drums?) or one long one. Playback speed can be varied. And it looks quite easy to interface.

Well how about an analogue sampler?? http://www.aplusinc.com.tw/RECORDING%20&%20PLAYBACK/APR9600.zip Low cost solid state 60 second voice recorder IC - warning link is to a ZIP/PDF file Yes, that's right - analogue. It records sound as voltage levels in the capacitors of 256k of Flash memory. It's pretty lofi. There are lots of kits around using this IC, and I have been thinking it would be good to use in a MBHP system. Can be used as 8 separate samples (drums?) or one long one. Playback speed can be varied. And it looks quite easy to interface.

Bankstick(s)? Could the core read more than one at a time (patches/patterns) or switch quickly from one to the other? Floppy drive ? ;D Joking now ...

Hi Steve, I'm in Au, and looking for encoders, so count me interested. But if you are looking at a bulk purchase anyway, why not consider buying from overseas? The price difference on a large purchase would make up the extra costs for shipping and duty. I've seen people on this forum quoting prices half that of the Farnell ones.

Hi, I realise I am boosting an old topic here, but if anyone in Oz is still interested in a bulk order from overseas, count me in for 16 or so.

If you look in a local electronic hobbyist magazine, you will most likely find ads from people willing to build the boards for you.

Kenton make a rackmount box for PLG cards called the Plugstation. I have also seen the DIY design for the Soundblaster cards, but nothing for the PLG format. Try Google.

The SID has three oscillators, going into one filter and one envelope-controlled VCA. So it can be used as one voice composed of three oscillators, or thanks to TK's nifty PIC programming, the three oscillators can be used to play individual separate notes, with (I think) different tones. Those notes still go through the one filter/amp stage. I suppose the analogue input could be considered another oscillator.

Did you see this? http://www.futuremusic.co.uk/fm_gear.asp?ID=1883 I've been pondering a similar approach, but without a backplane. So different parts of the controller could be extended out to different work areas - or even different people - on long cables. Meanwhile, very good thinking, and good luck.

That reminds me TK, are you considering any form of open source or free software license for this code, to protect its openness?

<waynesworld> "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!" </waynesworld> Once again Thorsten, you have anticipated my every need... Thanks for the reply. Hey wait! The SID has an arpeggiator too, doesn't it? Muahahahahaaa "use the source, Luke, the source will be with you, always"

Sounds wunderbar. That's something I'd like to have too. I haven't programmed in years (BBC Basic) but I have another idea I'd love to see implemented in a hardware sequencer. I'm really just throwing this in for discussion, to see whether anyone else likes it/thinks it is possible. And whether it could be done with existing code fragments, or would some low-level coding be involved? I am keen to learn PIC programming at some stage, but I have no experience. I'd like to be able to lock sequences to chords or scales. This is beautifully implemented on my Roland PMA-5, but it's a nightmare to program on its silly touchscreen. For example, take an imaginary MIDIbox SEQ with 16 rotaries or faders, each one representing a step in a 16 step bar. If I move a control, it changes the note for that step up or down, but only to a note in the current scale/chord. If I change the scale/chord setting, the note pattern alters to fit the new scale/chord. I can string a sequence of chords together, one to a bar (Band In a Box/Cakewalk style), and my note sequence alters itself to fit. I guess the scales would need to be stored as a look-up table. Is there likely to be enough space on the PIC or would it be possible to store them on a bankstick? A button and LED below each pot is an on/off switch for each note, showing whether it is played or not. A "scale over-ride" button allows you to enter sharps and flats for passing notes. At the flick of a switch, the pots can be re-assigned to note length, velocity (zero velocity = note off, no need for the on/off button?), any other CC, for each step. Either that, or extra rows of pots take care of each function. Please excuse me if any of the things I am describing are already built into the MIDIbox SEQ firmware/MIOS. I am still familiarising myself with the system, and I am going to start by putting together a basic SID/CORE and build my way up from there. In the end, I hope to build a kind of SID-303 ;D

Great! Thanks for the clarification. Heh, that's the C=64 floppy drive, isn't it? Personally I'd rather use a bank stick :-) I agree, the PIC must be about as powerful as the old Commie was, if not more so! What I am thinking of is a single box containing a MIDIbox64 SEQ core, with one row of 16 rotaries which can be switched to different sequences. It would also have the SID front panel controls (requiring SID board, CORE board and LCD). Think of it as a SID-303 ;D The idea being that I would build the most basic system to begin with, and add more SID/CORE combos at a later date. Thanks once more for your splendid gift to the world. I'll do some more research on your site and work out what I need. Cheers, Clae