Wilba

You can edit patches using the control surface. Read the manual: http://www.ucapps.de/midibox_sid_manual.html There is a patch editor (Java-based) and also a VST patch editor/controller for MIDIbox SID. Using the Multi engine, you could setup six single-oscillator instruments, each on its own MIDI channel... or configure it as multiple polyphonic instruments. The Lead engine is one voice but stereo, using both SIDs (6 oscillators).

AFAIK all the "silicone"-based thermal compount/heat transfer grease/white goo, etc. is non-conductive. It's the cheap crap that people stick between heatsinks and hot things all the time. If people want to use the same stuff they used between their CPU and the fancy CPU fan, there's nothing wrong with that, just make sure you don't short the pins of the regulators... and yes, this could be bridging ground (middle pin) with either the input or output of the voltage regulator (outer pins). I think it was in the first batch of kits that someone had a lot of trouble when they got arctic silver all over that section of the PCB, which is why I now recommend people avoid using it.

The "ideal" length I specified is for when the cable is stiff and can't bend much. Any longer and the case won't close. Maybe very flexible cable could form another bend in it when closed, but unlikely. In your situation, I suggest marking where you would get 42mm of insulation, cutting the insulation between the wires up to that point, then stripping off the insulation using wire cutters, instead of the "score and pull" method that I found worked better for the stiff cable. Moving the insulation like you suggest might lead to other problems, so I wouldn't recommend it.

:)

nILS, the voices in my head say you're a retard.

Woot! I get beer and didn't even need to do troubleshooting!

You can test the header on the PCB by changing to low-power mode (JBL=5V, no shunt in JR4) and putting a LED in top two pins labelled B- and B+, put LED cathode (short lead) into B-. This will test if the brightness pot and transistor are working. You can test the LCD backlight by supplying power to those pins (which match B-/B+) on the LCD... always test using a resistor in series. However, if you can get a LED to light in the header of the PCB, and still not light the backlight the same way, then perhaps the LCD backlight has failed.

Brightness should not be set to maximum anyway. I recommend no more than half-way (12 o'clock), which is why I put a BIG FAT STICKER ON THE LCD that reads: YELLOW-GREEN high-power backlight LCD Use shunt in JR4 Use shunt in JBL set to "12V" Set P1 trimpot to half-way (vertical) This is because I know this will work for 12V AC 500mA supplies, and any more than that will cause power supply issues (i.e. you will reach the 500mA limit). If you do not get hum or flickering when it is set to 12 o'clock, then either leave it there (problem solved) or get a better PSU (i.e. a regulated 12V DC 1000mA).

Try removing one SID. This should reduce the current load by 100mA on the 5V supply and 25mA-40mA on the 9V supply. I don't understand how a PSU that is "regulated" doesn't output 12V exactly at the plug. That's just a bad product. Maybe it's using some low tolerance resistors to control an internal voltage regulator... still very poor form to be half a volt less. Right now, I still think the most likely explanation is the power supply is causing the problem, either it is switchmode, or just generally crap (not really delivering up to 600mA), or something else. The only relationship between the backlight circuit and possible audio hum is current supply problems. When you were supplying it from the 5V supply, there was no hum. When supplying it from the input power, the load is causing the 9V regulator to not be as stable. Do you get flickering/hum when setting the brightness pot to half-way (12 o'clock)? Do you get flickering/hum when the brightness pot is LESS than half-way?

I think you have a bad solder joint somewhere... probably the JBL header, or the brightness pot. That might explain the flickering, maybe the hum also. It could be two separate issues, or combined... it sounds like when the backlight is powered by the input voltage (JBL=12V), then the extra current causes the voltage regulators not to be very stable. Try one more thing: Insert shunts into JBP and power with regulated 12V (as before) but make sure it is tip positive. Do voltage tests on points labelled "12V"... these should now be EXACTLY 12V since shunts in JBP will bypass the bridge rectifier. This means there will be more voltage going into the voltage regulators and less likely that current load changes will cause voltage drops. Check if there is now any hum or flickering when adjusting the brightness.

At this stage, it's intended to be just the case, to support people who already had a panel made, or intend to get one made by Schaeffer/Front Panel Express/you :thumbsup:

I can't be sure, but reading about the PA-500S and the other models from Voltcraft, which all have different weights depending on max current, it's likely this is a transformer based power supply. They also appear to come in unregulated versions with the same weight, which also suggests it isn't switchmode. Therefore, it should be OK. The rebooting is expected if you turn the brightness up too much, as this PSU only delivers 500mA max. at 12V. In this respect, it would have been better to get the PA-1000S, and not have the current issue - it would always deliver regulated 12V up to 1000mA load, even at max backlight brightness. Set the brightness pot to half-way (12 o'clock). Is the backlight working at all now, or always off? If you remove the shunt in JBL, do you still hear the audio hum? If you temporarily set JBL to "5V", do you still hear the audio hum? (Don't leave it set to "5V", this is too much current for the voltage regulators/heatsinks).

I agree with everything latigid on wrote. Test again with a transformer based supply.

BTW a desktop-style case made of aluminium panels and extrusions is being evaluated at the moment and may be available through a bulk order arranged on this forum in the near future. It will be compatible with the 17" panel design, but the "perfect" solution would be if the 17" panel had a routed edge so it could slot into the case around its edges. I can't share any more details at the moment, but I also don't want anyone to be disappointed if they get a 19" panel made and then get disappointed when a bulk order for cases is announced soon after, which won't be compatible with their 19" panel (unless they chop off 1" from each side!). In this interim period, I will discuss things privately with julianf and the people planning to get a panel... it would make sense if they also ordered a rear panel made with cutouts compatible with Core32 module, seppoman's SD card and ETH modules, and a power socket/switch PCB which I will be selling in the future for MB-SEQ/BLM builders. So all this is only relevant to people who ALREADY have an MB-SEQ PCB and are considering ordering a panel. Please note: this future bulk order will be for a desktop style case and will not be rack mountable. If you prefer a rack mountable MB-SEQ then stick with the 19"x3U panel design. Sorry if I've complicated things... :whistle:

Unfortunately the "good" regulated 1400mA supply I linked to isn't available anymore. Some links to power supplies which should work: Stecker-Netzgerät, stabilisiert, 500mA (regulated 500mA) http://www.reichelt.de/?ACTION=3;ARTICLE=64753;PROVID=2402 Stecker-Netzteil, unstabilisiert, 500mA (unregulated 500mA) http://www.reichelt.de/?ACTION=3;ARTICLE=13273;PROVID=2402 Stecker-Netzgerät, unstabilisiert, 800mA (unregulated 800mA) http://www.reichelt.de/?ACTION=3;ARTICLE=13285;PROVID=2402 I would probably choose the 1st one (regulated 500mA)... you would still have to watch current load, keep the brightness pot at half-way, but voltage would be stable going into the sammichSID. The other two would work... the 800mA one might make the voltage too high going into the sammichSID when it's low current draw, but it would handle the LCD at full brightness.

12V DC 600mA should be enough... I run mine on 12V AC 500mA, with a high-power LCD. But this is a switchmode supply? If so, no good. Something weird happens when using switchmode supplies. I have had reports of it not working with the LCD backlight. The build guide specifically says not to use a switchmode supply. The brightness pot can be set to deliver more current than can be supplied by the recommended 12V AC/DC 500mA supply, which will cause the voltage to drop, causing the voltage regulators to also drop, causing reboots etc. sammichSID was initially designed to work with low-power LCDs only drawing 25mA, but I put in the option of using the regular high-power LCDs that can draw up to 280mA... the problem is, an additional 280mA of current going through the 5V regulator would add a lot of extra heat to the heatsink. Using the unregulated power going into the sammichSID (i.e. the JBL header set to "12V") avoids this extra heat. Either way, though, too much current delivered to the backlight will cause the 5V regulator to "drop out" and the PIC to reboot or just stay off. The only real solution is getting a good regulated 12V 1000mA power supply, then you can crank the brightness pot to maximum, and the voltage going into the 9V regulator will be a constant voltage (so no extra heat). Reichelt has a good transformer based (non-swichmode) regulated 1000mA power supply... I think it was even variable voltage. It was linked to in the sammichSID thread.

To start with, an unregulated 12V 1000mA supply is going to output way too much voltage when the current load is low. So check what the actual supply is... is it regulated or unregulated 12V DC? Or is it AC? It's important to know so we can work out what happened. I strongly recommend you do not use this supply again unless you can confirm it is outputting regulated 12V. Test voltage on the supply's plug, if you can. Where did you see the smoke? Left side, right side, front side? My best guess is you burned out the backlight LEDs by supplying too much current, which can happen when supplying with an unregulated power supply that has a high current rating (1000mA), using the "high-power" backlight option (which supplies the backlight directly with unregulated power), and cranking up the brightness.... essentially supplying 15V+ to a circuit that expects 10.5V and 12V maximum. However, it's also possible that the pop/smoke could be a blown capacitor, perhaps the big blue 2200uF electrolytic, which has a 16V rating. Get yourself a new power supply. 12V AC 500mA or 12V DC 500mA... or ideally, REGULATED 12V DC (500mA+). And don't worry... if it still powered on, and LCD shows text, the voltage regulators are still good, it might only require a new LCD and at worst a new 2200uF cap.

If you can get a fab to make one huge PCB, maybe it's feasible, but not possible with the fab I use (Gold Phoenix), at least with their current prototype deals. Neither. If you were going to split your full BLM into sections, you would want properly routed edges. This is what you would get anyway when you get boards made. V-scoring and tab routing is mostly for arraying multiple PCBs onto one panel so they can be assembled together, then split after assembly. V-scoring will leave the edges rough, and they might not be a perfect alignment where they join. Maybe it's possible to setup one PCB (4x16 + extra row attached), get four made, and chop off the extra row... perhaps with a V-score between the 4x16 and the extra row. You end up paying for three extra rows you don't need, but that might be cheaper than the extra setup fee.

Yeah that should be OK.

There is a 9V regulator in the sammichSID, and you need at least 10.5V DC going into the 9V regulator in order for it to output regulated 9V. Bridge rectifiers shave off 1.2V or so, therefore you need 12V AC or DC going into the sammichSID, with a current rating of at least 500mA and if it's an unregulated supply, less than 1000mA, otherwise the voltage going in will be considerably higher than 12V and lead to more heat being dissipated by the 9V regulator. This explains why you are observing the voltage dropping and failure to boot only when the SIDs are installed - each is drawing 100mA on the 5V supply and thus drawing more current than the power supply can deliver at the required voltage... when SIDs aren't installed, the voltage going in is adequate. Actual voltage delivered by an unregulated power supply is inversely proportional to current drawn... the current rating tells you it will deliver the rated voltage or higher when the current drawn is less than the current rating... when the current drawn is much smaller, the voltage will be much higher, hence do not use 1000mA unregulated 12V power supplies or the voltage might be over 15V if the load is 500mA, leading to: P = VxI = (15-9)x0.5 = 3 watts of heat dissipated by the 9V regulator. That's finger burny ouch ouch territory.

Does that mean mine is a "big order" and explains why I haven't received it yet? :frantics:

Spring washers are optional, and would go between the head of the screw and the PCB (where it secures PCB to spacers). They might scratch the PCB but the mount holes have a plated ring around them so it would only scratch that, and can't damage any tracks. I say optional because my original MB-6582 doesn't have them, and they aren't loose yet.

Ooof.... at least you know what the problem is now. I don't recall desoldering resistor networks but I'm assuming chopping them so you remove one pin at a time might be easier and avoid lifting pads.