jdutcher
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Posts posted by jdutcher
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hi everybody,
for years i've been using the same old dual 15/30 watt soldering iron from radio shack. it's served me well and i've built a number of projects with it. however, as i become increasingly involved with more advanced projects and more knowledgable in general (due, in no small part, to midibox projects of course!) i'm thinking it's time to upgrade to a nice temp-controlled iron. what i'm asking here is for any input on which brand/model to purchase. i'm hoping to spend no more than $60-70 (american). is this reasonable? in other words, would a $60-70 iron be decent? are there any optional features that i shouldn't live without? and finally, are there any major disadvantages to purchasing one of the ~$35 generic models that a lot of suppliers sell? (i.e. http://www.mpja.com/productview.asp?product=15140+TL)
thanks in advance. obviously, i hold your opinions in high regard. :)
james
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hey thorsten,
very happy with the new server, etc. but i encountered a slight problem tonight that i wanted to bring to your attention. not sure if this was just a freak occurance, but the forum was down a little earlier. here is the message that i got:
Connection Problems
Sorry, SMF was unable to connect to the database. This may be caused by the server being busy. Please try again later.
i received this at 12:04AM EST (GMT -05:00). not sure when it went down, but it couldn't have been more than an hour before that. it just went back up now, so it was down for at least 15-20 minutes or so. probably not a huge issue, but i just wanted to bring it to your attention, as you're still testing the new server, etc.
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as far as i know, the dinx2 boards can handle more than 10 buttons. i'm only using 2 ICs on my dinx4 board (equivalent of a dinx2 board) and it can run my 11 buttons and 1 encoder.
where are you located? i got a 2x40 display with led backlight for $6 in the usa (www.bgmicro.com). the advantage to having a switch in the encoder is that it saves space on the front panel and it's one less button to purchase. any switches and encoders will do just fine. i prefer tactile switches and detented encoders. just look for the cheapest ones you can find. make sure that the switches are the normally open type though.
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my box has has 11 buttons and one encoder, but i'm using a 2x40 display. if you were to use a smaller display you could get away with 5 buttons and an encoder, probably. you might even be able to get it to work with less, but a 5-button, 1 encoder, and 2x16 lcd would be perfect for your needs, i think.
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absolutely genius, thorsten. everything sounds great! thanks a lot for your work on this, you've answered a lot of peoples' prayers, i think.
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hey, i agree with everyone...the new server is AMAZING and the board is lightning fast. however, i'm not a huge fan of the new layout. i switched it to "classic view" in my profile which made things a lot better, but i still don't like it as much as the old one. i think we'll all get used to it though.
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hi,
i only have one sid in my box. that's really all i need though. a single sid is powerful enough to do just about everything you need. i'll try to post some pics soon.
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ok, thanks for clarifying, seppoman. yeah, normally i do just pay the few cents to get new caps, but when i was building my midiboxsid, i had forgotten to order the 470uF cap for the power supply. i'll just add it to my next order.
thanks again
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hi leelinn,
yeah, i've used prophet64 too, but i like the midiboxsid much better! ;D
some quick answers to your questions:
1. the more "expansive" (expensive?) unit is only as big and expensive as you want it to be. i built mine for $60-70 (in the USA) but some people have spent hundreds.
2. the software control panel works with either the "expansive version" or the cheap version of the midiboxsid. you can use programs other than logic audio, but i've never used ableton live so i don't know about that.
3. where are you located? the parts list has catalog numbers for some of the major suppliers. you can also check out the midibox wiki http://www.avishowtech.com/midibox/wiki/ for other suppliers. the list that's available on ucapps.de is in the simplest form, really. if you don't understand it, perhaps your friend who is building the box for you can understand it?
good luck
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hey moebius,
yeah, that's exactly what i'm using it for. Â didn't quite understand your post though. ???
i'm not worried about the drift, but seppoman made it sound like reusing that 470 from my c64 was a bad idea for a number of reasons (leaking, etc.). Â are you simply confirming that 470's are ok to use as a bypass or are you saying that it's ok to rip one from an old c64? :-/
sorry, not trying to be a pest here, just need clarification. :-[
NOTE TO TheUriah: Â sorry to steer your thread off on a tangent. Â this info will probably be helpful to you too, though. ;)
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202 kb/s max. Â drops to ~100 kb/s when downloading two at a time. Â dsl modem. Â connecticut, usa
forum mirror works fine.
sounds like everyone has good things to say about the new server...i say go for it, thorsten!
EDIT: and thanks to twin-x for helping us out!! ;D
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BTW: better don´t use polarized (electrolyte) capacitors from the C64. These have a certain lifetime (of which 20-25 years have already passed). they can dry out (wrong value/no function) or in the worst case start to leak or explode. It would be sad to have a malfunction or even spread poisonous juice inside the box after a year just to have spared some 20 cents in the beginning.
that's very good advice, seppoman. i wasn't aware of that danger. i'm only using the 470uF cap from the c64 board, but i'll switch it asap. thanks for the info!
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3. Â i've ripped a bunch of diodes and caps from my old c64. Â also, make sure to use the power jack/switch from your commodore. and of course the case comes in handy as a quick enclosure ;)
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i do free lance web design here and there. Â came across this once:
http://www.netfirms.com/web-hosting-advantage
didn't end up using it in the end because it was a little more than i needed, but take a look and see what you think. Â 1gb space, 50gb transfer, and everything else you need, i think. --$9.95/month
please take care of this soon because i don't think i could survive a day without ucapps!!! :'(
good luck!
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unbelievable!!! :o
anyone every ordered one from these guys?
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you can do this by using keyboard split zones. Each oscillator has it's own zone, by default they are spreaded over the whole keyboard range. By reducing the zones to dedicated ranges and transposing the notes to the desired octaves you are able to play the oscs individually (with different sounds)
exactly. that's certainly enough for me. using this method and a sequencer, you can make tracks just like old C64 tunes! thorsten you are a genius.
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i think he just did it that way because the C64 led has a 3-pin socket at the end, even though only 2 of the pins are actually connected to anything. you can see in the diagram that the third pin is connected to the first. i think this is done for orientation reasons; no matter how you connect the socket, the C64's power led is going to function properly. the led itself, however, only has two leads...it's just a normal led.
let me know if this is unclear.
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My dual SID 8580 with CS will total about 400 euros.
:o :o :o  jeez.  i wouldn't have dreamed that it could cost that much.  how much was your lcd?  and are you including the cost of SIDs in that $400?  my $250 estimate did not include SIDs.  i really think that one could build it for less than $300....certainly less than $400!!!!  like i said, i built my 1 sid 6581 with CS for about $60 (not including SID or shipping costs) with PCBs from SmashTV.
About the polyphony - yes the original SID music is done on a single SID chip, but the MBSID doesn't really let you play three different instruments on one SID, so several are needed in my opinion (I have two hands so I decided to make it a dual SID). Â ;Dtrue. Â i guess my point was relating more to the individual sounds that can be heard on good C64 tracks.
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500 bucks!!!! Â no way, man. Â i built my basic, 1 chip sid with control surface for about $60 total. Â haven't built a 4 chip sid, but i would guess that it would cost you about $250 in the US and if you order kits from SmashTV (this does not include cost of SIDs). Â if you buy a custom made front panel, though, it would cost you more. Â i just made mine myself so it only cost a few bucks. Â look on the sid page at the ucapps site....thorsten describes the basic costs there (middle of the page):
http://www.ucapps.de/midibox_sid.html
EDIT: Â in my opinion, 4 sids is complete overkill. Â you'd be surprised at how powerful one sid can be. Â remember, all C64 game music was done with a single sid....
P.S. your flash website has some bugs you might want to investigate.
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any led will work...there's nothing special about the c64 led. if you're using a display with a backlight, you don't even need an led, because the screen itself can act as your power indicator. if the screen is lit up, the unit is on.
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225ºF in the oven for 5-10 min.  might vary by pen brand, though.
make sure the components aren't on there though! this should be done on a blank protoboard, obviously.
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i use protoboards like the one you mentioned quite often. what i do is just bridge adjacent pads and use solid, insulated wire for larger gaps. i use bare wire for medium sized gaps (as long as no other components will get in the way, or for "sneaky" connections (i.e. under ICs, etc.). a good trick is to solder a component on to the board and then bend the lead over to the pad that you want it to connect to and use that as a bare wire connection.
the absolute best way to use a protoboard though, is to map out your circuit ahead of time and use a conductive silver trace pen. basically, this is a pen whose ink is conductive and will carry electricity wherever you draw a line. try to do it ahead of time though, so you can bake it for 10 min to cure the traces. that said, even though i have one of those pens (12 bucks at radio shack, i think), i still resort to bridging and wire interconnects in most cases.
depending on your skills, this method can take a while. i suggest practicing a bit with a smaller circuit if you're new to this. i think etching your own pcbs is probably the best way to do things for larger circuits, but i don't have a drill press. i just finished building a complete edrum module using the above method and it took a LONG time.
hope that helps.
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as i said before, i'm quite happy with my lcds so if you've gotten one from bg micro, just use that. Â vfds look great also and aren't difficult to read at all, although they can often appear too bright when the lights are out (you can adjust the brightness though)...i guess this can be said about lcd backlights also... Â anyway, i think that the decision should be based on aesthetic reasons more than anything - both types of displays are easy to read in the dark, it just depends on which one you think would look cooler with your project. Â i will say this, however: i'm not sure how difficult it is to implement a vfd display. Â in other words, with an lcd display you just hook up the data pins and the leads on the backlight. Â not sure if it's as simple with a vfd display. Â perhaps someone who has used one could provide more detailed input here?
good luck. Â and remember, either way you'll be able to read it in the dark without any problems.
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the contrast is great. and it's adjustable, obviously. i've used it in very dimly lit situations (i.e. live performances, etc.) without any problems.
(another) Newbie questions before starting a MIDIbox SID
in Design Concepts
Posted
hi,
i'll try to answer your questions one by one:
1) parts list looks fine. if you want midi through you'll need the LTC module. look at the ucapps.de site for more info on that. that LCD you listed should be fine. you list rotary encoders, but I suggest you use buttons for most things. rotary encoders will work as buttons if you want, but i don't think you really need that many encoders. you'll also need midi sockets and audio jacks. also, you'll need wire and a case. make sure to get caps for the encoders also. and buttons!
2) c64 supply is much better and i don't think the c128 supply will work. search the archive, there was a recent post that discussed this issue.
3) yes, smashTV (who you're planning on ordering from) will program them for you if you want. make sure to indicate that at checkout though. as far as i know, both PICs will need to be programmed with the loader.
4) yes, for the most part. you will have to customize the code to fit your needs, as well as wiring the controls, but worry about that when the time comes.
5) the kits include all board mount parts. that means that the boards will be complete, but anything that you'd wire to the external surface of the box (buttons, encoders, DIN sockets for MIDI) need to be ordered separately. as far as audio goes: yes, all you have to do is solder one wire to the audio out of the jack and wire the ring (the outside of the audio jack) to ground. any 1/4 inch audio jack will work, really. a few months ago, i answered this question and gave the part numbers that i use. if you can't find it in the archive (search for my posts if you want) let me know and i'll try to dig it up.
6) the midibox FM project isn't finished yet.
7) YES, you should always read the archive first. i'm trying to answer all of your questions here to give more experienced users a break, but everyone will tell you that most of what you want to know is in the archive. use the search button...it gives other people a break and you get answers right away. :)
hope that helps