Jaicen

Hey, just wondering if anyone has any idea of a source for a MIDI controller keyboard that I can gut for my MBSID project? It must be cheap, preferably with full size keys and just two octaves. I want to keep it portable so small size is a must. Oh, and I just want note on/off, although velocity would be nice. Failing that, would it be possible to modify a DIN to act as a keyboard scanning matrix, so I can gut a cheap toy keyboard, and install that with switches underneath??

I've seen these MIDI'fied using MIDI to trigger converters. Presumably you could rig up a trigger matrix to trigger the buttons remotely. I guess that's how i'd go about doing it anyway.

EDIT: Forget all that! I just read the datasheet, this looks like a brilliant little mono-synth on a chip man! I'm up for helping in any way I can, I'm pretty good at PCB layouts if that helps?

Hot damn! Thats definitely something that I would want to build! Would it help for me to scan in the SysEX implementation from my DX27/100 manual? When you say Java app, is it compatible with JSynthLib? I currently use that a lot, which is pretty much what I want but in a hardware form. I don't suppose you could send me any more details could you??

I personally think that this is a great idea. Sure it's not as expandable as the full CS, but for those that have no intention of building the full CS, this looks like a good alternative.

I'd personally like an interface that plugs into the cartidge port and allows direct access to the sound channels via either MIDI or an MB hardware controller of some sort. Now that would be cool!

I did write to you a few months back about the TB mode, but you told me to wait until V2 was released for more details. Therefore, i've no idea how you plan to implement the control surface for the sequencer, or how pattern writing will be accomplished. Will the note events be MIDI notes that can be recorded by an external sequencer?? What I really need to know is if your control extension will allow me to build a self contained 303 workalike. If so, then this thread is reduntant I guess.

I didn't mean to imply that I would use the seq to trigger either of my synths, as I said before I want a dedicated sequencer & sound module (SEQ + MBSID). That way I can have it running while I play the keyboards.

To be honest, i'm not looking for something that will fool anyone who knows about the 303, just something that has a similar functionality. I've got a DX27 and i'm getting a JX3P, both of which i'm using live, and i'd like to have some sequenced stuff to in there as well. It's just an idea at the minute, but i've got a spare SID i'd like to use for a dedicated x0x b0x type of thing.

Just wondering if there's anyone on here who owns a DX27 and can help design a programmer for it. I'm thinking of something like a cross betwee the JSynthLib program and the PG200. Basically, it would have encoders for ADSR, detune, level etc.. It would also have buttons and LED's to select Algorithms/operators etc, with an LCD to show the values of the current parameters. I've just come up with this idea while i've been organising patches for my own DX27 this morning, so there may be an obvious reason i'm missing as to why it's not been done yet. Is anyone interested in such a project?

Well, Stryd, that's certainly a much easier propostion! The 303 is all analogue goodness, so it would be a relatively simple task to homebrew a clone of the voice board, and interface it to an MBSID CV controller or something. It's something that i'd be interested in, but considering how close the 8580 can get to the sound of the 303, it seems like we're re-inventing the wheel ;) That said, i'd love a real 303 of course! Bill, I've never owned a real 303 either. I saw one in a studio once and was shocked at how small it is! It was sat on a Jupiter 8, so the scale may have been a bit misleading..;) Anyway, the only time i've ever used the 303 type sequencer, is with the Prophet64.com software. That stuff sounds great, and does pretty much everything a 303 does, but doesn't have the ability to chain patterns into songs. It's not really well suited to live use either, but if it's functionality could be copied in hardware form, i'd be a happy bunny!

Bastard.

I know this might seem a stupid thing to say, but has anyone ever tried modifying the MBSEQ to work like a TB-303? I understand that it's a more powerful tool, and can do way more than the 303 ever could, but I have a peculiar liking for that weird little box, and I know i'll never own one. What I'd like, is something that has 13 note buttons (C-C), transpose + & -, etc.. Basically all the buttons the 303 has so it can be programmed in the same way. No velocity, just accent so a single track seq would be fine. Pattern select, and things can be handled with an LCD and encoder (see, i'm not a luddite ;) ). In my ideal world, the sequencer would be allied to a an integrated SID core, with the patches accessible from the 2x20 LCD. Of course it's never going to materialise, but does anyone else share my secret fetish??

Have you tried using a capacitor and a flip-flop? I imagine that if you had something like a 10uF cap to ground across the input then it may be able to smooth out the single pulses enough that the flip flop sees only a changing level. When you say the pulselenght is .1msec, is that 0.1on, 0.1 off?? To be honest, I think a decade counter would have no trouble at all counting off .1ms pulses but it's maybe something to consider.

As it happens, I got a good price on a synth & PG200 so i'm pretty much sorted! If it helps, when I get it I can do a quick MIDI check to see if the PG sends out sysex or not, and maybe we can work something out from that. Ideally, i'd like to homebrew something with a backlit LCD, a menu Encoder a few assignable encoders/buttons which can store multiple patches, rather than have them saved on my JX3P. That way I don't need to take out the PG200 when gigging. I'd also like to have multiple parameters assigned to some encoders which would let me sweep the pulsewidth and filter simultaneously, for example. Does that make sense? Of course, the mother of all additions would be an arpeggiator function that reads the MIDI notes from the JX3P itself. An arpeggiator is the only thing missing from an otherwise great synth in my view. OT Alert! : Actually, there's something I've been thinking about for a while. I'd like to have a self contained box that has dedicated arpeggiator buttons (12 major and 12 Minor chords + 7th modifier buttons), that are like an auto-accompaniment. I think that'd be really cool as an add on for MIDI synths.

That's exactly what I was planning to do. I'm pretty sure that the PG200 is just used to send SYSEX commands when the parameters are changed, so i'm sure it's not impossible to MIDIBOX! Isn't the PG300 virtually the same as the 200? Maybe we can help each other out a bit (ie, you do the work, I copy you ;) ). The problem with monitoring the SysEx out is that the JX3p doesn't send any! It only accepts incoming sysex, but i'm sure someone has an implementation chart somewhere.

Yeah, i'd considered that. I'm sure that Jsynth Lib has something, but I'm looking for a more live oriented thing. I don't want to lug about a PC just to edit my synth, and it's not really ergonomic is it!

Ok, i'm thinking of getting a JX3p for some poly pads. I want to get hold of one with the pg200, but if that's not possible, did anyone ever succeed in making a sysex controller for this thing? I know there was some discussion a while back (did a search), but nothing definitive. I'd like to build something like a midibox with encoders for each parameter and an LCD screen which would allow access to more pre-sets stored on the programmer. Any ideas anyone??

Now that LFO switch is a useful feature! Can you post your code so we can see how it's done? I'll definitely add it to my MBSID to save me a few DIN's ;) Nice work allround I'd say.

Well that can be pretty easily demonstrated by checking out my Myspace pages www.myspace.com\lemonteargas - I've been drafted in by these guys to do some keyboards on their new songs, which are a bit more electronic. www.myspace.com\teammeatmusic - This is my band homepage. At the minute it only has demos on, but it gives an idea of the type of music I make.

I'm ready to order the components for my MBSID when I get paid next week, so it's time to make up my mind on exactly what configuration I need. I've pretty much decided that I want a dual SID setup, with an 8580 and 6581 (or a 6582 if anyone has a spare ;) ). The thing is, i'm not sure that I really need a dual SID setup, or wether I should just go with one for now. For those with this combination, how often do you use them both? Does anyone have any samples I can hear?? I've gotta get this thing built by the end of the month so I can start gigging it, so any advice I can get would be great!

Moxi, those buttons are brilliant! I'm seriously considering some for my up-coming 808 clone, (when someone does the hard work and finishes a sequencer for me ;) ).

Exactly, if all it costs is time then definitely keep going (if you can spare it of course!). I'm certainly interested. I'm pretty sure that silicon sealant will adhere to your silicon moulds i'm afraid, unless you have some sort of release agent. I was thinking of how i'd mould the buttons for my menu using some silicon. I could get a smallish piece of steel or alu, around 1/4" deep and thick into which I'd drill a series of holes around 7mm deep and 7mm across. I'd then spray the steel with something like WD-40 or wipe it with some light grease, and then fill the holes with silicon and also cover the top to give some purchase for pulling them out when set. I'm hoping that the result would be similar to a membrane keyboard, with the individual buttons attached to a common flat base. They can either be used like that or cut off. Does that sound feasible in your opinion?

I wouldn't give up just yet, i'm sure there's an application for something like this. Maybe you need to have the silicon be less transparent, maybe by mixing some fine powder. That way it will diffuse the light. How about adding glitter for a glam effect? I was actually thinking about this, if you wanted to make small buttons, I imagine that you could use silicon sealant for bathrooms etc. It's not all that durable, but it's nicely translucent for illuminating. The trick would be releasing it from the moulds.

Just wondering if you've seen www.prophet64.com?? They have software you can run on a cartridge that emulates the look and behaviour of the 909 with SID drums. It's pretty good, but the sounds are quite limited. If you have 2 SID's it allows for 6x poly too. There is a 'Cubase style' sequencer and two TB style step-seq's on there too so it's pretty good value. As for the mega MBSID Drum machine, i believe that it's possible to assign a patch that uses all four SID's for a 12 note polyphony, that's plenty if you ask me!