TheAncientOne

Update Still on their way from the USA, I had a word with ACAL last on Friday and the lead time was 4 weeks. They have some in stock, and I've asked the girl there if they can dispatch what they have, so I can at least get the weights etc sorted, and a few sent out. I'll know on Monday. I'm a bit iffed about this,because I was given to understand that the lead time was much less than this when I ordered. Still, they've got my cash, and I'm now waiting on Pactec themselves. As an add-on, I've bought a batch of crystal mounting pads, to avoid problems with the via's under the crystals. If you want a set with your box, just ask, (free: I got 100 and I think they were about 0.6 pence each!). I can't get JB Weld locally, but have found a UK distributer. I'll have to buy 6 packs minimum. With postage it will be around £6/pack. Anyone else in the UK/Europe want some? Mike

Still on their way from the USA, I had a word with ACAL last week and the lead time was 4 weeks. They have some in stock, and I've asked the girl there if they can dispatch what they have, so I can at least get the weights etc sorted, and a few sent out. I'll know on Monday I'll repost this and a couple of other details in the PT-10 thread Mike

I think he's driving it with Pure:Data, which can be downloaded for free, though can be a bit of a handful on small machines. It's in the Pure:dyne 'boot from the CD' Linux too. Juts how big a monitor had he got?? You can drive eight of those solenoids from a simple parallel port interface, though you'll need a driver chip, or transistors, and an external supply.

Another one worth looking at may be Zeit http://www.infectionmusic.com/index.html Again, a lot more than a MIDIbox SEQ, but good looking and has a growing reputation for ease of use and flexibility. I'll be able to A/B the MIDIbox SEQ and the P3 before long - I have got the PCB's built and the controls tested for both, though I won't get into the metalwork phase until December. I've just been doing a lot of soldering in my spare time.

Now that is a nice user interface - I think in some ways it is better than the monome http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/news_story/a/news_id/e/1595

A closer look at the stock list reveals no ordering button, unlike the other parts on the list, I guess they are on the waiting list. I think Limor is having some component supply problems - people have been buying 'futures' in certain rare parts with the object of selling them for a high price, and the Adafruit team are trying to dodge them and find other sources. One of the main ones being the BA662 or equivalent. Over here in the UK, a friend has been taking a look at a tiny PCB that is a pin for pin emulation of the Roland chip.

Dear Cimo Try this one: http://sound.westhost.com/project06.htm I've built two, on perfboard, to make a pair of DJ decks work into line inputs, for some local kids - they sounded quite good. He has PCB's available cheap too. If you fancy a whole preamp, there is a nice design on the site as well. Best wishes

I'm still in - just having problems getting to my bank to arrange a transfer. If I can PayPal via Jaicen I can do that on a few minutes notice. Thanks for your patience Sasha. Mike

I ordered and paid for them myself in September, and added a few more 10 days or or so later. ACAL hadn't got enough in stock and are waiting on a shipment from the USA. They haven't given me an ETA yet, though, if I can finally get some time for myself during working hours next week, I'll chase them up. I'm kind of keen to get this sorted too - I've effectively lent them £300 until I get the stock. I didn't ask for advance payments because of this, and the postage cost issue.

Yeah - I took a look at the 'low cost evaluation kit' for SHARC. Starts at $400. The Blackfin ones are marginally cheaper, though they do have offers if you can convince them you're a student or you want to use 10K pieces. Coldfire is not quite in range, but the dev kit is cheaper. If I was planning an upgraded controller I'd be going ARM, lots of devices, (including IP cores for FPGA, and FPGA's with up to 4 ARM's built in), and some reasonable dev tools, including a lot of GPL stuff. A bit more 'future proof'. AD did have a great card for PC's called 'Sphinx'. It would run a version of CSound in realtime too. Sadly, that seesm to have been absorbed into Creamware somehow, and people who can afford that stuff wouldn't be doing much DIY, I guess. I did a bit with cluster computers, a while ago, (Beowulf and MOSIX), though only on the hardware side, my programming is not in that league. We found the ethernet 'overhead' to be significant, hence those exotic cards built for that type of work. A dedicated high speed serial link migh be better, or perhaps using an FTDI interface module. A thought anyway.

Running on a pentium which has ..... guess what? A floating point processor on chip, and is processing at least 20 times as fast as a PIC Horses for courses. Like your use of fruity - I bet you got that in a couple of hours, whereas I'd probably have faffed around all night trying to weld something up out of CSound functions and still had no HUI.

What would be great for this is a DSP chip! Have you any idea of the processor overhead for math formulae?, not to mention the floating point arithmetic needed. Running real time math formulary is better done by something with some real horsepower. PIC is a wonderful microcontroller, but it's just not equipped. If you really want math formula LFO's then your best bet is to pre-compile wavetables on a PC, and see if you can squeeze them into a look up table in the pic - downloading them as needed. You couldn't vary the parameters in real time, but you could change frequency and amplitude. To get a handle on this type of thing, it might be worth having a go at CSound, (if you're an old school programmer), or Chuck.

If you get the LED too close, it only lights part of the LDR, and you can't get the full range of resistance change. I found I got a better result with some types of LED too - some have a greater variance of light level vs current. My first experiments used a small solderless breadboard in a cardboard box. with the LED and LDR just plugged in facing each other A bit of fiddling with a scope, or a parallel port gadget made from a Maxim desgn let me do curves for the things. If there is more interest, I'll dig out some details.

My Mk 1's were quite crude. I rolled a strip of thin black card around a drill of the same diameter as the LDR, to make a tube, and stuck it using Scotch 'Magic Tape'. Magic tape is a matte finished self adhesive tape widely used in graphics work - you can photo.copy through it, and it doesn't break doiwn with age, unlike ordinary Sellotape. I pushed the LDR in one end and secured it with a shot of hot glue. The LEd was fitted into a grommet of a suitable size, and glued in the other end. I allowed about 5mm between the LDR and the LED. I used a diffused wide angle LED, though I probably didn't need to. Basically, you need a light proof tube, the same diameter as the LDR, and some way of adapting the LED to fit in the other end. When assembling them onto veroboard, I put a loop or two of wire around the tube to stop it moving about. An idea I though about was to get some perspex rod, the same diameter as the LED, drill a pocket in one end for the LED, tape the LDR on with electrical tape, or heat-shrink sleeve the two together, then put a bit of black paint over the end. For earlier experiments, I just board mounted the two parts facing each other, then put a small cover over them. If you want a plug in part, you can mount both bits on a 14 pin DIL header, then make a cover for them. this can be plugged into a DIL socket, giving you an opportunity to try different LED/LDR combinations. Hope this helps

The Wogglebug has a CV input for it's rate of change, and an external clock input if you wish to take over control of it's 'sampling' rate. It's really a chaotic/random sound generator. You could use it to control a filter, but it won't process external sounds, though you could mix your external sounds and that of the bug via a ring modulator. It has been said that anything you combine with a wogglebug comes out sounding like a ...... wogglebug. The device has its roots in the famous Buchla 265/266 'source of uncertainty', which could provide various random types of control system. A bit of random googling will get you the 266 circuits, though they date from 1976, and some parts will need to be altered to suit what is available. I'm lucky that I've still got the Nat Semi white noise generator chip originally used, if you can't get one, you'd need an 8 pin PIC or AVR programmed as a 32 bit PRBS - there are a few examples on line. You can chase up the original article here:original Wogglebug article, there are some samples of the bug doing it's mad thing too: Krell Noises. Hope this helps

How about: http://www.radiospares.fr/cgi-bin/bv/rswww/home.do?cacheID=f1netscape&returningUser=N They have them: the part number is 479-1457 use the search facility with this number and 'code commande' as the search type. Looks like 2.89 Euro for 20, unless I've read it wrong. Best wishes Mike Edited to reflect that Wilba is quoting overall height, not button length as I originally thought. I've just got a packet of 17mm overall height buttons(!).

I thought the lack of sleep had been catching up with you! If it's for compressor lookahead, what sort of time sre you looking for? There might be a three chip digital solution here, for a short delay. I'm thinking of a codec, a chunk of static RAM and an FPGA making the RAM look like a long shift register, keep the bitstream serial and delay it down a synchronous delay line, tap off as needed, (in fact it might even work wasting 7 bits of the RAM, it being so cheap and all). If it could be really easy to install, then a module might be saleable. Is this why some of the expensive Soundtools plug in compressors work so well? Lookahead is a doddle in the digital domain. As an experiment, it might be worth looking at the Nyquist language with which you can write plug ins for Audacity. Never tried myself, I'm a bit of a pedestrian when it comes to digital editing, so far. I still like real boxes with real controls myself. Best wishes

I've jst ordered some to try out, from RS in the UK. They are packed in 20's and are a bit more than Reichelt, though, since I have an account, there is no minimum order. They are Tyco Alcoswitch buttons, and look very similar. I've ordered 1 bag of 20, (because they can be used on my Step A SID and my FM, so they won't be a loss if they don't fit the 6582. I don't mind making up a few batches for MIDIboxers. In the UK, they cost UK£2.23 for 20, (about 3.21 Euro for 20 at todays rate), you'd need 6 bags (giving you some spares) for a 6582, costing around 20 Euro plus postage from the UK. The RS page is: http://rswww.com Best wishes Mike Edited to add: sorry - I posted a URL: that used my personal login, which timed out. You'll have search for the part number: 479-1457

The guy used to sell them - the P3 is now out of production. I got one of his last sets of bare boards, but the keycaps would seem to have run out. Good news however: Cherry do a two part legendable keycap. The only snag for my P3 is that they are smaller than original, and need one hole per key, not large mass cutouts. I got them in black, (well, charcoal), with a clear top. They have a hole aligning with the LED aperture in the switch. The Cherry MX key mech does come with a hole for an LED as standard. RS stock them in the UK www.rswww.com]http://www.sequentix.com/build/cnst-switches.htm The guy will also sell you laser engraved caps with 1-16 on them. If he can do differnt color caps that would be awsome. I might not even care if the led is in the switch. Just thought I''d metion these. I may or may not go with these becasue I wanted to paint my caps. Thes caps also look like the same height as the type "E" deck was talking about.

Long, (In electronic terms being more than 10mS), analog delays are not easy or cheap. You can get old 64uS delay lines with a video bandwidth easily - every analog PAL colour TV has one. You could, in theory, stack them, though I think your budget limit might stack faster. Realistically, if you want Hi-Fi, you will have to go digital. There are quite a few DSP demo kits out there, which will hold more than enough RAM, and the app isn't exactly a tough write: .start Read A->D Store data Update input save pointer Read (output pointer) Write data to D->A Update output pointer check control setting update output pointer if need be wait a bit until next sample point go to start This will 'only' have a time resolution of one sample interval, but I guess a DSPic might do it, 256K RAM is enough for 1 channel / 1 second at 96KHz 16 bit, and there are quite good validated long term available chip sets from the likes of Crystal. You'll have to polish up your surface mount though, unless you buy a demo board. Can't you use a dig delay and just dial it to 100% 'wet' output, no feedback? If you want a DC response, though, then it's definitely out with the soldering iron. Is it time to tape some padding to your forehead, to avoid keyboard marks, (Sleep.....wassat?). Best wishes

Done Boxes on order (Final) = 28 Boxes reserved = 28, including one held as a contingency for Kartoshka. If one the box does become spare I'll post a message.

Try: http://www.omeg.co.uk/p2c2owb2.htm They have a minimum order of 12 pots of any one type, but are quite helpful. they don't mind dealing with individuals, otherwise. it may be worth asking what they have stock of, if value isn't critical, to shorten your lead time. They do knobs as well, which I've had a problem with in the past - had the pots, (obsolete car radio spares), but had real trouble getting the knobs - in the end I had to drill out some normal ones for the bottom knob. Another point, (this is like "Prof's Rule #3"), Get Some Spares, or you'll find yourself having to bodge the thing because of one failed pot. Mike

I have opened trading with the UK distributer for vactrols, for this and another project. The ones needed are VTL 5C3 (single for rate control), and VTL5C3/2 (Dual for the filter). If need be, I can do a group buy, if a few people want some -their minimum order is a reasonable £15, which equates to 4/5 Vactrols. I've built my own too - for an old style phaser and a sort of clone of the famous 'Univibe' for a guitarist friend who has what might be called a mild Hendrix fetish. That all started when I built him a clone of the Fuzz Face, with some old germanium transistors, (I wish I had a picture of it - it was housed in a small old hub cap, on a base machined out of MDF, looked cool in a mad retro way). The Univibe used home made lamp/LDR phase shift elements. There are a few problems with making your own. It's easy for a phaser or Leslie simulator, but there are a wide range of LDR characteristics to contend with, and the response time is a very wierd thing - some will drop resistance fast when light hits them, and recover much more slowly, others are more equal, but slow in both directions. If you're building the 'Wogglebug', stick with the design spec. I've used home made ones in a voltage controlled distortion unit. When I do a new one to go with my Basslines, (SID and TM3030), I'll probably use the VTL5C3, for its fast response - that way I can envelope shape the distortion to get a better click and emphasis. Sorry, meandering again Mike

Have you got your boards built then? Current status. I have paid ACAL. The number requested was well more than their stock, (I ordered 24). Boxes are on their way from the USA. There will be more stock than I ordered, so, I can add a few more on, if there are any more late requesters. Invoices will go out as soon as I have a 'packed weight' for postage. Mike

Note, the price of 7.10 is for the board only - he adds carriage at his end and postage on top. Mine, in the UK, cost me 16.12 Euro, delivered. Considering the board quality, it's a very good price. A couple of minor points: the board is laid out for surface mount decoupling caps, in the larger 1206 package. the 0805 series fit and work just as well, and are easier and cheaper to get. Unless you are feeling rich, don't go for the Spectrol pots specified: they would cost me about 4.8 Euro each. I've used flying leads and my usual Alpha pots, (around 0.6 Euro), which work well with the push-on Re-an knobs, (which cost me about 0.15 Euro each in bulk). With an analog synth you'll find the most money is spent on hardware! I have some spare Vactrols, especially if you need the rarer dual one, (the UK agent has a minimum order), I can sell/trade a few. Mike