TheAncientOne

Some local nameities made them compulsory years ago. Venue owners would 'accidentally' leave the key for the level switch plugged in. I'm not sure which bunch of civil servants have this thing about music, but it's another example of the destruction of the music scene in the UK. Perhaps they want us all to stay at home watching TV or playing video games like good little troglodytes. I signed immediately. Britain used to be a major exporter of music, with the continuing loss of opportunities to enjoy it live, a vital part of the creation process for new music is being blocked. If the suspected 80dB limit is imposed, what are they going to do about symphony orchestras? On the other hand, I do suspect that some of this is due to the 'level wars' that have been going on between some live sound systems for a while now. According to my audiologist, the primary cause of haring loss in young people is listening to loud distorted personal stereos. The distortion bit is important - it massively raises the delivered energy to the eardrum. Travelling on the train over new year, I got a good free concert from the kid sitting opposite to me - it was a decent enough volume to listen to, though rather short on bass, from his headphones - it must have been massively loud in the ears. I would like a law that allows me to use a rocket launcher on the prats who come down my street at 3am, with a car sound system so loud my windows rattle, or I want one of these:

The 5V to pin 1 of the OPL3 chip (the YMF262), is very direct if you are using the standard board. Is the LED coming on? Have you got the chip the right way round? (easy to do if you are not used to surface mount). Check for a 'lifted' pin on the '262, sometimes surface mount looks soldered when you've missed tacking it down. Check you are not actually measuring pin 12 - this goes to ground. When holding the board so that the 'dent' in the chip edge is furthest away from you, pin one is top left. This should be furthest away from the PCB edge. Hope this is a start. I'm just beginning to run one up too, so I can perhaps parallel what you are doing.

The RSS feed at least allows you to watch a sub forum, might that help?

I tend to agree, though they really do need to work on the adverts - I don't think any music orientated teenagers would regard the product as remotely cool after that ad. My real worry is that it becomes part of a homogenising process, where, no matter how interesting your tune/line, is has to be forced into one of the programmed genres, and then fitted to the grooves/templates provided. The concept is good, though. Has anyone any experience with the French software that provides music to match your choices/moods? I think too, that much of what is needed is already out there. The tune acquisition part has been kicking around the software world since the sixties, (Peter Zinovieff showed something that did this at the famous Cybernetic Serendipity exhibition at the London ICA in 1968. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybernetic_Serendipity). I think a wrapper could be built for a Linux workstation, aor a plug-in for some of the systems. But if it gets one kid, to make a choice to make music, then I guess it's done it's job.

You'll need a way to get samples into EPROM. This guy has some good info: http://web.telia.com/~u85920178/eprom/wave_00.htm HTH

I've done work on this type of percussion myself. The attached PDF is a good start point, but needs some work for a more modern device: 1) Bigger, more modern EPROM or Flash ROM and a higher sample rate. Bigger ROM would allow switched samples for more sounds too 2) At least an R-2R ladder rather than that terrible resistor based D->A converter, my thought would be to do uLaw compression, (which I think may be used in the 909), to give better use of the 8 bits. Building it 'as-is' will work, but 2732's are very hard to get nowadays, and old flash BIOS chips are free from older motherboards, (and are usually socketed). Marc Bareille's Quantix 8 will do this type of work, and is a cool and very flexible module, thought the base cost of 52 Euro, plus the rest of the parts, might put some people off, (I think mine must have run to about 100 Eoro, though I had some parts in stock). The quality of the control software is very good. If there is enough interest, I'll tidy up my prototype, and perhaps some person with right skills could rustle up a PCB. I'd probably put the D->A stage on a plug in, then people could choose what type of data format they wanted. Hope it's of interest. Alphadrum.pdf Alphadrum.pdf

Like someone said earlier - it's the capacitance. The guy states he was using over the spec cables, and the variation in input capacitance of the earlier optos was not nice - Sharp PC900 datasheet quotes 30pF typical, 250pF max - that's a hell of a variation. Better trick is to replace the opto with a more modern, faster one. And what was his big deal about MIDI repeaters, that's like 10 cheap parts on a bit of perfboard, and a very small wallwart supply. The TTL output is a bit of a red herring too, the predominant MIDI output impedance is usually the 200 Ohm resistors. A soggy supply and cheap high capacitance cables might be to blame though. I stuck a capacitance meter on some cheapo MIDI cables a while back. I can't remember the result, but they sucked. Once again I'll recommend Hinton Instruments site for a wealth of MIDI data. The two little boxes with connectors and BNC sockets for checking the signal quality with a scope are well worth making. As they say in physics, about Finagle's laws: 1) Adjusting your data to fit the universe (Common) 2) Adjusting the universe to fit your data (Rare) The guy was making another attempt to adjust the MIDI universe. Doomed! I tell you, Doomed!

I just had to press that play video button, didn't I. I could forgive DOS3.1, The mad hard disc limits, (I mean I remember having to partition a 300Meg Maxtore as 10 30Meg partitions), I managed to get versions of Windows ME to run OK. I fixed the self opening email system, The Windows 2000 patches that broke all my friends studio's MIDI drivers. I've even installed Vista Home for someone that wanted it, but I will never, ever forgive them for that advert.

I think "I was just adjusting her parameters officer" wouldn't quite cut it as an excuse for running your fingers over her though.

Quote from Schaeffer's FAQ I've had problems with Perspex display protectors coming off in industrial panels, this usually happened with cold weather, usually after the place got warm on a Monday morning. I tried various glues, with mixed results, some industrial superglues will 'fog' the Perspex near the glue line, as it sets. I'm trying to get some of the glue that Schaeffer mention at the moment, (I have about 6 or 7 displays to mount, and want protective covering on all of them). I have a cheap-ish milling base made by Wolfcraft, and I find I can use a basic router in the drill stand to mill the edges quite easily. The rounded corners for the cutout can easily be done with a file after milling (which leaves square corners). The link below I found very useful for cutting speeds and other techniques Perspex Workshop manual PDF - multi language Hope some of this is of use.

I'm, not going to go into Lancashire dialect, in view of the international nature of this board, but I'm within a bus ride of at least two prize winning black pudding makers. http://www.buryblackpuddings.co.uk/ http://www.rsireland.co.uk/ The Bury company actually sell puddings made in Farnworth, not far from where I had a workshop in the late seventies. Black pudding is an essential part of the classic "Truck Drivers Breakfast", sometimes known as "Heart Attack on a Plate". Going back to the thread title, if you could do thin slices of black pudding with a laser cutter, perhaps you could slice and cook all at the same time. And like MIDIbox, I think it's a German invention "Blutwurst", (with my German O Level 'Fail' I expect I spelled that wrong).

In reverse, a friend of mine was a bit gobsmacked when he found out: Australian "Durex" = brand of adhesive tape = UK "Sellotape" UK "Durex" = Leading brand of condom ..... And a cultural collison from a London gig with a US Rapstar. Rapstar's PA to on stage manager: "Where's the M********n sound engineer ?" Stage manager: "He's just gone outside - he'll be back in a minute" Rapstar's PA: "What the F*** is he doing outside, we want him back on the desk now" Stage manager, (patient voice):, "Look, he's just gone out to smoke a fag - he'll be back in a minute" Rapstar's PA, (rather quieter voice): "Jeez, these guys are really hardcore" Official translation "Smoke a fag", UK = partake of a cigarette, Rapper US stylee = "shoot a homosexual".

I've seen them used on quite a few lighting desks, but rarely on audio mixers. I'd rate them for level or parameter setting, and they're definitely more robust, "out on the road" than most motor faders. I agree with Doc they don't feel right somehow for audio - perhaps it's having to watch an LED column, rather than end stop distance that does it. I did a rough try out of an endless belt controller with the LED stack off to one side, using a standard shaft encoder and a toothed belt inside out. So dog-rough I'm not posting pictures. The belt ran around two idler wheels, and drove the encoder from it's opposite side. Mechanics are nasty. You really need an opto encoder not a mechanical one, and unless you are very skilled in the mech department, they end up quite wide. All in all, the P&G price is realistic. A wheel controller is easier. I made one from a peanut butter jar top, glued to a plywood core, fitted onto a shaft extender between two simple bearings - it worked but again looked very rough. I need to have another go at some of these 'ghetto style' controllers and do some pix. Recycling mouse parts is easier in many ways!

I wonder if there is any evidence for genetic transmission of aptitude. I have this vision of the receiver of the transplant waking up with a puzzling desire for a soldering iron. Or even more serious; "The Knack" http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=FlJsPa6UwcM&feature=related

If the chips are expensive, and cost more than the adapters, then this is an answer. http://www.futurlec.com/SMD_Adapters.shtml

I'm in the same boat. Anybody want a bunch of TL072 and LM2904's in SMT - cheap - like 10p each? I had a first go by heat gunning some old chips off scrap computer boards, cleaning up the boards and then soldering them back on. Still found the AVRx board a major test of skill, though the chips on the GM5 and the x0xb0x were easier after that. If I can get a good result with my eyesight, then it's just a matter of practice.

Thanks very much for that link - I think they will solve a whole bunch of problems for me in particular, they have the Suflex caps I want for my Neve 1084 clone as well Your google-fu is strong, (or however you found it!).

Looks like we have 2 options for Polystyrene caps: Lower accuracy, (5%), working out at £1.80 per board, (6x10nF 2 x 820pF), or precision (1%) working out at £8.60 per board. Carriage on top. I priced for 50 boards here. I can't get a better price on the 1% ones unless I buy 1000 off - which means I need to order 167 boards worth. I've priced in UK £'s because of the state of the currency: it keeps my sums right, and people might get a better deal. So, it's up to people on the group: I need at least 50 people who want a kit, and a decision about which caps to get. I'll do 1 batch, and only 1 type. Just a thought: should I try to get a bulk for the relays?: I don't think they are that common an item either.

"Styroflex" is a brand name of polystyrene capacitor. Polystyrenes are very accurate and have a certain amount of musical mojo in them (YMMV). The space is a bit tight on the board, you might look for a radial type (rare -ish). If enough people want them I could do a bulk buy, because the 50 off rate is vastly better than the 1 off rate.

Put a 34 way in line IDC on the cable and a 34 way pin header on your board. If you're using them for SD cards, you only need one side, I think.

A gnat's prong - quite short

I've got some used ones in stock ready cabled. Memo me if you want one. They are the old 5.25" Floppy disc drive connectors. Sometimes you find a little PCB with a 34way IDC style header on it, for converting one of the then new-fangled 3.5" drives to 5.25" cable format.

( Sorry for the tangent Nils - could you please do the splitty thing!) The Japanese equivalent, The Sun was standardized at 1000/33 mm 1000/33 mm = 30.30303030303030303030303030303 mm This now has to be the official unit for measuring x0xb0xen

This is as opposed to the military measure of angle: which is wonderfully rounded up by NATO to 6400 mils in a circle, and the old eastern block armies who rounded down to 6000. I's supposed to make your gunnery calculations easier! Even when I was working in inches, when I did machining work as a youngster, we never used mils as a term in the UK. We always used the term "Thou" short for "thousandths of an inch" Perhaps I'll give my next layout terms in microfurlongs. Still, it does make more sense to me than having pins spacings set out in 2.54mm rather than 1/10" (and before anybody starts - I do know the English have some of the wierdest measurements, like Fathoms, rods, poles, perches and chains) Asaf might have a precedent for dimensioning his next box in cubits..... Any other wonderful measurement systems out there?

There is probably another word before 'artist' that isn't visible, "P**s" or "Mime", spring to mind - you may have other suggestions.....