chuck

Smashtv, thanks. I missed this thread and was hanging around at SmashTV's site and saw the boards and ordered. It part of the horder/impulse buyer in me. Anyway, I guess I'm going to have to go it alone on the parts. I had some questions and I searched all the threads and could not answer them. 1. Are the SmashTV boards a newer version, with no known errors? 2. Do the face plate files on the WIKI, line up with the control board from SmashTV? 3. Are the SmashTV boards red like the Wilba pictures? 4. Are there schematics to go with the SmashTV boards? Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen.

Is this project still alive? I haven't heard anything in a while. Last I heard we were waiting for a final pcb design.

Can't you replace the 10k pot in the commercial mod wheel with a 5k pot?

tilted, thanks Now I'm concerned that no one is working on the software drivers/firmware whatever you want to call it. How specifically will the crosspoint connect to the core module, and who is going to write the asm routines so we can control the crosspoint?

Its growing, right now the wiki page is a collection of comments from this thread. I need help deciding what at features and what are wish list. I also couldn't find much on Docmatrix, which makes me feel bad since its a working project. Question: Is this an official midibox project? Should I list it under the official section? Chuck

Well I copied the forum thread into a word document. 68 pages. :) I believe this is now the official wiki page -- not started by me so I'm not taking credit or anything. http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/midibox_audiomatrix I do agree on the page name. I'll work on that. Chuck

I thought about how to go about this -- and I felt I didn't want to embark n this only to have someone else do the same thing... Seemed like too much repeating the same work. So can I suggest this work be done in a wiki page? So that it can be added to or organized more as a groupware then a single thread? Is this cool?

I buy mine at sparkfun.com Not sure if it is the best. But they are nice guys.

cimo has a point. Just make the leads longer.... shim it up with protoboard or whatever.

I'v just use different PCNs for the things that are different height, then mount them either off a support behind them, or from the front with machine screws glues to the front panel -- depending on how heavily used I think the device will get. So an LCD, buttons and pots would be three different boards.

Thanks, if it were a snake it would have bit me.

Personally I don't care if we switch FX with Notes, but CC messages are easier for guitar players and most pedal systems send CC messages. I didn't mean to make Jacks part of the design, just showing off some cool jacks. 1U Face Plate is 1.75" 1U chassis is varies by manufacture. I know I need spell check. Sorry you lost your message. I'm not sure where chat is. I'm not sure what you mean by Midi Implementation. The code or the specification?

I assumed that was a given. :) tilted: Are you as still doing the 48 I/O version? How many cross-point chips does that take now? I have a ton of the MT8816 DIP chips, but I'm considering ordering some AD 75019 chips. Since you're going with the buffers -- unity gain did you consider adjustable gain controls so input and output gain can be mixed properly? Maybe using DACs or digital pots for the control? So chains of patches can be mixed and saved? Back to the core interface.... I implore you to look at http://www.soundsculpture.com/support/files/Sbgl_user_guide.pdf I have two of these Switchblades, a GL and an 8B. I was looking to "mimicking" the setup used for these. (Not steal directly although I'm not talking about marketing a product but making a DIY audio router.) If you look at Page 7, PROGRAM THE PATCH AND GAIN. You'll see what I mean. You create a patch record, which patches an input to an output. This record also allows adjusting the gain of the patch. You can create patch records with duplicate inputs or outputs. This allows for multiple inputs to multiple outputs. Example Patch Records. SOURCE DESTINATION GAIN instrument distortion 0dB instrument delay 0dB distortion amplifier 0dB delay amplifier -12dB Get the picture? A collection of patch records is a single preset. Presets are saved and recalled as program changes. Earlier in the document, you'll also see that each input and each output has a record. You name the input or output and you can assign a midi channel. Inputs and outputs with the same name are considered a loop, which can be switched in an out with a CC command. These records are global to the system. Inputs Jack Device 01 GUITAR 02 DISTORTION 03 DELAY Outputs Jack Device 01 AMP 02 DISTORTION 03 DELAY 04 AMP2 There are also some setup/maintenance records. If you look in http://www.soundsculpture.com/support/files/Smart_Insert_Upgrade.pdf You'll see how the CC commands are setup and handled. The switchblades also have a PC based setup/configuration with a graphical environment. I wasn't going down that road. The trouble I had, that let me get distracted to another project was that I'm used to programming C for very large system where memory is no issue at all and strings are handled with ease. I had trouble stuffing this all into the limited capacity of the PIC. Before you guys started this thread I was considering abandoning the core module and going to another processor -- like an AVR. But now that real PIC programmers are involved maybe this project can fly. Speaking of I/O -- While researching my other project I came accross these. http://www.neutrik.com/us/en/audio/210_2146034064/NSJ12HF-1_detail.aspx Mouser had them for $2.42 us. WHich is for two jacks. Trouble is they do not fit in any 1U case I found. I actually purchased 4 separate vendor cases and couldn't find one that had enough space. Even though the specs say 1.250" that doesn't include the pcb terminals. You need one with slightly more then 1.50" space. If anyone knows of a 1U case where the case itself is nearly the full 1U of height let me know as I really want to use 16 I/Os in a 1U case. Have you discussed the control panel at all? Chuck

Not to offtopic the thread, but I'm using the non profit version of eagle now. Doesn't really cost much and I actually am not making a profit.

Also, after going through the thread, I was unclear which matrix chip you settled on. Or are you going for a universal, all three supported, approach? Which would be cool if it could be done.

Ok, I just read this entire thread. Beware of the zipper. If you're not carefull, when you load the matrix you'll get ziiippppppp. Also, does it load fast enough to switch in a single guitar effect while playing? in my other design with the MT8816, I was trying to be able to set up a patch series, then switch in and out any single effect with CC Commands. So you could set up Guitar -> Distortion->Delay->amp and switch the Delay in and out on command. I was modeling my design off of this. http://www.soundsculpture.com/products/switchblade_models.htm Curious, Are the schematics that /tilted/ has done available for viewing?

Cool project. :) Is there a wiki page or something I'm missing on this project? Chuck

First I made a simple router, using a MT8816 and only 4 jacks. http://www.voodooengineering.com/release/lab1.jpg I didn't get any crosstalk, not even a pop or anything when switching. So I decided not to use any OPAMPs. But I never went to a full scale 8 in/8 out test. Here is the schematic for the one pictured. http://www.voodooengineering.com/switcher/Effects%20Router%20v01r.jpg It is actually very simple. I used 74HC595 shift registers to switch the MT8816, and connected them just like the DOUT module. This was a mistake, I should have interfaced the 8816 better to the PIC, but I afraid of having to write a driver since I don't know assembler well enough to do so. It really needs a parallel interface because the commands needed for the "serial control" just get too long. Options? The best is to redesign how the Pic controls the MT8816. Now that I'm building a Pico, I'd also probably try a -15v reference voltage. This current design is using -5v. As for the Pico, we should start another thread on that. I was going to try and control it with digital pots/ L2C interface..... I'm still collecting parts.

By the way, a good cheap source for the Matrix chips is here. http://www.futurlec.com/ICSFZarlink.shtml

Sorry, the project is on hold as I exceeded the memory in the Pic..... I'm considering options. In the meantime I've been working on a Pico Compressor. But yes, you can use it as a mixer. Many to one, one to many, any input to any output. It is a full matrix.

Has anyone ever shipped to the US? Any idea on that cost? For lookup purposes, Woodbridge, VA, uSA 22192.

If someone wants one, I have one I want to get rid of. I guess I'll put it up on EBay. Chuck

Which switches do these fit? Maybe I can get in on the next order. Thanks

Yes, but it will be the next version. I wouldn't recommend building this one. It uses serial based logic to control the MT8816. The next version uses a parallel control bus and two MT8816 chips to handle 15 audio inputs and outputs pairs. You can see the design talk in this thread here. http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=43104.40 I wanted to finish this one though because I'm learning the best way to fit it all in a 1RU case.

I just thought I'd show you all a guitar effects router I've been working on some. It uses the MT8816 matrix switch to build patches of guitar effects in any order. As you can see it has a SmashTV core module and a DIN and DOUT module. So it pertains here. This is a work in progress. This is for my use, its not for sale. But you can build your own.