wicked1

Does the aout module process the "glide" function? if I set 2 steps to glide, will the aout increase or decrease the voltage accordingly, or does it ignore the glide and just jump from one voltage to the next? I'll have the aout finished soon enough to find out for myslef, but I've been having so much fun w/ the sequencer and my Novation Nova w/ the glide function, that I'd really like to see it work on my modular. The primary reason I built the seq was to control my modular. For some reason I'm doubting it will do it, but I just thought I'd ask. thanks!

seq. will be outside of the synth cabinet. But this way I only have to run 5 or maybe 13 wires from the sequencer to the synth. A monitor cable will work nicely. I can have the data, power, and triggers go through it. Where should I start topics about the aout?

Is there any problem running the aout module on +/- 15 volts? I was thinking of building it as a module in my synth cabinet and running it off the synth power supply. Thanks

how big are these knobs? I can't find the specs.

not yet. Work got really busy and put my hobby on hold. I've got one din, one dout, one bankstickx8 completed, and the aout partially stuffed. I'll try messing w/ density and other drivers in the next batch. I need to print up more din and dout pcb's. Oh, my verowire finally made it here, too, so I have no excuse not to start on the front panel soon. That part scares me.. I just sit and stare at the parts for it :) I've done more complex panels, but it's always been panel mount. Im sure it will go together easily once I just jump in and start soldering.

The problem there is that I need to print an entire 8.5x11 inch sheet at a time. I use press-n-peel blue paper, which isn't cheap, so I do PCB's in batches. I did print a test from eagle, and the traces still touch. It is better, but one of the traces is still touching. We talked about this in chat for a while. I think I need to find different drivers for my printer, and work with the settings a little. I got the aout PCB working by editing the traces in photoshop. I'll figure out whats up w/ my printer next time I print a board w/ close traces.

Thanks a lot! those are great ideas. I don't know why I didn't think to simply 'edit' the copper clad after I iron it on, rather than editing it in photoshop first! This printer is dedicated to printing PCB's so I could probably open it up and unplug the fuser. thanks for the ideas on the inexpensive (or free) transfer paper.

I've got a question for TK. I was looking at your panel wiring for the din's, and how you have it right on the front panel board. I notice you have the resistors next to each encoder and button. What I'm wondering is how you got all those to the ground. Did you just run a separate ground bus as well as a 5v bus down each row of encoders/buttons? Maybe since there are a lot of LED's in that area, you needed the ground in that area anyway. I'm thinking that it is a great idea to just build it right there on the front panel proto board, because I really don't like drilling the hundreds of holes when I print PCB's. Did you find this was a good solution, or if you did it again, would you use the dout and din PCB's? thanks!

I know.. I just have to figure out how the inkjet toner transfer works. Inkjets are just water soluble ink. Laserjets are sort of plastic that gets melted to the paper.. which is why you can re-melt it and have it stick to the copper.

No, actually, I haven't tried to iron this layout onto copper yet. I will try to get to it later today. But, when printing the default PCB, the traces and pads did touch, just on the printout. I edited it a little so that there is a small gap when I print it, but it is VERY close. In the past, I've had traces spread when I heat them to do the transfer. Maybe I'm just using too hot an iron or too much pressure or something. I'll work with it. My only issue w/ trial and error is that I need to print an entire page of PCB's at once, or Im wasting a bunch of that blue toner transfer paper. (I haven't tried using standard transparency paper yet.. maybe I should try that too) I was just surprised that I didn't find more topics about the same issue, as this printer was recommended for toner transfer. I was hoping a bunch of people would say "yeah I had the same thing happen and this is how I fixed it" but I guess Im the only one doing it this way w/ a 300dpi printer.

Im using toner transfer, and not photo transfer. Correct me if I'm wrong, but for this method, I think I have to use a laser printer. If I have no other choice, I suppose I could get a photo transfer setup.. but then it might be cheaper to just get a pre made pcb shipped from europe.

HI, I asked this once before, and the problem is better, but still not working. The traces on the aout PCB are so close together that they run into each other when I print it. I was told to increase the resolution of my printer, so I have put it to it's max, which is only 300dpi. It's a laserjet 4l, which is what people on many many electronics forums and mailing lists have recommended. (something about older laser printers putting down more toner for better transfers). so, I export from Eagle at 300dpi and put into photoshop to invert and do any final cleanup, then print at 300dpi So, does EVERYONE in the midibox community have a newer printer for printing PCB's or am I still missing something else? Basically, the bottom section of the board, the pads are running into the traces next to them or below them. I've photoshopped it as much as I can to try to make the traces smaller, or move pads a little when possible. I worked on it for an hour last night, and while it now prints ok (barely) I really doubt the traces will still be separate once I iron it to the copper clad, and the traces spread a little from the heat. I can't be the only one with this problem, unless I am missing something. I print PCB's all the time for my modular synth, and this is the first time I've run into this problem (which is why I say I can't be the only one w/ this issue) Thanks for any help Also, feel free to move this topic if it fits somewhere else. I couldn't really find a good forum to post a question about the aout.

the two images are sort of unfair, as the alternate design has fancy buttons and knobs and colored LED's in the image.. that makes people subconsciously like it more :) I put my vote in. Both are great, tho.

What's the HPGL trick? I'm quite proficient in AutoCAD, and would be happy to help out. My girlfriend is an architect (for when I run into something I dont know how to do), and I do all my panel layout (and garden and landscaping layout, and home renovation layout, and just about everything I do layout) in autocad.

I ordered all of the IC's from maxim for the aout module. I had heard a lot of things in this forum about it taking weeks, if not months to receive the parts, and of different parts arriving weeks apart from each other. I placed an order a couple of days ago, and ALL of my IC's arrived today. Fastest delivery out of any of the components I have ordered so far. Very pleased w/ the service.

We were talking in chat about how it's getting hard to find good info while searching the forums, because the same basic questions get asked again and again, and the good info has gotten burred. How about, as we noobs are searching the forums and find really helpful info, we make a note of it, or post it here or something, so we can have a helpful links section for noobs in the wiki. The experienced builders probably have a hard time figuring out what is actually helpful to the people who are new to this. I know for me, I consult for computers, and so often a client asks me a really basic question, and I can't come up w/ the answer, when really it's the most simple thing in the world. I don't even think of it as an answer, because I figure everyone must know that!! This probably isn't the best place for this post, because it probably takes the noobies a long time before they come out of their specific build topic in the forum and start reading topics like the documentation project.

I wouldn't do it. That was my plan as well, but I was told that you sometimes need to push a button and turn an encoder at the same time. It would also be really easy to turn a knob and change a parameter accidentally when trying to push the button. Just read down a few messages either here or in the supplies section, and you should see the post from me. I just asked a few days ago.

Ok, one last verowire question. is there any difference between the pink and the gold wire, other than the color? Edit- make that 2 questions. Can I use the verowire for the panel connections? I was going to make PCB's for din and dout, but now I'm thinking I'll just find an empty spot on the board next to my rows of encoders and buttons and wire it all up in place. Thanks again

oh, thanks! I didn't know that! well shoot.. I'd better get some cheap ceramic caps, then, cause all I have are film. And in that case, I'd guess you'd really want monolithic ceramic disk, rather than one of the better multi-layer ceramic's. I just went and looked at a bunch of synth modules I built, and they do all have ceramic for decoupling caps. That must be a bit of information I forgot over the years. I took a two year break from electronics and am just getting back into it. It's crazy all the little things I've forgotten.

I'm sure you've already gone ahead and done this, but if anyone else is wondering, yes, they are fine. Polyester, mylar, etc, (all the film caps) are better than ceramic. They have much better tolerances. You can always replace a ceramic w/ a film cap, but not the other way around.

I found a company in Canada who will ship to me. The two USA distributors listed on the Vero website wanted nothing to do with me. Of course the Canadian company was super friendly.. Only down side is that they don't stock it, and it would take a month or more for me to get it. That is fine with me, though. At least they are willing to help. see.. civilized. Not like the barbaric u.s. companies who wont deal with a hobbyist. "On no.. We may be the only source of this product in America, but we sure wont sell it to YOU" Seems like it would be in Vero's best interest to find a new distributor in the USA. Of course, im sure the next one would be just as bad. No company in the u.s. would ever help someone out. It's all about the largest profit margin for the least amount of work put into the job.

Problem for me is that I am in the US. The verowire looks to be way less expensive than the "vector wire" that is available here. The vector wire pens here are not plastic. They are metal (aluminum, I think), and have special bits to strip the wire as you wrap it. The bit's alone are $70, and the pen is about $150-$ 200!!! BUT, the vector wire w/ pen is meant for truly quick prototyping. It strips the insulation only on the side of the wrap that goes around your post, and is not meant to be soldered. at all! (Im sure you could solder for more permanent applications, but like I said, its sold as a fast prototyping tool) So.. anyone in the civilized parts of the world want to purchase a couple of things for me and ship them here ;). I did find this about using magnet wire, but it doesn't say if it is any special type http://www.cinstrum.unam.mx/jart/vol4_1/44%20KUSSUL.pdf And I'm also not opposed to scraping the insulation off the wire before I solder it. It would still be faster than stripping wire, and having to solder a bunch of ends together at each junction, etc. My main concern is that Im wondering if the enamel on standard magnet wire is insulation enough for this project. I don't mind a little extra work (scraping wire, or whatever), but I don't want any shorts! thanks

Verowire is enameled wire, as is magnet wire. Do you think I could use enameled magnet wire instead? And to answer a previous question of mine - in the usa you can find it as vector wire. I'm just wondering if magnet wire could be a low cost alternative.

Ok, I already ordered the encoders w/ buttons, but I can just leave the button unconnected. Thanks a lot, again!

Thanks, I only complain because it just keeps getting worse. I mean, years ago, I could get whatever new top of the line product from several places. Now I can get those same products, but some of the nice new stuff is nowhere to be found. I guess the real reason is that there aren't as many electronics hobbyists these days, so the stores go out of business, or stop carrying the parts. I see some very professional looking midibox equipment from people in Europe, and all I can find are cheap toy-looking parts. I'm not at all opposed to importing. If you get the clear in the group buy, I'd go in. (but I only need 32, and 5000 is a lot of knobs to get rid of!) sorry for starting this topic, because now I see that the VOTI knobs are the same shaft type, and thats the next post down in the list.