Futureman

I'm not 100% sure what you are saying, but seems you mean... 9VAC -> Rectified -> Smoothed -> Regulated to 9vDC -> Regulated to 5vDC ? I've heard that chaining regulators is a bad thing, (Never had any first hand experience with things going bad) Give it a go... I do agree with you that that 5v regulator IS going to get damn damn hot.. = BIG heatsink... but you would avoid that if you used a multi tapped powersupply... Regards Mike

I'm sort of facing the same problem / solution.. at the moment I've got a C64 P/S, but they are too bulky, and I want to put mine inside my synth. Yes, a multitap transormer is the solution, (Which is pretty much inside the C64 power supply) Edit - I don't know why this is Multi-Taps versus Voltage Regulators? It's not one or the other.. lol. I just want to make sure that it's gonna supply enough juice to keep a fully stuffed 6582 + LCD backlight + Sids running nicely.. To quote Wilba- "Based on datasheet calculations, the 5V supply usage is ~1000mA. PICs are 23mA each, 6582A SIDs 70/100mA each, LEDs 100mA max, LCD ~280mA. If the SIDs are at the max current, then it's ~1200mA. 9V supply usage is ~320mA." So, we'll need the 5v to be >1200mA, and the 9v >320mA At my local electronics shop, they have quite the assortment of power transformers, including a few meaty (+1500mA) multitaps... I've got to investigate a bit more, but I'm gonna try for a toroidal transformer if I can (Lower profile + less EM radiation)... maybe a 9+9 (The specs are always in AC, so it's 9vAC - 0 - 9vAC) I just gotta see how easy it will be to get something that is not too big physically, while supplying enough juice. Not sure if what I've said is much help (It's early & I'm tired...) but I'll keep you posted on my workings Regards Mike

There are a few options i'm investigating.. http://www.digitalstickers.com.au/ -Probably no cutouts, and looks a bit scrappy. http://www.entechelectronics.com.au/ -Looking expensive Lazertran is also coming up a very probable contender.. http://www.lazertran.com/products/lazertran_products_original.htm Apparently there is this product that once printed in reverse is placed on the metal upside down, and baked in an oven. It has a plastic coating that fuses/melts and becomes a protective layer for the text/artwork. I just gotta find out if this is gonna be cool with the panel if I get it powder coated.. but as it says up to 200 deg C I think not... hmmm... (Powder coating get's to 200 deg C for 10 mins apparently) My other small problem with lazertran is that I'm not sure if my panel fit's in my oven (It might on a diagonal) .. lol.. I'm sure I could find someone with a larger oven, or I could possibly do it at work in an industrial oven. Will keep you all posted. Regards Mike

Hey fellow Australians.. (I know there is a sh#t load of us) I need to get a Vinyl or Polycarbonate sticker or overlay made up for my 6582 keyboard... has anyone had experience with this ? Any companies / people used ? Actually any advice on custom artwork would be handy.. http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php/topic,12413.45/topicseen.html Regards Mike

Thats cool, but my keyboard is not midibox based, it's an 'off the shelf' midi controller that i've chopped off one octave. I like the idea of a software merge in the 6582, but as that is not within my realms of expertise, I can't exactly tackle it. Thanks for the 'heads up' tho! Regards

- Start a family - Finish my keyboarded Wilba 6582 - Finish my Urie 1176 Clone - Rack up some Pre's & old channel strips - Sell a whole heap of gear I don't use anymore

Maybe I didn't search hard enough, but does anyone know how much juice a fully stuffed MB-6582 pulls? The regulator for the SID's doesn't even get warm, so my guess is for the 12v Rail.. not much at all.. I wonder how much the 5v rail pulls with all the LED's on & backlight etc? I mean, is the C64 power supply way way over-rated for this spec? I H A T E external power supplies, and plan on sticking the powersupply inside, but the C64 power supply is a big fella.. it'll fit, but it'll be cosy. I see in this thread http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php/topic,12666.0/topicseen.html a nice possible alternative, but I'm wondering if it is capable of delivering enough juice to drive a fully stuffed 6582? Also, on a Side note, I found a powder coater that will paint my chassis for $30.. just gotta decide on the colour... I'm still edging towards White / Biege Regards Mike

Nice!

I think I've got two options with regards to the control surface... 1- Re-invent your (Wilba / TK) CS with everything etc.. 2- Do a hack job with jumpers coming off the official MB-6582 CS PCB... Option 1 could be rather laborious, and I'm lazy and it's prone to me making mistakes Option 2 Is a WHOLE lot of extra wires going all over the place - BUT it's idiot proof! (I'm a bit of an idiot.) For the mean time, I've kinda decided on option 2... I have already ordered a CS circuit board.... I know it is certainly not elegant.. more of a brute force approach. As for the spacing, yep.. most of it is based around veroboard spacing.. 1/10th of an Inch... but not all, as the way the tact switches can be aligned and centred (different orientations) means some of it's out by 1/20th of an Inch.. I was going to make it out of a few big pieces of vero, but due to the encoders being panel mount and the offset tact switches, I've broken it up into small modules of parts. My plan is to cut a piece of timber (cheap mdf of ply) which is 6-8mm thick the same size as my control surface and manually cut all the holes in the control surface (very roughly and bigger).. This would get glued to the underside, forming one big spacer so the pcb's / tacts / LED's and encoders are at a nice elevation.. That way, all the little modules of switches can be screwed to the underside with small wood screws, leaving no screws etc on the front face. Thats my P l a n anyway.. see how it eventuates. Regards Mike

I'm not 100% sure what I'm going to do about the artwork, but I'm thinking of getting a vinyl overlay made up... I've had a few bits of kit chromed, the face of a Eminent Solina, and an TR-808 that was very rusty.. The company that did chromed my solina were great, but then closed down.. the one that did the 808 had that face for about 6 months screwing me around.. when I got it back it was warped I sent it back, and that took another 2 months before it was ready.. I was convinced they had lost it.. I don't know if I can go through all that trauma again.. It would look bitchin chromed tho ;] Regards Mike

I chopped up a 4 octave keyboard, and tested it... here's a rough representation of it fitted. Like the Source, I'll have timber to the side of the keys, as well as under the keys. What colour? I've toyed with the idea of getting it chromed, but after the last time I got something chromed and the amount of time I spent calling them up after they made mistake after mistake, I don't feel like going through that whole experience again... Black is classic & the easiest, and probably the most practical.. White is another option. Regards Mike 1 - Panel with keys.JPG 1 - Panel with keys.JPG

Tabs folded.. only took about 10min with a Dremel cutting tool (Well, I went through 2 cutting disks tho) Here it is with it's design inspiration. 1 - With Source.JPG 1 - With Source.JPG

more... 1 - Panel Tryout 2.JPG 1 - Panel with old pcb.JPG 1 - Panel Tryout 2.JPG 1 - Panel with old pcb.JPG

Here we go... got this today in the post... All up it cost me AU$235, which is about US$160 at the moment with our crap dollar. I asked the guy to leave out the side tabs if he could not bend them... grrrrr.. oh well, I'll get busy with a dremel and score them and fold em by hand. I'm very happy with the result anyway. Regards Mike 1 - Panel Bare.JPG 1 - Panel Bare 2.JPG 1 - Panel Tryout 1.JPG 1 - Panel Bare.JPG 1 - Panel Bare 2.JPG 1 - Panel Tryout 1.JPG

I blew up my SH-101 will getting it to control some Curtis Filters I had lying around... Mental note 27 - "Don't use gear you love in conjunction with untested experiments.." Me and a mate did end up fixing it eventually, which was nice.

Cool... upside down toy tank tracks! Penny & Giles do have a name for making high quality (Read damn expensive) potentiometers etc.. I remember at my old work, we needed a P&G linear potentiometer for insustrial applications, which came in at a very cheap $2500. Regards Mike

You may be stupid, but you make up for your lack of intelligence with DAMN good looks! I don't recon you would have fried anything, and if you did, it'll only be 1 or 2 cheap cheap IC's.. Regards Mike

Assuming you want a sequencer that has 16 CV outs... (Which means, that coupled with 16 gates, you could be controlling up to 16 analog monosynths at once) Thats not that difficult, just build a few midi-CV modules, and slap in in the same box and control them via midi... simple on paper.. but mildy ambitious in practice. Much regards Mike

Sold to Jimh54! Regards Mike

Cheers TK for your reply. Thats a shame about V3, I was afraid that it was beyond it's limitations.. but at least V4 will have better real time recording.. so that'll give us something good to look for. Much regards, Mike

Thats cool, but I don't need / want to sell it right away, but after new years... If you are fine with that, then it's a deal. regards Mike

The J5 analogue outs are just gates, so you can use them on their own to trigger old school sequencers or arpeggiators in synths like SH-101's or Juno 60's etc.. If you need more than 8 gate outs, then you can install an extra DOUT board and get something stupid like 48 extra trigger outs, however these have (I think) a fixed duration of 1ms, unlike the J5 Gate outs (8 of them) which can be any length you wish. From reading you post, I think you might feel the 8 gate outs are for a different purpose than what they are.. they are not used in the same way as an analogue sequencer, more like another way of triggering things. I think that the MB-SEQ is waaaaaaaaaay better than the PolyEvolvers... well, in my limited time of using the DSI stuff.. your results may vary... I use my SEQ's to control quite a bit of kit, both analogue & digital.

Valid point about the LED's.. They came from here.. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/200-pcs-Light-Emitting-Diode-LEDs-3mm-Red-Light_W0QQitemZ390017062108QQihZ026QQcategoryZ108955QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713.m153.l1262

Hey there, As my Big 6582 Synth is having a facelift, I don't need the old Control Surface... It's already stuffed with everything, EXCEPT the led's in the matrix. - you can supply them yourself. ;] NO LCD display.. (I'm still using that!) I'll post some pics soon, but my encoders do have a splined shaft & come with silver knobs.. It is tested and works perfectly... oh.. and RED leds. i'll throw in 2 spare tact switches that I have left over.. (yes, I'm very generous) I'll sell this for the total cost of the parts... (+ postage to you) I won't be ready to sell this untill after the new year, I just figured if you were planning on making one, this will save you a few steps. (ie I'm goving someone a 'heads up') $20US for PCB $25 for Tacts $5 for LEDS $5 for LED spacers (Wilba will laugh that I used em, but I didn't have top panel to line em up) $35 for encoders + knobs.. at least you won't need to source knobs, but these are a touch bigger than the waldorf style. I'm not trying to make a profit, so if this post offends anyone, consider it removed. Regards IMG_0075.JPG IMG_0075.JPG

Hey TK, is it unrealistic to think that V3's realtime recording can be fixed up? Or is it beyond the scope of V3's hardware? (ever) I know we discussed this indepth in another post, http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php/topic,11557.0.html And that you probably will be working on SEQV4 more than anything, but the realtime recording of V3 is the only real thorn in it's side as far as a perfect sequencer goes (IMHO). I hope you don't think I'm coming across rude, and maybe I'm a minority when it come's to useing realtime record, but I really really do miss it. Much love. Regards Mike