fussylizard

That seems like it would work, though perhaps this (see attachment)? This would let you control the amount of input signal. routing2.JPG routing2.JPG

Glad I could help. :-) It was also nice to get rid of a bunch of bubble wrap I'd accumulated over the years and held onto in case I needed it for something. I bought fresh bubble wrap for individual LCD packing, but used the "recycled" bubble wrap to fill out each box of displays.

@turuloid, boops - glad everything arrived safely! SmashTV's advice probably paid off in making things go smoothly through customs. Glad you liked the packaging, boops. :-) Maybe next time I'll splash out for the anti-static warning stickers instead of tape on the anti-static bags for that ultra-professional look... @turuloid - That's an interesting filter, thanks for the link! In general I'm not wild about the idea of using hard-to-find chips, but Seppoman's board is nicely integrated w/ the AOUT_NG so it is rather convenient. But those MOTM modules do look *very* nice!

Wow, the post is moving fast this week! @olga - Man, I wish I had gotten in the MB community to get some of Seppoman's PCBs (your comment reminded me to sign up). Hopefully he'll do another run soon. In the meantime I guess I can buy a second Moogerfooger filter so I can do stereo, or I can always use this as an excuse to get a small modular setup (and possibly add in an external ADSR at the same time...).

BTW you might have room for a small fan along the right side of the case (depending on what power supply option you used). You could then cut slits or holes on both the right and left sides of the case to get good airflow (even without the fan). If you have access to a milling machine then cutting nice slits is easy - http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php/topic,13502.0.html (though I should have bought a longer cutting tool to make the slits taller). RE: heat sinks see this thread: http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php/topic,13785.0.html

Couldn't you use jacks that change the circuit when you plug them in to do this? Basically each (stereo) jack has connections A1,A2, B1,B2, and C1,C2. Without a jack plugged in A1 is connected to A2, B1 is connected to B2, and C1 is connected to C2. When you insert a jack, tip of the jack goes to A1 and A2 goes to nothing, ring goes to B1 and B2 goes to nothing, and sleeve goes to C1 and C2 goes to nothing. So basically (for a mono connection so let's ignore the ring for now) you would hook A1 to audio in on the SID and rewire the output of the feedback pot to A2. You hook C1 to audio ground on the SID, and C2 to ground on the feedback pot. So when no jack is plugged in you have the feedback pot connected, and when a jack is plugged in the feedback pot is disconnected and you have audio input. A jack like this would work (Mouser part #550-20301): http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=NMJ6HFD2virtualkey56810000virtualkey550-20301

Great news that everything is showing up so quickly and in good shape! Thanks for letting me know. I hope the other packages arrive quickly. I followed SmashTV's instructions carefully so hopefully everything will go smoothly. @olga42 - I guess you're familiar with Austin (I just added that I was from there to my profile last night, LOL)? Funnily enough I had someone in the office ask me if I wanted to go to Chuy's for lunch earlier today but unfortunately I had already eaten. :-) As for live music, this weekend is the Austin City Limits Music Festival so I'll be doing that for the next 3 days!

Wilba, Can you describe the overall process on working with Ponoko? What apps do you find easiest to use to make front panel designs, what sort of files do you send them, how does the prototyping work, etc.? What about the engraving/painting for the graphics? Just curious since I'm working on a CS for my MB-FM now that the LCD bulk order isn't sucking tons of time now and I might consider trying them instead of FPE. Thx!

Well I won't rest easy until all the LCDs arrive safely, but I think the hard part is over. I'm glad I'm handy with Excel and mail merge in Word since otherwise this would have been a ton more manual work. Sorting through the post office stuff was a huge pain, but thankfully SmashTV guided me expertly through the process, so huge props to him for that. Those receiving international orders will have an email from me that will look eerily familiar if you've ever ordered from SmashTV's shop before. :-) Thanks again for all your help Wilba- it really made a huge difference. If I ever do this again (who knows?) it will be *much* easier given all I've learned. @Sirkit - Plenty LCDs still available, order away!

I shipped all the international orders today! We filled a whole cart - see the pic for the "work in progress" at the post office. Boops, I think the top box is yours. :) I will send out an email to each of you with the customs # for your shipment later today or tomorrow. Thanks again for everyone being so patient. I hope the displays bring lots of green goodness to your MB projects! I still have 11 left so tell your friends!

Update: All international orders are packed and boxed with address labels affixed. I still have to fill out the customs forms and print / attach invoices to the outside of the boxes and then I'm ready to go! Still looking good for Saturday shipping. BTW I tested each display before packing each in an anti-static bag and wrapping each individually in bubble wrap. I found one display of the 70 I've tested so far that had a very, very minor defect (part of one pixel always stays on). It's very minor (I'll probably use that display myself on my MB-SEQ) but I'm glad I caught it. Anyway, each display I'm shipping should work 100%. If it doesn't it was either damaged in shipping somehow, you soldered it wrong, or you left in R12 without an IIC module. :-)

My knobs arrived today - woohoo! (I'm in the U.S.) Thanks Goblinz for setting this up. Hope all is well. As I'm currently running the 40x2 display bulk order I have a better appreciation now for how much work it is to run a bulk order. :-) Regards, C

Thanks everyone for the fast payments, I appreciate it! For those who have paid so far, I plan to ship your orders on Saturday. Thanks, Chris

Ah, good timing! BTW As Wilba discovered you need to keep the leads from the core to the FM board short, preferably under 10cm, or things get unreliable. The interconnection from the Core to the FM module is a bit complex to do with headers. I tried this approach and then fried my LCD so I had to cut it off. When I went to solder a new LCD on (I've got plenty of replacements now :-) it was making my head hurt to figuring out which wires went where so I decided to just make a "normal" LCD cable and solder the FM module ribbon cables to the bottom of the core as recommended by TK (so one end was soldered directly to the core pins on the bottom of the PCB and the other side has 2 female SIL headers). Having tried both methods, I'd recommend soldering directly to the core as in my second attempt. I'll have to post a pic of my FM module. Once I finish up the bulk order I plan on making a control surface PCB (unless I decide to just do it on perfboard). It would be my first PCB so we'll see how that goes...

Glad to hear they made it safely. Hope you like them, they look pretty good to me!

IMPORTANT! When using this display you should not stuff resistor R12 on your core module unless you have an IIC module attached to your core. Details I was doing some work on my MB-FM Sunday night and noticed that my display was a bit unreliable with the current core (version 3 schematic - Smash TV board R4d). The problem was it would sometimes turn on but no characters would display. It worked perfectly on a version 2 schematic core module (which I have been using to test each LCD before I pack it - I have Smash TV board R3). Investigation showed that the pull-up resistor R12 added in revision 3 of the core made the display somewhat unreliable. According to the core docs this is used if you have an IIC module attached. I don't have an IIC module to test with (I have some on order from SmashTV now). Ultra's MB-SEQ used this exact display with his Ultracore module that includes this pull up when used with IIC modules so this should not be a problem for MB-SEQ. For MB-FM you don't need IIC modules so don't stuff R12 for MB-FM. So when you first test your display with a bare core module (you *are* testing as you go, right?) you should not stuff R12 to ensure the display is working with your core and your cable is wired correctly, etc. When you add in an IIC module then you should solder in R12. I'll report further details when I get my IIC modules for MB-SEQ.

I just sent out invoices for all the international orders (except one- sent email instead confirming shipping charges are OK). Please check your email inbox and if you did not get a PayPal request from me or if there is a problem with it, please email or send me a message via the forum. Remaining stock: 7 displays

It's *so* cute! Way to go Wilba!

I just got chips from TK so I hope we'll get some additional interest!

Thanks for everyone's understanding! All this international mailing stuff is incredibly tedious to sort through. Part of the problem is that some (many?) post office workers here don't really know the regulations for international mail and give out incorrect information. For example, I was told by the post office that the boxes I have were too big to be shipped via the cheaper "First Class Mail International" and had to be sent via the much more expensive "Priority Mail International". After reading the rules myself and discussions with SmashTV, my boxes are fine. So I will have to print out the regulations and take them with me to the post office to show them in case they refuse to use my boxes for first class. Ugh.

All, Quick update: 1) I've nearly sorted through all the international shipping details. The only remaining item is to calculate insurance costs for the international orders (I have to call U-PIC tomorrow since I can't figure out how to get a quote from their website), then I'll be ready to issue the international invoices. I've already shipped the domestic orders since I've sent tons of mail within the U.S. and understand how that works. :-) 2) About customs fees: As I stated in the bulk order terms and conditions, I will not provide incorrect information on customs declaration forms for orders. Shipments will have a CN-22 customs form attached to the outside of the box and will show the shipped value ($26 x number of LCDs ordered). I will also include a PayPal invoice inside a plastic "Invoice Enclosed" pouch that will show the LCD cost + shipping/insurance/PayPal fees (on separate lines if I can figure out how to make PayPal do that). I understand that everyone wants to save money and avoid customs fees, but I must follow the rules to avoid problems. Please inform me via PM if this is a problem and I will cancel your order. Sorry! Thanks to everyone, especially the international buyers (most of you!) for your patience while I do my best to make this bulk order go smoothly. Regards, Chris

Yes, I'm still sorting out all the international shipping procedures and expenses so I can do the international invoices. Just about there, sorry for the delay! (These shipping regulations are a bit confusing!) Thx, C

All, the deadline for reserved LCDs has passed. All remaining LCDs will be sold on a first-come, first served basis so order now! Stock remaining: 10 BTW SmashTV gave me a ton of tips on shipping internationally from the U.S. - Thanks Tim!

Check out these pictures from my build: http://picasaweb.google.com/fussylizard/MB6582?authkey=Gv1sRgCM7npqbPgvbfYA&feat=directlink# I have a few dedicated to how I mounted the LCD. I also have one that shows the wires soldered to the bottom of the LCD (though I should probably show a more detailed version of this). I should probably get around to posting a link to these pictures somewhere... :-) I have lots of notes and such I still need to post from my build, such as an "additional" parts list for all the extra nuts, bolts, female DIL headers, etc. that I need to post since it took me (IIRC) 2 orders from SmashTV, 3 or 4 orders from McMaster-Carr, and 2 or 3 orders from Mouser to get everything. I could have probably figured it all out had I thought about it more, but there were some things that I just wasn't sure about or forgot about. It would probably be helpful to others to see all this extra stuff to augment Wilba's already excellent instructions. Hopefully I'll get to that after I finish up running the 40x2 LCD bulk order...

Any recommendations on aluminum panel thickness for rack-mounted gear? I noted that TK's MB-FM panel for FPE is only 2mm thick which seems a bit thin. If you're putting back-side blind holes (threaded or otherwise) you'll certainly need some depth.