Hawkeye

Many OLEDs depending on the cap/resistor reset line do actually need a power down/power up phase (try unplugging from USB, no MIOS studio needed for correct start). That is because a successful display init depends on the hardware reset mechanism via cap & resistor. For the new LoopA boards, Andy has invented a solution, how the reset switch will also perform a hardware display reset without the need of powering down/up :). If this was not the problem, please ignore :). Many greets, Peter

Haha, it's definitely too bloody to show here! @roschthanks a lot! :) What we can show, is progress on the case! Adrian sent us this pic of the unpainted left-hand-jogwheel version directly from his workshop today. So, that's how the (probably) final case looks without paint/labels, during assembly/fit test. It has been slightly reduced in height to fit properly in a 3U rack, as an alternative to using it in normal desktop mode. It also features the cutouts for the beat LED and the two new 8x8 matrix LEDs (TPD). Now, while the cases are being painted, labeled and stocked, you can think about whether you rather want the left-handed or rather the right-handed jogwheel version . Enjoy and have a great day! Peter

Thanks, Bruno, it is great to see, that there is interest in the SEQ out there! Amazing response! Many greets, Peter

While being a pacifist, i've got to say, that the M16 Interface wiki graphics is awesome! Well done! :) Many greets, Peter

Great job! Looking fine & nicely compact! Many greets, Peter

Ok, no problem, can write down my thoughts of the v4+ vs the v4, trying to be as neutral as possible. But first of all, thanks so much for the facebook ads, Bruno! :) We got a few new youtube subscribers within the last hours, so I was wondering what was going on, hehe! ;-) Regarding the v4+, by coincidence, i have given it an extended test-drive last night, just the v4+ and a Kawai K3M (that happened to somehow come to a rest on my doorstep lately, i really don't know how it happened!!! :). Gladly, the better half did not take note of it yet, otherwise the Nudelholz would have been swung at my poor head again! :)). Differences of v4+ to the v4. Really, this is not meant to be a sales text - we fortunately don't depend on selling the kits (as we have other jobs) and also hope to be able to provide fair prices, long term. We do it, because we love these things! Key differences v4/v4+, personal viewpoint: * The Matias switches with proper large-scale keycaps themselves. In my opinion, they are just so much better than the previous generation of switches/caps used in the classic v4s. If you like mechanical keyboards, it is a dream! In computer nerd talk, to me it feels like an upgrade from HDDs to SSDs :) * The second row of matias switches and the new "v4+" selection row mode, that can be chosen using the right-hand mode selection "wheel". Imho, it adds a whole level of interactivity while eliminating a lot of page-switches. E.g., last night, i spent probably an hour in the "transpose page" (that is controlled with the primary "GP" row of Matias switches and the encoders). Using the new selection mode wheel, i also at the same time ended up in "Selection: Mute mode", that is then assigned to the secondary row of Matias switches. Now, on a single SEQ page you can mute/unmute single tracks, while also transposing whole groups of selected tracks - that was really a lot of fun :). On the v4, this would of course work, too, but would require menu page switches for every new mute/unmute or transposition change, here you can just stay on a single screen and use the 32 matias switches for both functions at once. As the mode wheel acts as a mix-in feature, you can effectively control two things on a single page and there are lots of combination possibilities. * Direct track access. Yes, i had grown used to the four+four Seq v4 Group and Track buttons, but using 16 buttons to directly choose a track or a multi-selection of tracks, that will also be highlighted via backlit Matias switches, is a big advantage. * The look & feel. Ok, i only have a shabby old selfmade v4 and a secondary selfmade quite flat v4, but the OLEDs and Adrians nice metal case, as well as the integration of every PCB in that really compact case feels good. I have to admit, that i really love the VFDs on my my ancient v4. But the OLEDs also have zero latency/ghosting and look fantastic in white, i will adjust to them in time! :) * The (possible) color bling. Ok, this is a personal preference :). Other than that: if you have a v4, and if you like it and if the keys are not failing: keep it, it is great! Many new features of the v4+ will likely be instantly available as a function for the v4 as well, if you have a new STM32F4 core in there. -- Regarding prices: as Andy wrote, we are currently estimating around 700-750€ in total costs, but it is not fixed yet, that sum is likely to be split up into: * Core PCBs + essential parts kit ~ 99€ (available in the shop) * UI PCBs + essential parts kit ~ 299€ (working on it, validation is ongoing, all parts in stock) * Case ~ 159€ (Adrian is printing the new case labels to test them this week, the case has been adjusted for better optional 3U rack integration) * Mouser parts ~ 150-200€ (that position is a bit unsure yet and is just an estimation) The UI kit is a bit expensive, as it contains the OLEDs (~100€ for both), the Matias switches, keycaps and Superflux LEDs, as well as five large-size PCBs and two LED mini matrices. But it effectively also contains a TPD, that is integrated in the case and uses up the last bit of available space (much to the dismay of Andy and Adrian, sorry guys, that i had that last-minute wish, i really feel bad about it, but you would not have needed to incorporate it, despite me begging for it! :)) The Mouser parts could probably be optimized to drive total costs to sub 700€, by sourcing from cheaper parts sellers, but we will only provide the Mouser "master" cart. While i personally had good experience e.g. with sourcing cheap resistor/cap kits from China, and e.g. MIDI connectors can be bought for a lot less than the mouser price, there are different opinions to this. I would say: you will probably build this only once, to last for at least a decade or two, so i'd recommend to use the best parts you can source! Many greets! Peter

You are welcome! Make sure to refresh the BOM, as some gremlins mixed up the crystals for the I2C PCB, 20 MHz instead of 10 MHz are needed. We've instantly updated the BOM and notified all kits purchasers, our apologies! Regarding your question, yes, a notification feature when something is "back-in-stock" is definitely planned, but it will work only, if a product is already available. Will think about it, how it could be best incorporated in the case of not yet existing products. Many greets, Peter

A little update: Finally, we have finished the bill-of-materials 'bot (nicknamed b.o.m.b. ), that generates complete BOM lists and parts placement/solder guides, for each PCB. It also automatically aggregates those lists for multiple PCBs contained in a kit and creates mouser-cart compatible text output, that can just be copied & pasted into your mouser cart for your convenience. The idea behind this effort was, that you should be able to get everything needed for a build on mouser and midiphy only, and that it should be very easy to import needed parts into the shopping carts. Hope you enjoy the reduced time for parts sourcing :) These BOMs have been derived/automatically created from the PCB CAD master files. In theory, they should be good: I tried to double-check every part during its creation in the parts database, but we would be glad, if someone could externally validate the parts list, to see if the 'bot works correctly, thanks a lot! :) https://www.midiphy.com/en/shop-details/0/1#bom There is a copy & paste link to conveniently put all necessary parts (from all PCBs) into your mouser cart, just follow the link to mouser, you might need to login at mouser first before the "copy & paste" text window appears. If you test this order from mouser, please give us some feedback, if every part was correct, thanks a lot! Now, on to the UI PCB & parts kit and to the case finalization :) - it will still take a bit of time, but we are confident, that you can haz all of your Seqv4+ parts and start building during autumntime or early winter in 2018 :). Many greets, Peter

Hi there, the MB6582 is great, you will love it! A few answers, just the ones i could directly answer :) * personal opinion: regarding a mixed SID setup: i'd recommend to go for all 8580/6582, the filters are just better, the noisefloor of the 6581 is higher and imho the "flexibility" to divide it up is not worth the "cost" of not being able to play four near-identical sid stereo voices in poly mode. * power supply: recommended to change it, because the 5V vreg can (and will, i have a defective C64 original PSU here :)) go haywire over time and will burn your SIDs and maybe the PICs... 11.06 V AC is not necessarily cricital if it was not measured under load. The PSU might be ok, but for long time use, it is highly recommended to replace it. There are recipies around this forum how to do it, look for a solution from orange_hand to go for an energy efficient one :) * OLEDs work, see Izze's thread: * A case fan is imho not really required if you use 8580/6582. I had my MBSID in use since 2010 without it, not a single SID failed so far. Just use thermic glue and normal IC headspreaders for classic DIP ICs. Fans are known to add noise to the audio outs and physical "airflow" noise in your studio. * 1.5mm acrylic will not be stable enough, got to go for an aluminum frontplate, it is expensive, but it will last! --- Sorry for incomplete answers, you should be able to find answers to most of the other questions here on the forums. Many greets, Peter

@LongShoreDrift Thanks! Regarding BOMs, yes, we are working on an integrated solution, that will directly export parts from the PCB CAD files into the shop. For a first look of a completely auto-generated bill of materials, look here: https://www.midiphy.com/en/shop-details/138/2/ (it is yet incomplete, some parts are still missing, still working on it :)) The cool thing about this method is, that it should be theoretically completely error-free! No copying and pasting, no google spreadsheets, and so on. This method also allows to aggregate necessary Mouser parts even for kits consisting of multiple PCBs! There will be a "download mouser cart text" file button below each BOM table and the generated text file can just be copied&pasted it into your shopping cart at mouser. Will try this method for the video documentation of the UI interface PCBs myself, to see if it works and if any parts were missing :). Regarding builders: We cannot provide built units for legal reasons. But there are known and reliable builders around, that you could hire on a personal basis. Some of them have even registered on this thread. A recommendation is to find someone from your country to minimize shipping costs and do a phone call first. If you found someone with a track record of built MIDIboxes, then everything should work out, the build process will be fully video documented and should (hopefully) be fairly easy to follow. Many greets, Peter

Thanks a lot for testing Bruno, and sorry for spamming this thread with shop tech discussion, if there is more to be discussed on that matter, we should probably move to PMs! But your feedback was really helpful and very welcome - because you develop a bit of a "developer blindness", when you work with such a system for years, it is great to "see" it through new users eyes, and hear any comments. Thanks again! :) Some remarks: * The now blank address fields are expected, this is to be explained with the changed address form, i.e. it could not remember everything, as it is now stored to a new dataset. * But: your updated address will be remembered after your first order, no way to change it in the customer center currently (other than deleting your account and reregistering which is a brute force method, but should also work! :)). The shop always remembers the last valid order address (or the first address entered when creating a customer account.). In short words: you just need to enter your address normally for your first order. Then you should be set and it should remember it. * The cart should be remembered during your web session, as long as your browser window is open. We might add "persistent cart storage" a bit later on. Good feedback on the country list, keyboard searching helps for sure! The shipping country list is also growing larger by the day: as that request came up, we've now added more shipping countries, especially Australia and New Zealand. :). As shipping to these countries is not the cheapest (prices identical to DHL prices listed on their page), we would recommend everyone interested in a v4+ from these countries to wait for the availability of the v4+ cases. Then everything crucial should fit in an insured and tracked 5kg parcel and it won't be that expensive anymore. For the EU or for everyone wanting to have a functional v4+ (without case) as soon as possible: Andy will test the new UI PCB boards as soon as humanly possible (it is a lot to build and verify!). And if it all checks out, we can offer the new UI PCBs and all relevant essential parts (like OLEDs, Matias switches and Keycaps) as another essential kit, even, if the second and final video tutorial (which depends on the case) will take a bit longer until it is ready. Have a great evening! Many greets, Peter

Just a little update: worked on the address editor now accepting "free format" address lines, e.g. "45, Street name", that is required for many countries. @Antichambre, as you requested it originally, could you try it, if it works on your side? No need to submit an order, just see if the simulated address sticker prints correctly on the "finalize order" page. Thanks a lot, man! :-) Many greets, Peter

Thank you all for the great feedback! Also, the first shipments are out, thanks for trusting us! Regarding your questions: Indeed, we have only discussed PCB resales with John at the beginning of the year and did not focus on that, getting the shop up to speed was our first priority, sorry! Regarding shipping costs, i've just measured the weight of the fully loaded prototype v4+, and it comes in at exactly 2.92kg, despite the sturdy metal case. That would mean, that you could probably get it shipped to the U.S. in a 5kg insured package, with all parts for 39€ shipping. Imho, that should not be too bad, especially as you can get hold of everything "difficult to get" in a single shipment (PCBs, special/rare parts like the OLEDs and the case). Only a single other order from Mouser required and you should have all parts. I've attached a "planned" silkscreen of the case for your convenience :). Light spill is imho really not bad, but you could always "tune" the Matias switch caps with a custom solution. No fixed inlay labels in the two upper rows, as their functions are dynamic! The upper Matias row is GP1-16 (i.e. enable/disable steps, menu functions), the lower Matias row is dynamic depending on the "round selection mode wheel". It could select tracks, steps, bookmarks, layers,... :) * Great feedback with the stree number before the street name for many countries. Thanks! We will correct that, got similar feedback from a US customer as well. We will just put in a free address form field, that will allow to put the street number ahead of the street name. If your country is impacted by that, please hold your order, until the shop is updated :). * Delete cart items by clicking on the "minus" symbol to reduce the quantity to zero. * Regarding tax line order: like for shipping addresses, there are different "normal representations" for every country, here in Germany, we usually put the net sum before the total, i will have a look at it, but cannot promise it :). If you order from outside the EU though, the shopsystem will automatically remove VAT, so moving to a nice tropical island would also solve your request, hehe! :) --- Here are some promised update pictures: The new v4+ UI PCBs, including the mini LED matrices and the integrated Beat LED, as requested by TK.! :) A photoshop montage of the v4+ labels and the mini matrices. The final look may differ a bit, of course! Enjoy and many greets! Peter

Thanks a lot! :) We will also ship outside the EU, but shipping to America probably will not be as cheap as from Modular Addict, just as tehsparx quoted. If your country is not yet in the list of shipping countries, please just send us a mail, we will add it then. Have a great new week! Many greets, Peter

Andy's new core is now officially available and in stock! :) Also, a Core407V MCU module that comes already preflashed with the MIDIbox bootloader (thus no ST Link required), is available separately. https://www.midiphy.com/en/shop-details/0/2 Have a great day! Many greets, Peter

No CC support as of yet! For that, the bigger SEQ or the CC Looper from Phatline are the best choices at the moment! (As it is a feature that sounds really cool, e.g. for nice recorded looped filter sweeps, that could even be graphically displayed, it might be added in one of the next versions. Then, "CC" would be a track type, similar as on the SEQ, it could not be overdubbed with a note track for memory reasons, but would need to be recorded on a dedicated track. That will also help to visualize it better). Many greets, Peter

Thanks for the kind words, Dugan! As a small update: with a bit of luck, the final version of LoopA PCBs and a few acrylic cases (with minor updates) are rolling in in the next days. If there is a problem, we will go for another round, no worries! :) Also, the webshop selling all of that just opened, so, good progress is being made! We have to verify, that the new PCBs work. Then you can build your own, any docu work is welcome! We will definitely also create a video build tutorial like for the new Seq V4+, but it will for sure take quite some time, underestimated the last tutorial for the V4+ (and the second part needs to filmed, too). In short words, a LoopA photo tutorial or build manual would be a good thing, thanks for considering to help out with the documentation! Best regards and have a great weekend! Peter

Today, on 18.8.18, not even 30 minutes to midnight, finally: the shop is online! :) https://www.midiphy.com We wanted to launch it today, because it is a nice date and is easily remembered! :) There might be some stock shortages, a few remaining shop system "rough corners" and not all is yet online, but it should work for now :). We've also packaged a "kit" containing all the PCBs and "hard-to-get" parts referenced in the first video tutorial at a special price, so you can now haz all parts as referenced in the first video tutorial :) Builders/owners of early SEQv4+ versions can now get access to the OLEDs, Matias switches, Matias switchcaps, the high-performance superflux LEDs, the recommended encoder knobs and the datawheel, if you are impatient. We will stock up everything that is sold out, so you could also wait until everything (including the new UI PCBs and Adrians case) is finally in stock. No hurries! As a remark, the next PCB shipment is rolling in (it arrived already in Germany), that should contain the final SEQ UI boards (LeMEC, and the new JA board) and we hope to verify these PCBs soon, so that they can be sold, too. No big news on the case front as of yet, Adrian is working on it. Enjoy! Many greets, Peter

Welcome to the forums! Two suggestions/remarks: a) take photos of the end connectors of the original cable, there is a mark on every IDC connector, marking "pin 1". It is usally an arrow. When building a clone cable, make sure you replicate it in a way, that the orientation of the new connectors is identical, with the connector "arrow" marks being on the identical wire strands. b) unfortunately, cable length can be an issue. We ran into a cable length problem with an OLED recently, that was triggered by just adding 20cm of ribbon wire length. Yes, we would not have believed it earlier on :). So, if it still does not work after step a), try to reduce your cable length and see when it works. Good luck, Peter