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Can I build a MIDIbox FM using a different brain?


fhertz
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Hi,

 

Finding the MIDIbox project was sort of a long path.  I wanted the sound of a Yamaha YM2612, so first I Googled.  I found some Ebay listings for chips and bought one.  Then I needed to find a way to cause it to make sound.  I saw that most people were using something called a Teensy (teensyduino) to handle the messages that the YM2612 needs.  So I bought one of those.  Then I had no idea what to do so I asked for help on the Teensyduino forum, and the first response was that I ought to check out your project.  This is why I am here.  It looks like I have wasted a lot of time and energy until now.

 

I was looking for the source code of MIDIbox to see if it could be used to run a YM2612, and to see if it made enough sense for me to give my current microcontroller some instructions.  Basically, I know nothing and I shouldn't even try to do this kind of insane project with zero experience in the matter.

 

So my question is, is MIDIbox basically married to the suggested microcontroller?

 

Also, where's the source code?

 

This project looks really great and I wish I found it before I blew all sorts of money buying random parts that I may not even be able to use.

 

Main interest: FM

 

thanks!

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Welcome! :)

 

MIDIbox is married to two microcontroller controller categories - 8bit PIC controllers, and 32bit ARM controllers, forget Arduino! :)

You'll find everything documented on TK.s site: http://www.ucapps.de

Fortunately, all of those platforms are not really expensive. There have been porting efforts to different platforms, but it is usually not worth the effort, when you can assemble a MIDIbox core for ~ 30-40 Euros.

 

The original MIDIbox FM runs on the old 8-bit PIC platform, but there has been a user project porting it to the new 32bit systems, search for MIDIbox FM or MIDIbox FM 2.0.

 

Many greets and enjoy! :-)

Peter

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Thanks Peter!

 

my 32 bit microcontroller has the below processor:

 

MK20DX256VLH7
Cortex-M4

72 MHZ overclockable to 96 MHZ

 

Where would you suggest a complete newbie to start? , both this forum and ucapps.de are very dense with material.

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You're welcome!

 

Recommendation:

 

read this page:

http://ucapps.de/midibox_fm.html

 

Under "Hardware costs" you have links to the necessary modules to build (there are links to the modules and how to build them).

You will need to build a MBHP_CORE, a MBHP_OPL3, a DINx4, a DOUTx4 module and need a special bipolar PSU. It is not a super-easy newbie project, but well doable. The modules and their hardware requirements are all explained and linked from the given page. You will have to do some reading on ucapps.de! :-)

 

If you want to continue with the 32bit platform, contact Sauraen (forum message) and ask him what you need.

In any case, I don't think it makes sense to continue with your microcontroller, unless it is packed on a LPC1769 or STM32F4 devboard - these are natively supported.

 

Many greets,

Peter

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since I already have synth chips, I wonder if anyone knows how they actually work, what sort of signals they want (pulse modulated sysex messages or what), whether they are digital or analogue signals, what frequency of signals, etc.  i have 7.68MHZ crystal oscillators too.  insight like that.

Edited by fhertz
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