Thanks for the encouraging reply!
To quote a popular new Rush album ....
"....I can't stop thinking big, I can't stop thinking big...."
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MIDI Presets for your analog stompbox? YUP!
- Thread starter Flux Jetson
- Start date
To quote a popular new Rush album ....
"....I can't stop thinking big, I can't stop thinking big...."
I feel it should be added that compnaies like Tech 21 have been doing digi/analog devices for YEARS. Guys like them are gonna be like "What the hell? We've been doing digital control over analog pathways forever!" Just sayin'...
Until recently I didn't realize how easy it was to apply that technology. Now that I know, I'm like, "What the hell?"
Yup yup ... it takes so little to implement this stuff. It just took a few folks to go out on a limb and produce a few ICs with the right firmware so that the masses could apply the tech.Until recently I didn't realize how easy it was to apply that technology. Now that I know, I'm like, "What the hell?"
A few years ago we were all studying how diodes made the sound distort, and how ICs were made into signal amplifers, and how to make true-bypass setups for our older buffered pedals.
Then the state of the art grew to include mo-betta-butta such as more sophisticated understanding of transistor operation and use, creating multi-circuits, and just generally doing better work.
We're now ~here~, at the doorstep of melding digital control with analog pathways. Many analog type synths are made that way these days as well as audio processors (in the end, all of these pedalboards and such that we put together are all .. really .. just analog synths. The difference being the sound source is a bass or a guitar rather than a voltage controlled oscillator. But a full-blown multi-FX pedalboard is no less complex or no less capable than my modular synth is ... true dat!)
So here we is, let's make it go!
I can't stop thinking big, I can't stop thinking big...
Thanks for joining in, glad to see you show up here!
In fact it is very appropriate that you participate here Terry......
Folks, I would like to introduce you to the owner of Midipedals.Com. He is the manufacturer of the Cygnus cv-to-MIDI conversion board that is used to convert vintage organ bass pedals into MIDI-Bass pedal units, like the Moog Taurus pedals that Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of the band Rush made popular. I have one Cygnus PCB already and am buying at least two more as teh-munnies finds it's way into my eager paws (only to slip into Midipedals.Coms Paypal account!).
Here he is ... (I wonder who that shmoe on the right is anyway?
)
Here's a link to the Cygnus info page ....
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
And this post would not be complete without the Midipedals.Com logo .... (gotta love the take on the 70s "Keep On Truckin'" character that some of us will remember vividly!)
The Cygnus PCB is a very relevant piece of kit in this digi-analog discussion. It converts an analog on/off signal (like that which any toggle switch or normally open contact provides) into MIDI notes. I am highly impressed with the gear I've rec'd from Midipedals.Com and intend to use it in several of my in-progress projects, such as the two midi-bass pedal projects shared in these two threads ......
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f36/cygnus-midi-bass-pedal-conversion-project-1-a-938717/
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f36/cygnus-midi-bass-pedal-conversion-project-2-her-942438/
Here's a pic of the Cygnus kit ....
Thanks for participating Terry!
Being ~who~ I am, I really should make that part of my signature!Nice quote! Subbed!!
Thanks for joining in, glad to see you show up here!
In fact it is very appropriate that you participate here Terry......
Folks, I would like to introduce you to the owner of Midipedals.Com. He is the manufacturer of the Cygnus cv-to-MIDI conversion board that is used to convert vintage organ bass pedals into MIDI-Bass pedal units, like the Moog Taurus pedals that Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of the band Rush made popular. I have one Cygnus PCB already and am buying at least two more as teh-munnies finds it's way into my eager paws (only to slip into Midipedals.Coms Paypal account!).
Here he is ... (I wonder who that shmoe on the right is anyway?
)Here's a link to the Cygnus info page ....
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
And this post would not be complete without the Midipedals.Com logo .... (gotta love the take on the 70s "Keep On Truckin'" character that some of us will remember vividly!)
The Cygnus PCB is a very relevant piece of kit in this digi-analog discussion. It converts an analog on/off signal (like that which any toggle switch or normally open contact provides) into MIDI notes. I am highly impressed with the gear I've rec'd from Midipedals.Com and intend to use it in several of my in-progress projects, such as the two midi-bass pedal projects shared in these two threads ......
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f36/cygnus-midi-bass-pedal-conversion-project-1-a-938717/
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f36/cygnus-midi-bass-pedal-conversion-project-2-her-942438/
Here's a pic of the Cygnus kit ....
Thanks for participating Terry!
Four Relay Bypass Kits came in!
So far, these four relay bypass kits showed up. They are all Pedal Sync kits ....
Here's the contents of 1 kit ....
So far so good. I'm not crazy about the type of IC sockets that came with them, so I'll replace them with Machine Tool type IC sockets that have gold plated contacts and better specs on the socket-to-socket resistance (better to keep crosstalk between pathways to minimums). The gold contacts of the better sockets can be nothing but better stuffs as well.
The Machine Tooled sockets are the ones on the RIGHT. Everything about them (other than the 5x higher price) is just better. We're talking about a $0.50 part here.
I think I may upgrade those Xicon capacitors to Nichicon caps rated at 105c and 2,000 hour load life. I've found that the Nichicons are just better caps. Nichicon is a USA company (Xicon is Chinese), and they make really nice caps. I have used them for quite some time now, after having used Xicons for years on literally hundreds of audio project builds.
I totally understand why Pedal Sync includes some of these less costly components in these kits, they're trying to keep the overall retail price as low as possible so that the kits are cost effective for the masses of most DIY builders. The price of the special chip as the relay eat up a lot of the overall price (I'm not totally sure but I think that relay is a pretty decent one, it kinda has to be for the chip/relay pair to work reliably and not produce intermittent failures).
Nonetheless I think I'll replace the sockets and the caps ... I have it all on hand so it isn't like I'll have to order them in and wait.
At least they use Metal Film 1% resistors! I use nothing but 1% Metal Films in everything I make. May as well put your best foot forward. For the uninitiated the blue resistors are the Metal Film, tan colored resistors that you see in many pedals are Carbon Film resistors that have a typical specification tolerance of 5%, compared to the Metal Films which are 1% .. and that's plus or minus! That means that if a given resistor is rated at (let's say) 100 ohms, at 5% it could be anywhere from 95 ohms to 105 ohms. Compared to 1% which could be anything from 99 ohms to 101ohms when actually measured.
Since I am yakkity yakking about tolerances, the Xicon caps are usally rated at 20% +/- (gasp!) ... and even though the Nichicons I buy are rated at 10% I have found they rarely break 5% when actually measured with a cap tester. More likely than not they are mostly in the 2% range, from my own observations.
Lecture over.
So far, these four relay bypass kits showed up. They are all Pedal Sync kits ....
Here's the contents of 1 kit ....
So far so good. I'm not crazy about the type of IC sockets that came with them, so I'll replace them with Machine Tool type IC sockets that have gold plated contacts and better specs on the socket-to-socket resistance (better to keep crosstalk between pathways to minimums). The gold contacts of the better sockets can be nothing but better stuffs as well.
The Machine Tooled sockets are the ones on the RIGHT. Everything about them (other than the 5x higher price) is just better. We're talking about a $0.50 part here.
I think I may upgrade those Xicon capacitors to Nichicon caps rated at 105c and 2,000 hour load life. I've found that the Nichicons are just better caps. Nichicon is a USA company (Xicon is Chinese), and they make really nice caps. I have used them for quite some time now, after having used Xicons for years on literally hundreds of audio project builds.
I totally understand why Pedal Sync includes some of these less costly components in these kits, they're trying to keep the overall retail price as low as possible so that the kits are cost effective for the masses of most DIY builders. The price of the special chip as the relay eat up a lot of the overall price (I'm not totally sure but I think that relay is a pretty decent one, it kinda has to be for the chip/relay pair to work reliably and not produce intermittent failures).
Nonetheless I think I'll replace the sockets and the caps ... I have it all on hand so it isn't like I'll have to order them in and wait.
At least they use Metal Film 1% resistors! I use nothing but 1% Metal Films in everything I make. May as well put your best foot forward. For the uninitiated the blue resistors are the Metal Film, tan colored resistors that you see in many pedals are Carbon Film resistors that have a typical specification tolerance of 5%, compared to the Metal Films which are 1% .. and that's plus or minus! That means that if a given resistor is rated at (let's say) 100 ohms, at 5% it could be anywhere from 95 ohms to 105 ohms. Compared to 1% which could be anything from 99 ohms to 101ohms when actually measured.
Since I am yakkity yakking about tolerances, the Xicon caps are usally rated at 20% +/- (gasp!) ... and even though the Nichicons I buy are rated at 10% I have found they rarely break 5% when actually measured with a cap tester. More likely than not they are mostly in the 2% range, from my own observations.
Lecture over.
Not sure how I missed this the first time around - would love to know how it's going, Flux. Adding midi capabilities to analog effects would be mind blowing.
Right? Modding pedals would be rough regarding resale, but if you're one of those people who find pedals they like and don't foolishly sell them...
yeah me too.. been thinking of wiring up my own midi-programmable relay pedal.
This looks to make things a bit less complex than first expected.
I think I brushed past this thread last year, but now it's a bit more relevant to me, so...
This looks to make things a bit less complex than first expected.
I think I brushed past this thread last year, but now it's a bit more relevant to me, so...
How ironic, I was looking at their website to see if they were doing a midi controller for the bass whammy, anyway good luck with midi, I never had any luck with it.
Meh, I'm still here folks. I've had some health issues holding me down for several months, but I"ll be back around soon. I'm still VERY MUCH into all of this stuff, and I have a ton of parts and such kicking around, so these projects (as well as my other oddball doings) are still in the werx, they're just sleeping for a bit whilst their master (yo!) has had some boo-boos to deal with.
PTSD KILLS! KNOW THAT!
Anyhow, I'll be back around soon enough, annoying those who've enjoyed my absense. Haahaa.
Thanks for the encouraging things said here, it helps heal!
PTSD KILLS! KNOW THAT!
Anyhow, I'll be back around soon enough, annoying those who've enjoyed my absense. Haahaa.
Thanks for the encouraging things said here, it helps heal!
Some already are. I know of one boutique builder that is going into it, it's a specialty house that builds custom gear from a menu of options.
This is THE future of DIY and boutique shops, I promise.
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