in at the deep end, diy controller

djsynchro · Post by **djsynchro** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 11:33 pm

I feel the exact same WTF is up with that. Can I get a DIY build for dummies?

Doepfer, it's pre built and tested, you just have to connect pots & Switches and build it into a case.

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 11:39 pm

djsynchro wrote:

I feel the exact same WTF is up with that. Can I get a DIY build for dummies?
Doepfer, it's pre built and tested, you just have to connect pots & Switches and build it into a case.

and then it's insanely expensive.

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 11:42 pm

Machinate wrote:
djsynchro wrote:

I feel the exact same WTF is up with that. Can I get a DIY build for dummies?
Doepfer, it's pre built and tested, you just have to connect pots & Switches and build it into a case.
and then it's insanely expensive.

thank god for economy gear like the Lemur.

/bitter

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 11:57 pm

Tone Deft wrote:
Machinate wrote:
djsynchro wrote: Doepfer, it's pre built and tested, you just have to connect pots & Switches and build it into a case.
and then it's insanely expensive.
thank god for economy gear like the Lemur.

/bitter

ouch! yes, I am aware of the irony now. *sulks* Still, for that tiny amount of doepfer hardware one really should get more.

This looks the business:
http://www.lividinstruments.com/hardware_midiy.php -albeit vapour-ware?

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 12:10 am

looks very reasonable, they just threw a big microchip PIC controller on there and wired up tons of I/Os.

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 12:18 am

Tone Deft wrote:looks very reasonable, they just threw a big microchip PIC controller on there and wired up tons of I/Os.

That's it exactly - there is so little stuff on those boards... And I think perhaps someone ought to build stuffed boards for the midibox, but they're apparently "against it"... sigh. That's what we need the asian tech companies for, to stuff our boards, don't they get that? Sheesh

djsynchro · Post by **djsynchro** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 12:36 am

Machinate wrote:and then it's insanely expensive.

Oh yeah? I think their prices are very reasonable. The trick is to get the box pots and switches cheap, I used to get stuff at local electronics shops, now I am wiser and buy from 2 local places on the Internet and an out of town surplus store and my costs have gone down by up to 80% I kid you not!

Buying in your own country helps to keep postage low (but look everywhere anyway). If you can find a local electronic geek forum they are always talking about where you can get cheap parts.

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 12:47 am

djsynchro wrote:
Machinate wrote:and then it's insanely expensive.
Oh yeah? I think their prices are very reasonable.

really... which ones?

We have designed several custom systems for clients by now, and we constantly end up going back to the leobodnar products.
http://leobodnar.com/products/BU0836/ - this costs a lot less than anything doepfer can come up with!
and we're working on both some larger and some smaller rigs using arduino boards as well. Both solutions are so much cheaper. So very much cheaper.

nuperspective · Post by **nuperspective** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 3:20 am

you could try looking here. i built my own and try to make this into a sticky thread [without much success]. i tips and advice i try to put here to help people out.

http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic. ... +knowledge

atb

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 3:26 am

Machinate wrote:
Tone Deft wrote:looks very reasonable, they just threw a big microchip PIC controller on there and wired up tons of I/Os.
That's it exactly - there is so little stuff on those boards... And I think perhaps someone ought to build stuffed boards for the midibox, but they're apparently "against it"... sigh. That's what we need the asian tech companies for, to stuff our boards, don't they get that? Sheesh

looking at this again, I'd warn against that kind of socket and chip (PLCC). there are lots of pins, so it's a tight fit and lots of pins on the chip and socket to bend, real pain in the ass once either get wonky. not too hard to solder down, do opposite corners first. hard to unsolder.

I also don't see a voltage regulator on the board, which means power and ground are being driven from the 'wall wart' power supply, IOW it's not regulated real close to the electronics on boards. lots of switching, not real fast logic, but it builds up. not ideal but regulators are cheap.

james. · Post by **james.** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 12:16 pm

i just bought a built doepfer diy project with 32 pots to use in the mean time while i build my 2 projects.

djsynchro · Post by **djsynchro** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 12:49 pm

Machinate wrote: http://leobodnar.com/products/BU0836/ - this costs a lot less than anything doepfer can come up with!

That looks great, and cheap. But how do you hook that up to MIDI? Do you write a Max patch? Got any more hardware links? I'd be very interested!

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 7:07 pm

djsynchro wrote:
Machinate wrote: http://leobodnar.com/products/BU0836/ - this costs a lot less than anything doepfer can come up with!
That looks great, and cheap. But how do you hook that up to MIDI? Do you write a Max patch?

I do, and it's easy, but you can use a simple joy2midi app, there are free ones out there. They show up like joysticks...

Machinate wrote: Got any more hardware links? I'd be very interested!

There are so many avenues you can pursue. I recommend having a look at my tag cloud here:
http://del.icio.us/wetterberg

- not really organized yet, but the key words are there.
http://del.icio.us/wetterberg/arduino

http://del.icio.us/wetterberg/diy

http://del.icio.us/wetterberg/controller

and so on.

mikemc · Post by **mikemc** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:38 pm

james. wrote: think its more blind ignorance mixed with a bit of dumbass

yes, these are essential components

fwiw, the whole thing about loaded boards/easier kits... yeh, for example, what I'd like is a tiny 3" square box with four potentiometers that send midi out of 4 different CC's. That's all. But looking at those mini korg things with the knobs, might as well get one of those and make due, because of how the price works out.

But why doesn't someone who can mass produce come out with a tiny box with four knobs as above for, like, $30? people would buy them just to find something to do with them.

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:42 pm

mikemc wrote: But why doesn't someone who can mass produce come out with a tiny box with four knobs as above for, like, $30? people would buy them just to find something to do with them.

that's what's so great about the leobodnar units. They're throw-away cheap, almost, yet will run 32 buttons and 8 VERY HIGH RES knobs, a lot higher than regular midi.