Needed to make a DMX controller that would be able to map incoming MIDI data to DMX data. I have built DMX controllers using Arduino UNO boards together with DFRobot DMX shield. This is first time I needed to include a serial interface in the form of USB MIDI. Most Arduino DMX libraries use serial … Read More
I have done quite a few embedded projects using 8-bit microcontrollers such as Atmega328 or Atmega644 etc. These are the ones that are used in Arduino boards. These chips have 10-bit DAC converters for reading analog values. The usual problem when pulling the data from these inputs is the jitter. You for example wire a … Read More
I have been studying the behaviour of Andromatic together with my fellow media archeologist Derek Holzer. In the video above I’m going through the workings of the Andromatic sequencer. In this post I attempt to explain this sequencer in more detail. The usage of pitch, gain and sustain knobs is not included here. Only how … Read More
List of components used in EMS Synthi 100. Some information useful in servicing VCS3 (and Synthi A(KS)) as well? Synthi 100 is an analog / digital hybrid system. Digital chips (TTL/MDTL) are mostly used in Sequencer circuitry. Potentiometers Most potentiometers are ERIE 10k LIN M0, 3/8″ bushing, 1/4″ (6.35mm) shaft. Exceptions are: Original potentiometers are … Read More
Synthi 100:s, at least most of them, were shipped with DAWE Frequency Counter 3000A. They are not awfully complex devices, but haven’t been able to source any technical documentation on them. Typically they seem to get slightly glitchy, some digits work, some not. Now during my visit to Radio Belgrade III Electronic Studio spend few … Read More
Link collection for DIMI-A building workshop at Aalto University in December 2022. Short Summary of Erkki Kurenniemi’s instruments Electric music instrument circuit evolution DIMI-A build repository DIMI-A user manual (draft) Articles online: Erkki Kurenniemen sähkösoittimet (in Finnish) Erkki Kurenniemi, a man from the future Design Principles and User Interfaces of Erkki Kurenniemi’s Electronic Musical Instruments … Read More
Analog vs Digital The word analogue is used to reflect the concept when some physical phenomenon is converted into its electric signal analogue. The word digital is used when a phenomenon properties are coded, then decoded. Digital circuits are built from “analog” components. Sequencers can’t be built without digital circuits. I would divide sequencer to … Read More
Erkki Kurenniemi (10. July 1941 – 1. May 2017) Mika Taanila: The Future is Not What it Used to Be (trailer), 2002 University of Helsinki Music Research Laboratory aka University of Helsinki Electronic Music Studio is founded during semester 61-62 Integrated Synthesizer (1964) Designed as main unit of UHMRL. Build starts during summer 1964 Modules … Read More
PCBs PCB layouts: 1100 front reference 1101 front reference 1103 front reference 1104 front reference 1105 front reference 1106 front reference logic board front reference BOM 1100 1101 1103 1104 1105 1106 1107 LOGIC BOARD Rack Sheets: 2mm Sheet 2mm 395mm x ~29mm + ~400mm + ~29mm. Bent U shaped bottom cover. Sheet 5mm Profiles: … Read More
There is lot of info about calibrating Serge modules, especially in the documentation made by Ken Stone. I was servicing a bigger system and find that on some modules the instructions I could find were incomplete or lacked few details. Although most probably the procedures below are not flawless either. DUSG Patch TRIG IN to … Read More