Miniature Synth Interest Poll

Inventor

Hi, I get positive responses when I mention this project so I thought it would be worth doing. It is a simple, inexpensive, miniature synthesizer. Instead of being rack-mounted with panels and jacks and cables, it exists as little bitty circuit boards that get hooked together by wire.

Circuits will be very simple one-chip dealies, classic opamp and 555 type circuits, passive and active filters. Pots are thumbwheel type and switches are DIP switches or similar. Interconnect is with mini-screw terminals or to save cost, soldered wire.

The boards may be arranged in any configuration physically. If you want to make a ring of three oscillators, well, that would look like a ring. You could make a BuckyBall or a Christmas Tree with LED modules that responded to microphone input, flashing the lights in response for example. So the system is it's own block diagram, physically in 3D space.

In exchange for super low-cost and 3D structure, we give up precision and quality. This is not the synth that you create your masterpiece on, it is the synth that you play with your kids on. Or make a gift for your loved ones. It's a poor man's synth, so to speak.

So I was advised to write this post to evaluate interest in the project. I've just created two of the initial modules and I am having fun with it, but the real fun is in collaboration and working as a team. I really enjoy the community spirit of electro-music.com and I'd like to participate in this way. Oh, the boards would be sold through electro-music.com just like the klee, etc.

So what do you think?

Inventor · Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:25 pm Post subject:

I have just thrown together a quick and slightly humorous little web page with a description of EChucK plus links to the first two boards: a 9V power board and a microphone input board. The page is here:

http://www.freedomodds.com/music/echuck/index.html

Have a look, have a laugh, and enjoy thinking about the concept, whether you are interested enough to participate or not. Oh, and thanks for clicking on the poll above, that helps.

Inventor · Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 8:49 pm Post subject:

Wow, I just posted about the website earlier today to the ChucK Users mailing list and in the previous post of this thread. Already there have been over 100 hits! Plus the poll now indicates that at least five people would like to contribute to the project! I couldn't be happier with the response.

If you would like to be a collaborator, I suggest that you check out the web site as I have been updating it all evening and there is plenty to read or skim over already. Then once you've read the standards that I have suggested, please feel free to post here with your thoughts. Is a single-supply too limiting? What boards would you like to see us develop? How would you like to contribute to the project?

There has been an active discussion about it on the ChucK Users mailing list and I hope we can do the same here. Cheers and best wishes!

dalasv · Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 5:54 pm Post subject:

Sounds cool. Bookmarking this thread.

Inventor · Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 6:10 pm Post subject:

Inventor · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 10:20 am Post subject:

It's time for a status update. EChucK is now "Ready" in the sense that a full working system can be constructed from the open source board files located on the web page.

The support components are all in place and there is one enabling module, the dsPIC general purpose module, that makes the whole thing be a full working system. Details are explained on the web page linked above, or click on the www button below to get to my music page where there is a link at the top to the EChucK web page.

At this time I must wait for income to make the circuit boards and to set up a PC for running the software, so things are sort of on hold. In the meantime I will design more modules.

asafnetzer · Joined: Jun 16, 2007 Posts: 112 Location: Israel

Hey Inventor,

I have read the first post a few days ago and didn't respond as I've waited for more to show up so I could fully understand.
Well, I still don't fully understand Embarassed

(my lack of knowledge) but it's looks very interesting.
I love the tiny modular thinking and the endless possibilities.
Maybe it's a bit early to think about and I know the main modules would work with a 9v supply which is great (and cheap), still with thoughts of both digital and analog inputs,
maybe a single supply would keep this mainly with the digital area.
Thanks for the updates and for making this public, I wise I could help, maybe later on.

Best Regards,

Asaf

Inventor · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:02 pm Post subject:

Inventor · Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 2:00 pm Post subject:

Status update: After three revisions, I have now completed the first PCB panel consisting of a power supply, four dsPIC modules, and various small support and interconnect modules. I will be submitting it to the board house in a few days and will receive the boards eight days after that.

Plus I have good news: I already have an advance customer who wishes to purchase one of the four panels! I'll need one, so that leaves two panels available if anyone is interested. Things are happening fast! Cheers.