Success! For a while there I couldn’t work out if it was working or not as I am using the pre-burned PICs that have MIOS installed already so it just sits there waiting after one tiny SysEx message. I used the MIOS studio application to upload a sample application and those lovely random CC messages started flowing up the screen.

These are generated by the fact the analogue inputs have no grounding or pots attached but that means in theory we are go!

The relief is without measure.

Most important on the table was the laptop pointing at the layout for the Core on Smash’s website which has handy diagrams and info about all the parts and where they go.

Starting with the resistors I used the resistor layout guide at the foot of the Core layout page then double checked with my multi-meter before soldering to the board. These boards are different from the kits I’d put together before as the holes for the component legs have very small solder pads on the bottom of the board but are tinned right through to the front so you fill the holes with solder rather than build up huge blobs on the back (with any luck). After the first few I seemed to get the knack for this and I’m by no means a soldering expert.

Using a small pair of pointed nose pliers I pre-bent the resistor legs so they had a clean 90 degree bend so they sit nice and low on the board. I then place then in situ in groups of two or three, flip the board and use the weight of the board to hold them in place while soldering.

I then moved on to the diode (I’m hoping I got it the right way round!) and the other low level components. Once all the smaller components were in I soldered in the mounts for the ICs, the DIL headers (the upright pins that connect the other circuit boards), the largest capacitor and finally the midi sockets.

Quick tip for those of us without fancy multi arm PCB and component holders… To get the IC mounts and the DIL headers on flush to the board is to grab a small amount of solder on the end of your iron, hold the mount in the right position then dap the iron to a corner leg on the back. That will grab the mount and enable you to turn the board over solder all the other pins easily and finish up cleaning up the dab of solder you used on the first leg.

All in all it took me about two hours from sitting down to having the finished board (without ICs) and pouring my self a nice glass of white beer my colleague Chris very kindly brought me back from his trip to Germany.

It was very welcome after the solder fumes and I can only hope when I finally plug it all in it works.. I would have done it that night but totally forgot to get a power supply which is pretty typical.

Back from San Fran a week ago.. Just about got my jet lag under control and I had to go and play at Moles Club in Bath for my monthly residency there. Nice 5:30am bed time and my body clock essentially just gave up trying I think.

On the up side I have finally finished the first draft of the Midibox PCBs that hold the illuminated switches and pots that a friend of mine has agreed to etch in return for costs + beer which was very kind of him.

If anyone has any interest at all then please feel free to take a look over them and see if you can spot any obvious errors.. These are my first ever layouts so I’ve probably made some sort of schoolboy error I’m sure…

MidiBox V3

Oh and if the headline rings bells, it means you are a fan of some pretty obscure, but excellent, electronic music.

— Edit - Updated the PDF links to a slightly altered version.

— Edit Again..- Updated the PDF links to V3.

Thought I’d sketch out how my Midibox will work and be laid out (currently).

As you read through you’ll be able to tell I’ve been thinking about this for ages and I think that the initial planning is crucial when designing a controller for yourself. I’ve been using an MPD24 in the short term to prototype out the Live layout to check that what I dreamt up actually works when you are in front of a crowd and this final controller layout is the end result of months of testing.

The basic Ableton Live document will comprise of 4 channels bussed to one ‘group’ channel for the drums and percussion and 4 channels for the musical elements. Each channel will have three pots (level, and two other functions TBC) and three buttons (‘channel on/off’, start clip and stop clip) on the controller. Both group channels will have a ‘channel on/off’ button and two knobs for functions TBC. The 5th knob will control the Q of all the filters in the layout.

The three buttons under the group section will control scene up/down and scene start so I can build the tune using individual clips but also launch entire scenes if I need to.

The end line of controls is set up to control the send effect, probably a delay (a dubstation probably) so it’ll be mapped to feedback, speed and highpass. The buttons below will be things like the Loop, Sync buttons on the dubstation.

The two groups of 12 buttons under each group is the fun stuff and is is applied individually to the drum and the music group.

The first 6 of each side will control beat repeat in Live. I have it set up (and working with my MPD24 and Midipipe at the moment) so each button does two things. The first is common to all 6 buttons and the is the ‘repeat’ button in the Beat Repeat plugin. The second function is to change the speed of the repeat. This allows me to ‘play’ the repeat in a more musical way rather than relying on the random functions to create variation.

These buttons also are linked to the synced speed of an AutoPan set up as a square wave tremolo with it’s on/off button set to one of the second group of 6 buttons. This allows me to chop off the second half of the repeats to create a much more stuttery effect. It also allows me to choose a speed of trem and just engage that without doing an actual repeat.

The remaining 5 buttons will enable a further 5 effects (either momentary or toggle depending). Including the Audio Buffer glitch plogue groups I’ve made available below and probably something along the lines of a flanger / phaser and a couple of Crazy Ivan settings I’ve knocked up that do some oddness.

All the buttons are illuminated and I will use the Midi Feedback functions in Live to enable things like clip playback status, effect on/off status and things like the Trem button will flash to let me know what speed it’s currently running at etc.

One final thing that isn’t on the layout is a ‘visual click’ which will be 6 LEDs on the box somewhere that will tick from one to the next on each beat providing me with a silent reference beat when all the delays, glitch and madness that will be going on throws my internal clock. The reason it’s six is it will cover most of the time signatures I can think of in a vaguely meaningful way.

In short, whilst I’d love a monome, the limitations of that controller are what made me decide to go for a custom controller. The thing I took from the monome is that visual feedback on the controller is paramount if you want to avoid the “Checking My Email” problem.

Packed amazingly well. Shrink Wrapped, then bubble wrap, then a shipping box, then packing paper then a bigger box.. This packet was intended to arrive in one piece and it did.

Tim (SmashTV) himself was very helpful and friendly on the email, and he does a grand job which I for one appreciate as without him (or Mike at the other midibox shop) I would stand next to zero chance of getting a project like this off the ground.

Look good lit up as well..

For those not aware Midibox is a open source custom midi controller project designed by a nice chap called Thorsten Klose and let free into the world for those of us who cannot find the right midi controller for our needs. There’s several types of Midibox. Some for boxes with motorised faders, some that are stand alone midi sequencers and even SID chip based synths. All are build at home and decidedly non-commercial. In fact you can’t even sell your midibox without asking permission!

I’ve salvaged my pots, found some illuminated buttons that I can afford and the kit should be here in the next few weeks with any luck.

First stage is to get the Core and I/O boards built which by all accounts is not too bad and with any luck by the time I’m back from the WWDC I’ll be well on my way to start testing.