Custom LSDJ / Nanoloop MPC styled workstation (Page 1) - Tutorials, Mods & How-To's - Forums

1 Dec 22, 2011 12:16 am

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England

Hi guys, this is my first post on this forum. Recently i have been working on a project: it's an LSDJ/Nanoloop music workstation with buit in DSP Fx and amp.

This is by no means a tutorial, it is the first prodotype and when i build the second module i will be compiling a full step by step tutuorial on how to build one

The Idea...

So i was rumaging through some junk i have laying around and unearthed a GBA SP, an old broken NES and an Alesis PicoVerb FX processor. I began thinking on how i could combine all this stuff into something cool. I decided on an 8BIT MPC (sort of)

This is the idea taking shape:

I began with fabricating the GBA screen into the console using aircraft grade bodyfiller and then got my father to paint it at his place of work.

I then decided to use arcade buttons to controll the GBA. 6 in total to controll up, down, left, right, A and B

After installing the arcade buttons i was still left with Start, Select and the R/L bumpers without controll so i got 4 small square buttons for these that match the arcade buttons nicely.

I removed the origional stereo pots of the PicoVerb with 4 mono pots witch utilize the PicoVerb as a primitive 2 channel mixer.

I decided to use the cartride slot for a little patch bay (one switch isnt installed) This patchbay allows you to process the gameboy through the picoverb or an external source and alow you to patch either the GBA or the picovers (or both) to the built in amp and speaker i have yet to install.

I then mounted the bottom half of the gameboy. I decided to mount it here so swaping cartridges is easy and quick. The 1/4" jacks on the back are the stereo ins and outs of the picorverb and the RCA outs are strait from the gameboy.

Power was a bit of a problem. I need 3 voltages. 5.2V DC for the GBA, 9V AC for the PicoVerb and 12V DC for the lights in the arcade buttons and the amp. I decided to dismanltle the 3 power supplies and install them in a gutted Xbox power brick. This will conect to the console using a DIN plug suppliying all 3 voltages neetly.

That's all for now, i'll keep you guys updated with the build.

I'll leave you with some more pics and a video of testing the device:

Youtube Video (Testing controls/audio with Tetris)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykUwqYIr7FY

Last edited by LoFi Future (Dec 22, 2011 12:17 am)

2 Dec 22, 2011 12:27 am

pixls

Offline

Philly, PA, USA

this is pretty interesting, it looks nice, but i'm curious to see if/how it would be preferable to just using a gameboy and a preamp

the work looks very nice though!

3 Dec 22, 2011 12:32 am

nick

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Vancouver, Canada

That looks gorgeous!

4 Dec 22, 2011 3:51 am

Theta_Frost

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Milwaukee, WI

Very nice casemanship! Fun project.

5 Dec 22, 2011 4:02 am

BR1GHT PR1MATE

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BOSTON

damn, looks awesome. let's hear it in action!

6 Dec 22, 2011 12:03 pm

nickmaynard

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rochester, ny

huh! that looks really good in those later pictures. the paint job is great.

where does your dad work?

7 Dec 22, 2011 5:29 pm

ChipsChallengeBand

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Rochester, NY

Looks awesome!

I'm going to assume NES controllers won't work, though, lol

8 Dec 22, 2011 6:04 pm

LoFi Future

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England

BR1GHT PR1MATE wrote:

damn, looks awesome. let's hear it in action!

Hey thanks, iv got sort of a test video up at the moment, the link is in my first post. But i will be doing a propper test with LSDJ today or tomorow.

9 Dec 22, 2011 6:05 pm

LoFi Future

Offline

England

ChipsChallengeBand wrote:

Looks awesome!
I'm going to assume NES controllers won't work, though, lol

Funny you should say, Im currently wiring the controller ports to the GBA controls to add this feature

10 Dec 22, 2011 6:06 pm

LoFi Future

Offline

England

nickmaynard wrote:

huh! that looks really good in those later pictures. the paint job is great.
where does your dad work?

Thanks, my Dad paints aircraft for a living as a contracter. So he can do the odd job for me in a proffesional spray booth with all the gear.

Last edited by LoFi Future (Dec 22, 2011 6:06 pm)

11 Dec 22, 2011 7:53 pm

Kedromelon

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brooklyn

clever!

12 Dec 22, 2011 10:54 pm

DKSTR

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Finland

Looks cool, but MPCs strong points are not the shape of buttons, its the whole workflow and ui in itself.. And unless I miss something pretty significant from LSDJ, this is far from MPC.

But I guess with some clever arduino usage + arduinoboy + something like Akai MPD could work.. I really love use my mGB with MPC.

But still, really cool and good job, looking forward how this develops!

13 Dec 23, 2011 4:57 am

LoFi Future

Offline

England

DKSTR wrote:

Looks cool, but MPCs strong points are not the shape of buttons, its the whole workflow and ui in itself.. And unless I miss something pretty significant from LSDJ, this is far from MPC.
But I guess with some clever arduino usage + arduinoboy + something like Akai MPD could work.. I really love use my mGB with MPC.
But still, really cool and good job, looking forward how this develops!

well ofcourse. The only MPC thing about this is the looks. I didnt really make that clear on this thread. I do like your idea of using an auduinoboy, some pretty rad possibilities there.

Anyway, regardless. im glad you like and stay tuned as theres plenty more progress being made!