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ChipMusic.org / Forums / Posts by TraceKaiser
I remember Nintendo released a Pokémon one of these like 5 years ago or so... Japan only of course, but it seemed pretty sweet.
Also, seeing pictures of Sydney always confuses me cause of the bridge. My local city, Newcastle, is somewhat known for the Tyne Bridge, which looks like this:
Thanks for the reply Nitro!
What I'm looking at using for the oscillator is a function generator chip - I can't for the life of me remember the name, it certainly has a 3 in it though! The advantage of it is that it produces square, sine and triangle simultaneously, and all at the same frequency. I can put a variable resistor on each output (well, it will probably be more complex to avoid overloading the filter etc but yknow) and you can combine waveforms thusly.
I was looking at, for the sequencer, having a PIC (most likely a GENIE20 as my school uses a lot of their stuff and I already have experience with the programming software) reading input voltages (as in, the voltage for each note played). It would store up to 16 of these - a skip step button and end button would also be included - and play them back when a pulse is recieved on another leg of the chip. I'll most likely use a 555 astable to trigger this, but it also means you can have a sync input like the Korg Monotribe and trigger it from a click track. It would then output the voltages in binary, to a digital to analogue converter, which would go back to the oscillator and give it the appropriate voltage, meaning I get the right notes.
It's low tech, I know, but that's part of the point of it.
Also, I'm gonna have the LFO sync-able to the sequencer. And hopefully have the LFO trigger the envelope too? I'm not sure. I found an ADSR schematic which uses a 555 timer which I may well be using, but until I get a chance to breadboards stuff I'm not too au fait on how it works.
And I'm hitting a bit of a wall in terms of finding a decent explaination of building a LPF - a diode ladder seems a good choice, but I'm not too sure where to go with it or what to do!
Oh also I'm planning on using the same function generator for the LFO, so you can select it's waveform too 
I'm not too sure how I could interface an external controller other than via MIDI - and I have no clue how I could implement that. I can't make it too complex, for obvious reasons. Making it as simply a module, without any kind of controller, would be totally counter-intuitive to what I want to achieve, so the controller is whatever I can make, really.
Nothing is set yet, so whatever I can actually utilise is will what I make - most likely a stylophone style keyboard and that's by far the simplest to do, and will let me have a wider range of notes in a smaller amount of space. If it's for a newbie, it can't be MASSIVE, so it's something I need to take into consideration
That moment when you fistpump.
Ooh yeah, something with an LDR sounds great, can't believe I hadn't thought of that before!
By detune I mean that often with synths with more than one oscillator, you can tune them separately (effectively play harmonies on a mono synth). Despite the fact my synth produces three different waveforms simultaneously - almost like it has 3 oscillators - you can't tune them independently.
Hmm, I'm not too sure on how I'd make the filter patch in-able to - I think I'd have to put it after the VCA with the envelope, but I'd need to make sure there is no feedback and protect the filter from getting overloaded.
Really, the most complex part is going to be the sequencer, as it's gonna be digital and I've gotta program it and figure out which digital to analogue converter I need to use and all this crazy stuff - the rest of the synth is the more simple part 
BUT ANYWAY
What I really need for my research is for you guys to list features. Like, the features you think a beginner level synth should have - not what it would be nice to have, but what you would expect one to have.
So you'd say like:
2 oscillators
LFO
Low pass filter
Arpeggiator
Etc etc etc
If you can do that, that's what I need!
Though I'm certainly happy to discuss my project too
I think it's most likely going to have a stylophone-style interface, simply because it would be far more practical for me to make than anything else.
The chip I'm using for an oscillator produces all three waveforms at once, so it SORT OF has three oscillators, though you can't detune them from one another. But you will be able to mix between square, sine and triangle to your heart's content!
Yeah, both my album sampler and my actual album got posted there! Much love for Malobit 
Oh yeah, I was gonna have the LFO sync-able with the step sequencer!
Also, could you like, post lists of basic features? Like LFO, then say maybe extra bits to be able to do with it? I need to justify every feature I put in this, sooo... :3
Hey there,
So, in my electronics lesson at school I'm allowed to do any project I wish - and I've decided to produce a beginner-level synthesiser.
As some preliminary research, I'd like to ask you guys what sort of features you'd expect such a thing to have - with this, I'm aiming to fill a gap somewhere between the Monotron and a microKORG. I want to use off-the-shelf components to implement an assortment of features - however, to decide which ones, I need to ask some of you guys!
I'm thinking of having -
VCO with square, sine and triangle waves (selectable all at once if need be, but no detune)
LFO (with square, sine and triangle selectable waveforms)
Low pass filter (cutoff + resonance)
White noise generator
ADSR envelope
16 step sequencer (can be synced externally with a click track, like a Monotribe)
Line out + amplified headphone out
Now, this isn't meant to be barebones like a Monotron. I want this to be something which, whilst not incredible quality, could be sold for a decent price (around £150, maybe even lower) and give beginners a decent taste of synthesis.
If you have any other ideas for what should be included - as long as it's realistic! - then please let me know what you think!
Thanks a lot, this is really crucial to my work!
Chip" "Music
Goddamnit I don't have an invite :c Got a friend who has one but the servers are at capacity or something? Iunno. I'd kinda like in though, as long as it doesn't turn into Google Wave, haha
Subway Sonicbeat wrote:Awkward Terrible
really good as well...they had an album come out 4 days ago and i already ordered it
Yesss they are rad and their album rocks.
I also make sorta indie ish chiptune with vox! http://euanlynn.bandcamp.com :3
YES YES YES YES
So glad you finally got a date organised for this, gonna be so sick.
Hope the street assault's still going down too! 
Hope to see you there dude! Should be a fun night indeed!
I always thought post pot was soldering to the legs of the pot? Cause it changes the volume if you solder to it. You have to solder along a bit more.
I've always thought this sounded like an amazing thing to be able to do. To me, anyway, it sounds kinda like having a VJ in your head, hahah.
I once knew somebody who saw people as colours - I'm green, apparently!
ChipMusic.org / Forums / Posts by TraceKaiser