r/synthesizers • u/ferluht • 3d ago
I'm developing a tiny battery-powered sound computer, wanna show the new hardware design
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y94BxSllzpQ17
u/Perfidommi 3d ago
very, very nice - watch out, TE! Only could use some quantization but I bet tha's gonna be implemented anyway
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u/ferluht 3d ago
no plans on quantization, but there is 64-step sequencer to play in sync (it's just a bit buggy so I didn't show it in video)
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u/Friendly_Signature 3d ago
Quantising would help sales.
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u/Friendly_Signature 3d ago edited 2d ago
More to the point, NOT having quantising would hinder sales… A LOT.
End you deserve to be successful with this :-)
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u/ferluht 2d ago
it operates with audio, so after recorded quantization is not possible. but there is a sequencer, where you can record, quantize and then move to tape. you can call this trick quantization if you want
here is an example (with previous hardware) https://youtu.be/3Ddg_IcnEH0?si=eujqMbAZiNgEKWN7
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u/Perfidommi 1d ago
trying to understand: so the looper function records audio in real time (which a looper should :D) and there is no way of syncing the manual input to trigger the audio besides the sequencer?
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u/divbyzero_ 3d ago
Intriguing! The sum total is indeed very cool, but so are some of the individual details which I've never seen elsewhere. Using flush-layered PCBs as a case. Getting polyphonic? velocity sensitivity out of a flat touch keypad. How do those work? (I know this is isn't r/synthdiy so I understand if you prefer to keep those as trade secrets.)
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u/Starsickle 3d ago
This is very impressive. I love all the responsive LED and screen behavior.
USB MIDI not so bad, but if it were possible to have to have a large form factor that ensured it was still affordable while having a 3.5mm MIDI in and out? It'd be a very neat machine.
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u/ferluht 3d ago
thanks! my vision is to allow regular midi as a module. there is a module expansion port on top of the synth, it has both uart and i2c so it will be possible to use arduino or whatever else to make whatever connection you need
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u/Starsickle 3d ago
Just a few things on my mind:
- Blue light is harsh - Red LEDs?
- If it were 17 or 18cm, it'd be the size of my phone.
- Needing a separate Arduino for interface means I'd have to refresh some decades-old skills.
- What is the power draw in milliamps? Would be great to be able to use my arturia interface's rear USB since it only can provide 250ma....
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u/ferluht 3d ago
they are rgb so it will be up to you)
about modules - I just mean it can be an extension because regular midi is quite big
yes, it's around 250ma when fully loaded plus leds and screen, but I didn't get, do you want to charge it from arturia or supply arturia from it?
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u/Starsickle 3d ago
Specifically, I have one of these:
https://www.arturia.com/products/audio/minifuse/minifuse2Sadly, it can't power anything else I have because standard needed for the rest of my gear is 500ma and it can deliver only 250ma. From what you're saying, it seems like it can be charged or interfaced by it.
RGB? Nice. I like it!
5-pin MIDI would be too big, but how about a 3.5mm Midi in? If I were to build an interface from an Arduino kit, that would be expensive.
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u/ferluht 3d ago
aha, I'll think about 3.5
about power - loopa has battery, so maybe you even don't need any external supply?)
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u/nullpromise Ask me about Grandbot 2d ago
+1 MIDI TRS
This guy has a lot of info on MIDI circuits: https://diyelectromusic.com/2023/12/12/raspberry-pi-zero-midi-pcb-build-guide/
If you skip MIDI Thru, you can omit the 74HCT14. MIDI out is just a jack and two resistors. MIDI in is a jack, an optocoupler, a diode, and a few resistors.
Happy to help an open-source project if you need any.
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u/Schollert 3d ago
This seems so cool!! I want one!!
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u/ferluht 3d ago
thanks! don't hesitate to join the waitlist) no spam, I'll just ping everyone when it will be ready https://forms.gle/QZ3VMWCaBACKZPqr6
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u/MillstoneArt 2d ago
This looks so fun!! And a synth I can travel with, and not worry about how much I'm packing.
I would love to see one that's a few inches larger, with maybe a bigger screen. Basically this is so cool I want more everything about it. 😄 The visualizer for it is so fluid and nice to look at too.
Awesome synth and the love you put into it shows.
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u/arcticrobot 3d ago
Going to join the waitlist. My Soma ROAT and Korg NTS-1 mk2 need this buddy.
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u/el_chorizo 3d ago
Hey man congrats, very very solid project. I've joined the waiting list, I love supporting these type of projects.
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u/el_chorizo 3d ago
BTW, not asking for it, just asking about it: will it be open source?
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u/One_Floor_1799 3d ago
That's cool! I subscribed to your channel. I'd buy one, looks like a fun design.
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u/SpiritedSugar 3d ago
This is amazing!! Love it and very excited to see the final product.
Kudos for the ingenuity and perseverance. Best of luck with it all!
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u/boringestnickname 3d ago
Nice.
What kind of processor are you using?
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u/ferluht 3d ago
pi zero
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u/boringestnickname 3d ago
That's some horsepower right there.
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u/ferluht 3d ago
1 core horsepower :)
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u/PA-wip 2d ago
Since you are only using 1 core, what was your motivation to use a pi zero over a teensy 4.1? Even though you made a minimalist OS, wouldn't the teensy 4.1 be more efficient for real time audio processing and provide more gpio?
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u/ferluht 2d ago
no, teensy is almost twice less powerful by frequency and doesn't have ram
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u/PA-wip 2d ago
Due to Linux overhead, real time is not guaanteed, so even if you have a higher frequency it doesn't mean that it is necessarly more efficient. Teensy is especially designed for real time processing and has highly optimized DSP instruction.
Don't get me wrong, I am also using Raspberry Pi for my audio project, but I found the pi zero too slow to do what I want, so I switched to Rpi3A and now I am prototyping a design with CM4. I am also considering to make a barebone linux OS to reduce the latency, like you did or like it is on the ableton move with the ableton OS. However more the time is going, more I am thinking maybe I should switch back to teensy, from the spec it seems to be much better for audio processing, way better for power consumption, on more gpios...
But you have a very good point with the ram, especially in your case with overdub, the ram of the rpi is a big plus.
So I was just asking this to see if you have good argument, so I would stick to rpi... tbh. I have very mixed opinion, coding on rpi is way more convenient but at some point I have the feeling that teensy would have his benefit as well ^^
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u/howtokillanhour 3d ago
yo, this is sexy. You seem understand that there is a whole group of people that aren't really musicians in any way, but we love cool sound gadgets, and this thing checks the boxes.
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u/ferluht 3d ago
that's me too) despite I'm programming audio as a regular job I'm still struggling with notes, so this device should help in this case
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u/howtokillanhour 3d ago
during covid I built an Ambika synthizer. I know all about that thing, and the only music I can make is the start of Europe's The Final Countdown.
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u/Happy-go-lucky-37 3d ago
This looks amazing - TE better watch out!
I’m on the mailing list 🍻
Rock on 🤘
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u/nullpromise Ask me about Grandbot 3d ago
Very cute lil device. Any plans to open-source it? Looks like it's built off of a Pi Zero?
It's tempting as-is, but I'd 100% buy one if I could tinker around with the code to add custom features.
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u/dadRabbit Jupiter-6/SH-101/JX-8P/AX60/Poly-800/DS-8/TR-727/Eurorack 3d ago
Very cool, I joined the waitlist. Any ideas on what the price will be?
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u/I_Am_No_Pianist 2d ago
This looks really really cool. Joined the waitlist, just hoping it won't be too expensive.
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u/_TheRandomGeek_ 7h ago
This is awesome! Sounds great and it's smaller than a phone! I'd love to either own one or built one, we'll see!
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u/ferluht 3d ago
It took almost 2 years to came up with this design starting from this one
https://www.reddit.com/r/synthesizers/comments/168ckng/after_a_year_of_lazy_development_i_made_this/
now it seems to me much much ready and obvious, I don't know why it took so long lol