Question about analog pots connected to J5

MIDIbox SID
1

Hello,

I’ve built a core and SID module and everything is working fine. While I’m waiting for my DIN and DOUT kits to arrive I’ve hooked up five 10k pots to J5. I do not yet have a control surface built so I’m wondering if there is a way to assign these pots to control certain parameters by default (since I don’t have a control surface to assign them with yet) I can’t seem to find a string in the MAIN.asm that would allow this, am I missing something?

I finally figured out how to build my custom .hex file, and I enabled pots on J5 by setting it to “1” but i can’t find any entries that would allow me to specify what parameters they control. It looks like the idea was totally scrapped in favor of DIN encoders. Any tips please?

TK?

2

Ok, i may be far off here, because i only used J5 for a few LEDs, but i was looking at the mbsid setup asm file, and it says

;; 1: J5 used for analog inputs - A0..A4 control Knob#1..#5 , A5..A7 are not used at all

Then i took a look in the MBSID manual, where there is a chapter on the front panel. Scrolling down to ‘Complete Control Surface — OSC section’, there you can see that the 5 knobs are named #1 to #5, and the description says:

The knob layer gives you access to 5 customizable parameters, which can be assigned to two different sound parameters, and which are also available as modulation sources. A Min/Max range can be specified for each knob individually. Assignments and ranges are stored within the patch structure - so, each patch can have its own set. This feature is intended for ergnomic usage during live playing, but also for easy MIDI automation (activate the CC function to send knob movements, so that they can be recorded with a sequencing software).

Then, i looked at the chapter about Lead Engine. Scrolling down to ‘KNoBs menu’ (there are a similar paragraph in the chapters for Bassline, Drums and Multi too):

Knob values can not only be changed within the KNB menu, but also with the 5 rotary encoders of the OSC assign layer. In addition, they can be controlled via analog pots connected to J5.A0..A4 (DEFAULT_J5_FUNCTION set to 1), and via MIDI, giving access to the parameters on a generic way (e.g. for automation). Knob1 is assigned to CC#1 (Modulation Wheel), and Knob2-5 to CC#16-19

In that same chapter it says everything needed to know about the parameters involed, how to adjust them to taste and evrything else.

I hope that you get your knobs working, so you can start tweak some nice sounds and enjoy your MBSID fully :smiley: But as i said in the start of the post, i did not play with this stuff myself, so i cross my fingers for your success.

PS. how did you connect these pots to J5? Which lugs on the pots goes to which pins on J5?

3

Ok, i may be far off here, because i only used J5 for a few LEDs, but i was looking at the mbsid setup asm file, and it says

Then i took a look in the MBSID manual, where there is a chapter on the front panel. Scrolling down to ‘Complete Control Surface — OSC section’, there you can see that the 5 knobs are named #1 to #5, and the description says:

Then, i looked at the chapter about Lead Engine. Scrolling down to ‘KNoBs menu’ (there are a similar paragraph in the chapters for Bassline, Drums and Multi too):

In that same chapter it says everything needed to know about the parameters involed, how to adjust them to taste and evrything else.

I hope that you get your knobs working, so you can start tweak some nice sounds and enjoy your MBSID fully :smiley: But as i said in the start of the post, i did not play with this stuff myself, so i cross my fingers for your success.

PS. how did you connect these pots to J5? Which lugs on the pots goes to which pins on J5?

The first two pins are ground and voltage, the next five are for the pots and the last three get tied to ground, I folloed the schematic provided by TK. However, I have not seen an example of anyone implementing this in their sidbox yet. Everything I’ve ssen uses encoders wired to DIN for knobs 1-5.

attached is a picture of some different control surface layouts I’m working on. I plan to build the minimal design in the top left first since I only have one DIN and one DOUT on the way

I still haven’t found an answer to my question, I already read the things you linked to before i asked, and it seems the only way to assign the function of 1-5 is from the minimal control surface (which I don’t have yet) but thanks for the input

post-9674-009582100 1303764267_thumb.jpg
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4

You could use Rutger’s Editor to assign the knobs w/o a control surface:

Modulation Wheel is assigned to first AIN

CC#16 is assigned to second AIN

CC#17 is assigned to third AIN

CC#18 is assigned to fourth AIN

CC#19 is assigned to fitth AIN

Best Regards, Thorsten.

mbsidv2_editor_global.png
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5

You could use Rutger’s Editor to assign the knobs w/o a control surface:

Modulation Wheel is assigned to first AIN

CC#16 is assigned to second AIN

CC#17 is assigned to third AIN

CC#18 is assigned to fourth AIN

CC#19 is assigned to fitth AIN

Best Regards, Thorsten.

OK, I built as much of a control surface as possible with only 3 shift registers (One of my shift registers is bad, I confirmed this by moving it sround and the problem followed the bad IC) anyways I have 5 menu select buttons (4x20 LCD) page up, page down, shift, inc, dec, execute (main menu button) menu encoder, 5 OSC encoders, and the “ctrl” button that toggles between “knob” “misc” and “osc” encoder layers.

So I have another question about analog pots while I’m waiting for another shift register:

If I hook up the Env “ctrl” button, can I use the analog pots to control the env layer? Or am I only able to control the “assign” layer with analog pots?

Also, I got a really nice pitchbend/mod joystick from an old korg keyboard that got broken by UPS. It has one 10k pot on each axis. I would like to hook this up to J5 also. Any chance we can make use of the three unused pins on J5 soon? Like, it says in the walk through “for future features” and I’m sure that was written in the distant past… I know you’re a busy guy TK, but it would be really awesome to be able to use those other 3 pins. I would hook up the joystick, and an analog ribbon controller!

If not I’ll just get a toggle switch so I can choose between the joystick or the first two pots, but it would be so cool to be able to control unigue parameters with the Joy instead of the same stuff I can do with two of my pots!

mbsidv2_editor_global.png
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6

If I hook up the Env “ctrl” button, can I use the analog pots to control the env layer? Or am I only able to control the “assign” layer with analog pots?

no, analog pots can only be used for the “assign” layer, there is no way to map them to other sections of the CS.

Also, I got a really nice pitchbend/mod joystick from an old korg keyboard that got broken by UPS. It has one 10k pot on each axis. I would like to hook this up to J5 also. Any chance we can make use of the three unused pins on J5 soon? Like, it says in the walk through “for future features” and I’m sure that was written in the distant past… I know you’re a busy guy TK, but it would be really awesome to be able to use those other 3 pins. I would hook up the joystick, and an analog ribbon controller!

The firmware already scans all 8 inputs, the the remaining 3 values are not forwarded to any parameter yet.

I could forward them to the remaining 3 knob functions (which are normaly used for velocity/aftertouch and pitchbender), but I’m not sure if this is really what you want…

Adding another mapping would be too time consuming work for me (not only the programming, but also finding a perfect solution which fits to future requests, enhancing documentation, answering future questions about this feature like this one…)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

7

The firmware already scans all 8 inputs, the the remaining 3 values are not forwarded to any parameter yet.

I could forward them to the remaining 3 knob functions (which are normaly used for velocity/aftertouch and pitchbender), but I’m not sure if this is really what you want…

It would be fantastic if you could forward to those three parameters, I think “pitchbend” would be very useful if a user wanted to build a pitch bend wheel or joystick into the control surface.

I understand that it would not make much sense to do alternate mappings since the “assign” layer is optimized for the five parameters on screen. I also understand that you must be very busy, so if I never see this feature I will understand. Have you had any other ideas about functions these pins could be used for in the future?

8

Have you had any other ideas about functions these pins could be used for in the future?

All 8 available inputs could be provided as modulation matrix source.

This would allow to apply mathematical operations (even between multiple pins or other sources such as LFO/ENV), before the value is forwarded to a modulation target.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

9

All 8 available inputs could be provided as modulation matrix source.

This would allow to apply mathematical operations (even between multiple pins or other sources such as LFO/ENV), before the value is forwarded to a modulation target.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

I’m not sure that I understand how that would work. Is this something that would be used to combine control voltages from external sources?

10

I’m not sure that I understand how that would work. Is this something that would be used to combine control voltages from external sources?

Yes, and/or with internal sources.

You could even forward the modulation result to an AOUT module to use the MBSID as a nice resampling machine :wink:

See also this manual page: http://www.ucapps.de/midibox_sid_manual_l.html

Keyword “modulation matrix menu”

Best Regards, Thorsten.