MIDI to CV Interface

[gstopp at fibermux.com]

     I'm just applying the finishing touches to my 8-channel DAC panel. 
     This is the IBM PC parallel-port controlled thing I wrote about some 
     months ago. I built the circuit board back then, bench tested it, and 
     then stuck it in an antistatic bag and tucked it away. Just recently I 
     got around to working on it (it's also my laser-printed front panel 
     experiment).
     
     Anyway the PC has an old MPU-401 in it (an original from '85-86). 
     Instead of building a microcontroller protoboard with multiple DAC's 
     on it and writing assembly (or even C) and compiling to a binary and 
     burning it into an EPROM or FLASH, I want to write the code on the PC 
     and run it and debug it and use it all on the same machine.
     
     I'll let you guys know how it goes. The panel is built, all I gotta do 
     is run the wires from the circuit board to the panel controls and 
     jacks. Then it's code time. Since the panel is generic 8 CV 8 gate 
     out, I want to try a bunch of different things:
     
     1. Control 8 parameters of a single modular on 1 MIDI channel
     
     2. Control 8 separate mono synths on 8 MIDI channels (mono mode)
     
     3. Control 8 separate mono synths on 1 MIDI channel (poly mode)
     
     First thoughts about the code: probably I'd create an array of the 
     MIDI message values, then create a user-defineable array to relate DAC 
     channels to the MIDI message value array, and make a loop that polls 
     the MIDI port and stores the values and updates the DAC channels. 
     (First thoughts about the code usually go out the window after about 
     an hour of typing). We will see.
     
     Regarding non-home-built MIDI-CV converters, I have a box that I've 
     been testing called the "CV-3". Our very own list member Kyle Jarger 
     and his buddy created it, and it is quite impressive. I hope he is 
     reading this because he'd better prepare for a bunch of orders. He 
     could probably do a better job than I on a sales pitch, but right now 
     at home I've got a Minimoog controlled by my MIDI master keyboard and 
     it kicks major butt. He's gonna produce three versions - the CV-1 is 
     CV, gate, pitch bend, and mod via internal syncable LFO. The CV-2 adds 
     a filter CV plus an assignable AUX CV, and the CV-3 adds an audio 
     input for the synth's output signal which adds pan and volume control 
     going to a stereo output. Like I said I've got it up and running, no 
     problems, and it is one mean little box! Prices will beat all the 
     other guys (so he says, I've never shopped) - the highest price unit 
     is in the mid-to-high 200's USD. Portamento is supported and it sounds 
     beautiful. All pitch control is very smooth and continuous. The LFO 
     has a great selection of waveforms. I want a bunch of them.
     
     - Gene
     gstopp at fibermux.com


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: MIDI to CV Interface
Author:  Bob Zimmer <bzimmer at voicenet.com> at ccrelayout
Date:    10/25/96 10:42 AM
     
I've decided to cancel my order with PAiA for the MIDI-CD device they offer 
since it isn't available yet.  I have plans for a device that was in 
Electronic Musican many years ago, written by Thomas Henry.  It offers four 
voice output, but uses a Motorola CPU chip that few ROM burners support and 
I'm not up to building a burner for it.
     
I'd like to try to use a Basic Stamp II since it would make the software job 
and testing much easier.
     
Is there anyone that would be willing to collaborate on such a project, 
where I could do the software work and you could do the electronics part??? 
I've been in the software business for about 20 years or so, so this should 
be a no brainer, but maybe we could add in things like multi-channel support
and velocity sensitivity (what do we do with that and an envelope generator???).