Rhythm generator

[Stewart Pye]

Hi Bill, and everyone...

It might seem daunting at first but I think a microcontroller is really the
way to go for this kind of project. These are my reasons why:

1. minimal amount of switches needed. (606 style programming)
2. switches can be software debounced.
3. less wiring
4. lower cost
5. less wiring!
6. ability to store patterns.
7. you can have built in midi sync if you want it.

There's the 16c77 pic which is a 40 pin device. Very soon the EEPROM
version (16F77) of this chip will be widely available so you wont need an
EPROM eraser. The price is about $8US. 

You could have a row of 16 switches for trigger on etc. and some other
switches to select the mode of the 16 swiches. Let's say you press the
instrument button. you then press one of the 16 buttons to determine which
instrument you select to edit. You can then hit the pattern edit button and
start selecting steps on/off. This can go on for any type of event you want
to edit, including pattern#. Yes!! pattern storage. Of course you'd have
LED's displaying the status of each step.

It may take you a little while to learn how to program microcontrollers but
I'm sure you won't regret it. Just over a year ago I was designing all
kinds of things (including analog cv and drum trigger sequencers) using
discrete logic. I was under the impression that this gave me greater
flexabilty. Then I had to learn the 8031 microcontrller as part of my AD
electronics. I was hesitant at first but the more you learn, the more you
understand and the more you think that microcontrollers are f*cking amazing.

When my current project is complete, I am designing a sequencer similar to
that described above. However it will have a pot at each step to select
velocity, a MIDI output, and a note sequencer mode where the note# is
selected with the pot.

If you choose a microcontroller design you will have possibilities not
available with a standard logic design, at a lower cost. Do it Bill, Do
it!!! If you choose to go this route don't hesitate to ask me for advice.
If you feel like you can't be bothered to program a uC think of all the
wiring/cost of hardware you will save.

Just a former discrete logic fans opinion of course :-)


Regards,
Stewart Pye
At 15:43 14/04/99 +0100, WJ Bland wrote:
>Hmmm, I had thought of using a uC (I was thinking the PICs look quite
>nice?) but, like you, I decided I just can't be bothered to program one!