[sdiy] USB to CV

[Scott Gravenhorst]

Richard Wentk <richard at skydancer.com> wrote:
>At 15:03 14/04/2005, neil.johnson97 at ntlworld.com wrote:
>>Hi,
>>
>>Richard Wentk wrote:
>> > Neil Johnson wrote:
>> > >I guess you could do it with a USB Analogue I/O adaptor
>> > >and a scaling amp (to get 1V/oct).
>> >
>> > All USB audio adaptors have DC blocking caps.
>>
>>Note that I did not say "audio I/O".  For example, the LabJack
>>
>>http://www.audon.co.uk/labjack.html
>>
>>has two analogue output channels.  Its aimed at lab work, but could be 
>>used for providing both CV and gate/trig signals as well.
>
>Okay. But how are you going to integrate it into a musical environment? The 
>point about audio interfaces is that it's a case of plug 'n play.
>
>I could be wrong, but I suspect Cubase et al will just laugh at you if you 
>try to get it to output control curves to a LabJack.


Agreed, unless one is willing to engineer the hardware, the application
software and the driver software, this is an unlikely route to success. 
That's why I suggested USB->MIDI->CV.  Yes, there's the MIDI data rate
bottleneck, but MIDI is a standard for which there are already well developed
applications and driver software.  Discussions here in the past have noted
issues with trying to go commercial with any USB product regarding the codes
that identify manufacturers and devices.  I understand that acquiring this is
expensive.  Random codes could be used for your own homemade device, but you
still have a pile of development to do because (for example) there are no
sequencers that work direct to USB without a USB MIDI interface.



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