[sdiy] Deceptively simple question: Panels

[Andre Majorel]

On 2005-08-27 13:25 -0400, Aaron Bader wrote:
> On Fri, 26 Aug 2005 19:14:10 -0500
> "J. Larry Hendry" <jlarryh at iquest.net> wrote:
> 
> > In this case, you do get what you pay for.  I own two of the PAiA
> > MIDI 2 CV8s.  They are 8 bit resolution.  I'd say plenty good for
> > controlling a mono synth or perhaps two voice.  If you get into
> > polyphonic operation, you might want something a little better. I
> > have a Kenton pro-2000 which I really do like.  I am waiting
> > patiently for the MOTM MIDI2CV also.
> 
> This confuses me a little. How does an 8 bit dac resolution degrade
> polyphonic operation? Or is it more because you ONLY get cv/gate when
> playing 4 voices with this particular converter?

Precision is more critical when playing chords. I suppose that the
sort of cheap 8-bit DAC you're likely to find in a PAiA product is
not precise enough.

If your 8-bit DAC is precise to +/-1/2 LSB and you use it so that
a semitone is 2 LSB (128 possible notes -- just right for MIDI),
you have a +/-25 cents error on each note !

-- 
André Majorel <amajorel at teaser.fr>
http://www.teaser.fr/~amajorel/