[sdiy] programmable synth module

[john mahoney]

> > So, what can be improved over the PSIM-1?

> My two cents:
>
> -- Attenuators on the inputs, with the input jacks normalled to 10V.
> This would make for easy manual parameter setting without having to
> patch in a joystick or other bias source.
> -- Full-scale and attenuated outputs, to ease working with modules
> that are deficient in input attenuators.
>
> That little LCD display looks really nice, too. :)
>
> Woody


Good ideas, Woody. Input attenuators and CV sources are more of an
implementation issue, but symantics aside, I'd like to have that in front of
my PSIM. (Wiard joysticks also make excellent input devices, I bought one
from an AHer not too long ago.) Output attenuators would also be handy. Of
course, we could say the same thing about a lot of modules.

I forgot about the LCD display. Definitely nice.

Excellent comments from Harry, too. As far as a serial port connection to
the PC, that's how the PSIM-1 works (you can use a cheap USB-to-serial
adapter) and it's fine. Certainly less trouble than using MIDI, since the
development tools are made to use the serial interface. :-)

Yes, a kit would be nice. Best of all would be a sort of open source group
effort. Want to etch your own PCB? Fine, somebody has free artwork that you
can download. Want to buy a PCB? Somebody happens to sell them. Software?
Developed by the group and shared freely. That's the dream, anyway. I hopt
that we can find a critical mass of people who agree on the specs for such a
module, then we can proceed from there.

I'll be the documentation guy, at least for now, as long as the discussion
is giong somewhere. This means that I'll summarize the collective comments
every so often as we (hopefully) mold the specs into shape.

I am confident that there's enough expertise on this list to pull this off.
It's been done before...
--
john