Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: MOTM

I did finally reach a critical date/project this weekend: a DVD for my Dad's
80th birthday. I started thinking about doing DVD tutorials for MOTM (like using
the uSeq) as opposed to trying to spend 100 hours writing a manual. Then I got
the idea to digitize my Dad's Navy scrapbooks (he was a Lt. on a LST [Landing
Ship-Tank transporter] during Iwo Jima and Okinawa). So after a nightmare of DVD
drives, Mac OSX and trying to find a VCR with S-Video (not an easy task
∗locally∗) I did manage to make a 4min DVD that actually played in all the DVD
units (that's the '-R' media). So now I am an expert :)

Actually, this DVD authoring is ∗perfect∗ for modular synth manuals/tutorials.
Each module can have it's own "Chapter" and it's easy to mix "live action" video
with a 'slide show' of schematics, etc. Amazing stuff. I scanned over 100 photos
and documents at 600dpi and stuck the ~2GB folder on a 85 cent DVD+R (for DATA).

Now that's behind me (for a while, when I have to do the "real" DVD for
Christmas), I will start on the lowly CDROM manual set. This week I take the
MOTM-480 pc boards to the board stuffer (shooting for Thursday). It will take
then about 10 days to get the parts, sequence the tape, and stuff the boards
(all 100 boards can be run in 1 day). Meanwhile, I plan to ship some assembled
modules to the UK and get the CDROM PDF files sequenced and ready to go.

Last (but far from least) the MOTM-650 MIDI-CV firmware is now accepting
microtuning dumps! Robert Rich is busy in the studio on his next all-MOTM CD
(non-Bestiary-like) which is done in alternate tunings. He is banging on the
dual apreggiators and over the next 6 weeks or so we should have the hardware
all tested out and the firmware should be at a point were I feel comfortable
letting beta testers try it out. I won't have the "correct" hardware but the
prototype HW is useable (if you have lots of bench space, it's like 9 x 11
inches). There is only 1 prototype available for testing (mine) so this round
USA folks will be considered. I will need say 3 people to use it for 10 days
then send it to the next person on the list. The catch is that you HAVE to
really use it in your slot. I know "stuff comes up" but it this is ever to get
to a MODULE, I need this testing.

Send me a private email and in 25 words or less tell me why you want to test it
and how you plan to test it. AND...every tester will have to post at least 2
demos of MOTM-650 features (tuning, the voice allocation modes, MIDI clocking,
whatever).

It does use a '950 supply, so if you don't have one, you will have to order one.
If you have one on order already, I will send it along.

That's it for now. I have "booth duty" at the Dallas ArrowFest this week. If you
live in a large US city, chances are this month there is an ArrowFest. This is
Arrow Electronics (world's largest electronic parts distributor, about 500X
Mouser size) little trade fair where vendors have a booth (I will be in the
Littelfuse booth) and EEs from area companies come to drink beer and oogle the
girls (they don't see girls much, this is a big deal).

Paul S.