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Subject: Re: Help with joystick

From: jwbarlow@...
Date: 2000-02-29

OK! Weirdness on the mail front. Third time's a charm, as they say! From
yesterday.....

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I sent this about two and a half hours ago -- I'll apologize for the
repetition now while I wait for it to show up!

BTW I've got some info from Barry Klein's book and other sources if you want
me to snail it to you (I'm just up the road in San Pedro) that's no problem
-- and what value pots do you have in your joysticks?


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In a message dated 2/28/2000 10:05:40 AM, djthomaswhite@... writes:

>I am planning to make a joystick controller on my own as a learning
>experience. I will be using the CH Mach-2 joystick from CH products as
>previous mentioned in a message by Nathan H. Can anybody help me out with
>a
>schematic for the +5/-5v circuit I need to use with the joystick? I have
>a
>block diagram of the circuit, but nothing specific. I want this to be of
>good quality to work into my MOTM so anything complicated is not frightening
>at this point. :~)

I can offer a few suggestions and I hope that others will add more. In my
previous post about my proposed remote joystick module, I'd gone for the
"kitchen sink" concept (2 reversing attenuators to provide scaling, and 2
offset adjustments) since I don't really know how I'll be using it. I notice
that a lot of pitch bend/mod levers (wheels I presume as well) have both a
narrow and a wide setting available (I'll note that on my OB-1, the BROAD
setting sweeps the pitch up or down an octave or 1V -- I've got the narrow
going up or down around a third or about 1/3V). I'd like to be able to use my
joystick for more prosaic functions like mod and pitch bend, but I also want
to use it for panning (prosaic as well but illustrative nonetheless) in which
case I'll want a very wide voltage output -- I believe the approximately 15V
swing provided by reversing attenuators will be perfect for these relatively
large voltage swings as well.


>I like how this joystick can release either spring loaded axis at a time
>or
>both for free floating movement. Would I be able to use the two joystick
>buttons to generate 5v triggers to fire EG's or re trigger LFO's? I figure
>the panel would include the DB-15 connector, 2 pots, X & Y outs, and maybe
>2
>Trigger outs? Please advise my friends. 1 connector, 2 pots and 4 jacks
>= 1
>space MOTM panel. Or do I even need the CV adjustment pots due to the
>trimmers on the joystick?

I've recently been inside a PC joystick (with the standard DB-15 connector)
and it seems to me that all joysticks are using the pots inside as variable
resistors, and so one would need to essentially scrap most of the standard
innards of a joystick, get some new cable and start over if one was to do
what I'm thinking about (or what I believe Larry's got going). It might be
worth it to wait and see what Paul is thinking of for the module idea he
floated a few days ago.

I know I've said this before but I do like the idea of a larger analog switch
idea (i.e., a VC patch panel much bigger than the 700).

Wondering what Moe's got up his sleeve.
John (I was hoping that the volume of list traffic would stay high with all
the new people starting to chime in, but it appears listmembers only speak up
when they feel strongly about a certain feature on a proposed module -- in
that spirit, anyone who likes VC sustain on a VCEG is a wuss!) Barlow