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.