MOTM

On Mon, 1 Nov 1999, J. Larry Hendry wrote:

> Scott, this is easy.  275 parameters = 275 knobs.  See...
> 
> <snicker>
> 
> Larry (wants hundreds of knobs) Hendry

  Heh heh...

  In 1987 I built what is easily my most complicated device in terms of
controls: a complete DX-7 parameter entry system.  It was built into a
portable DJ's desk upon which the DX-7 keyboard was placed.  The sloped
control-panel hutch behind the flat table area for the DX-7 held seven
panels, each about 8"x11".  Six of them were duplicates, one for each sine
"operator". The seventh held the remaining parameterss, including an
"algorithm display map" idea I stole off the DX-1.  The machine had
something like 6 x 21 + 19 = 145 knobs and about 14 switches.  There were
let's see...two LEDs and about 40 LED displays on each of the six panels,
and about 36 displays on the seventh panel.  The panels talked to the DX-7
using a star-hub MIDI "network" I sort of fudged in Z8 uC code.  One
interesting thing was that being a giant MIDI programmer, one could edit
voices on, say, a program for an old CP/M Z-80 box that faked being a
DX-7 enough to create patches.  (The program did not generate any tones;
not enough CPU horsepower).

  Powered up, the thing looked..glorious.

  I called it the "DX Patchmaster", which my college roommate thought was
a dumb name.  I sold it to the university when I left school--it may still
be there today.  I built one spare "operator" panel.  I'll take a picture
of it and splat it on the web.

  You would have to pay me $10K to build a second one. ^^

   --Crow

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