MOTM

Joysticks? Alternative controllers? You guys are so yesternow! We've beat 
that to death! Go look it up in the Archives! 

Seriously folks, there is a lot of interest in these areas -- just be patient 
and it will be brought up again soon I'm sure. If you are looking for 
joysticks, I know several surplus electronics places that carry old ones 
(like you used to see with the old Apple II) -- I've stumbled on to several 
that seem to have 150K pots inside which is close to perfect. Of course 
inertia has kept me from doing anything with them so far.

In a message dated 1/27/2000 2:36:29 PM, nate@... writes:

>OK, so we're torn between normaling and switches and 3 or 4 multiples.
>I'm
>starting to come over to the normaling side. I've attached a pdf of all
>the
>options we could go with. On the 3 multiples idea I suggest we put a bank
>of 6 in the middle simply because 3 sets of 4 looks to empty and who
>couldn't use more multiples. -Nate

Thanks for all this work Nate! I have to admit this thread has completely 
overwhelmed me, and I'm kind of lost in the details -- but I can still add to 
the mess!

Like Larry, if Paul makes it, I'll buy at least one! Without really 
considering the ramifications for too long, my choice right now would be for 
toggle switches over normalization (the Magic Bus idea is much better suited 
as a normalized multiple if you think about it -- or if Larry brainwashes you 
enough). I agree with Larry's point that the switch wouldn't be blocked by 
the jacks, since you wouldn't typically be using the switch during 
"performance" (though like a reversing attenuator module, a module with 
switches for performance would be a good addition for a series of 
"housekeeping" modules -- when the list settles down we might want to discuss 
useful housekeeping functions, eh?). 

I would also like to note that while I often need five or six multiples from 
one output (maybe 20% of the time) I NEVER need 15 multiples of one output. 
So let me now suggest that if I had to choose right now one of the 1U panels t
hat Nate has offered, I'd choose #1 with only 2 switches -- one which gangs 
one and two, the other would gang three and four. This would give the minimum 
of 2 groups of 8.

Finally let me suggest to Paul the following module: modify an old color 
organ circuit to operate a flock of different colored LEDs. Have audio 
inputs, and audio outputs (which are directly connected to the inputs -- 
i.e., no effect on the sound). Put some knobs which filter the blinking much 
like bass and treble controls on a radio. Have a switch on the back so that 
in one position it causes the LEDs to glow and dim directly with the 
amplitude, and in the other position the LEDs would blink on at the presence 
of a signal in a given frequency range. Pot the circuit board so that no one 
can tell it doesn't do anything to the sound. Call the module the sonic 
maximizer (or something) with the former referred to as the Barlowlator, and 
the latter called the Bradlizer -- Hendry? He'll buy one of each!

Barlow-later