Old fart's comments, experiences and insights

[lasermaster1977]

Glad you enjoyed it, Alden.
Gotta admit, I didn't see your take on the modernized Colossus synth coming.
I was expecting my fellow old farts to notice the left bank of 12 waveform generators, with similar controls as the ones we used back in the day
😎

The Beatstep looks pretty neat, not too expensive either.

On Colossus, I was sucked back into that digressive past, sorry. I did note the tremendous attributes of the Colossus. Very impressive. It took me back to when PAiA (I think), sold analogous synth DIY modules. I never had one, but a musician friend did and he showed me all the various "patches" he could achieve with the modular components and his MIDI keyboard.

[kecked]

"modular Eurorack synths" have been and still are very popular... in Europe of course. I suspect that Tangerine Dream had a lot of influence on that scene, as well as Van Gelis et al.
Don't mean to be a bore with the comparisons, bu~ut I can also change the patching between the laser synth's modules, as well. But my modules are software instead of hardware, so the patching is achieved with the Teensy's online Audio Design Tool's GUI, which is converted into code declarations and exported into the sketch. But that would probably prompt some coding changes of functions and MIDI mappings, as well.

While on the subject of the fundamental roots of these genre of musical rhythms and harmonies: "Now, I'm going to take us back.... way back in time...'
times before the double bass, before the guitar and drum kit...
Times even before Alley Oop (the song)
This is still the roots of it all from "others who are quite something to behold"...
(Well while enjoying a nice glass of Merlot, anyway)
"Just Feeling groovy."
Isn't that the essence of good listening music?
😎

I want my CR-78. Yup I was one of those kids that wanted the paia rack stuff. Now I have nice replicas of the moog55 and find it boring…go figure.

[lasermaster1977]

I had to Google the CR-78 as well, and they ain't cheap either, plus watched Roj's YT link that demo'd it. Pretty cool.

And wow, the PAIA's have really held their value over the years.

Roj's Reaper sequencer demo makes me drool. He keeps leading me into Reaper temptation.

Maybe he's the first Rojeaper!

[lasermaster1977]

Yeah, but nah...
Unfortunately, the rotary encoders with detents is a deal breaker.
Currently having a problem with the multi functions on the ACP40. When I change functions after moving an encoder, then touch it, it's CC value jumps to the last position, instead of the function's stored position. This one issue has been my #1 show stopper. The laser synth knows what's going on, but the APC40's encoders don't. I could 'send' updated MIDI encoder values to solve the problem, but communicating between them via DAW makes my brain hurt.
IMHO, the KISS solution is to have more rotary encoders. But, tuning symmetry, phase angles, and pulse widths need to be smooth as silk.
😎

What you're doing with your entire "rig" makes my brain hurt , but it seems clever. Could it be a function CC channel assignment issue? (I'm very dim on MIDI stuff) or the means by which MIDI updates occur?
If it were me, I'd just have lots of DIY rotary encoders with dedicated assignments, but I'm just talking off the cuff.

[lasermaster1977]

In the sketch, I have TuneArray to store CC values, when I enable the function button on the APC40. Then, it loads the values from PW/PhaseArray to use those values for those functions, instead. But, the APC40 doesn't know the difference. So as soon as I touch an encoder that had been moved from the other array, it jumps to the last touched value from the other function, because that's where the APC40 still is.


Yes, I still have the expensive 600 ppr encoders from my originally aborted attempt. But, then I'd also need a DIY MCU (Hmm.. the controller's Latte Panda 3 Delta already has one on board) to handle MIDI communications, build a clunky looking $30 case, add $20 MIDI DIN connectors, etc.
For only $99, I can have a commercially engineered & mfr'd product that's ready to rock, with useful bells & whistles Out Of the Box.
I would like to believe that my time is worth more than $10 per month of frustrating R&D.
On the other hand, you might have a very valid point, with that regards.
Roj

Not familiar with TuneArray or PW/PhaseArray, I'll Google 'em.

Why can't you use less expensive, smooth turning, non-detent rotary encoders that have 128 steps and use software to count up or down on them however high you want them to (for resolution), e.g. 128+128+128+128+15=527, etc ?

[lasermaster1977]

Just discovered this US distributer of Eurorack synth modules. I stand corrected. Obviously, they're not extinct after all, but still highly coveted judging by the prices.

Hmm, didn't see a single item named Eurorack synth modules.

Guilty as charged. My enthusiasm for Reaper is bubbling over. ... I'm like a kid in a toy store.
Reaper works great for my DIY T4 Laser Synth, but could also control MIDI savvy Arduinos, ESP32s, STMs, BELAs, Radiators, or modern Eurorack modules.

'm I bad..👿
Reager

Once I get my current backlog of "gotta get it done" projects out of the way I look forward to doing laser & light box stuff again.

[lasermaster1977]

You mean something like my original aborted attempt of a DIY MIDI controller?
Attachment 60560
Yeah, nahh.
🤔

('sup with PLF's upside down image in document view?)

Yeah, I agree, not that.

[lasermaster1977]

Rummaging through my old laser documents, I ran across a few very old slide photos I took that were rendered by a new-fangled printer of the day that printed by melting colored wax sticks (if I recall properly). In post #9 I posted an example of a "smile" made only with 2:1 ratio sine waves.

This image below shows how analogous "lock keys" are made with XY combinations of harmonically related square waves coupled with the unique RLC "ringing" from General Scanning's G115 open-loop torsion spring galvos.

[lasermaster1977]

These may have been the first color key map that inspired ILDA's RGB spec!

(not)

[Greg]

Rummaging through my old laser documents, I ran across a few very old slide photos I took that were rendered by a new-fangled printer of the day that printed by melting colored wax sticks (if I recall properly). In post #9 I posted an example of a "smile" made only with 2:1 ratio sine waves.

This image below shows how analogous "lock keys" are made with XY combinations of harmonically related square waves coupled with the unique RLC "ringing" from General Scanning's G115 open-loop torsion spring galvos.

Images that need the old scanners to look right are a rare and interesting thing. Intriguing detail about the printer too. I always enjoy when an abstract cycloid is used to suggest something that makes sense in the context of a song. I remember a laserist once showed me on the dome a cycloid and it's phase inversion that was used to quite graphically suggest... well, ahem. Story was the office required the number not to be performed that way. I don't remember what the song was.